The adidas Terrex Anylander Rain.Rdy is the budget waterproof walking shoe from the Terrex line, and its whole case is the price. It lands at around £60, which undercuts almost every membrane shoe on the market, and for that money it gives you a proper waterproof membrane, a gusseted tongue and a grippy outsole. For a hiker who wants dry feet on wet UK trails without spending £100-plus, that combination is hard to find anywhere else.
This is the low-cut version of the shoe. adidas also sell a mid-height Anylander with a taller cuff for rougher ground, but the low shoe is the one that competes on value against the likes of the Merrell Moab and the pricier waterproof trail shoes, and it is the one covered here. It is aimed squarely at casual to regular walkers on coast paths, downland and mixed trail in the wet half of the year, and on the numbers it makes a strong argument for the money.
Who the Anylander is for
The Anylander suits the walker who wants a waterproof shoe and a sensible price, in that order. If your walking is coast path, bridleway, downland and easy-to-moderate trail, and your main need is keeping your feet dry through wet grass, dew and light rain, this shoe covers it without the outlay of a GORE-TEX shoe.
It is a good first waterproof walking shoe. Someone stepping up from trainers who is not yet ready to spend £100 or more, but who has learned that wet feet ruin a walk, gets a real membrane and a grippy sole here rather than the vague, slip-prone budget shoes that used to be the only option under £60.
It is also a fair second pair. Regular hikers who already own a rugged shoe or a boot for the worst days sometimes want a cheaper, lighter waterproof shoe for the in-between conditions, and the Anylander fills that slot cheaply.
Who should look elsewhere? Anyone who wants a buy-it-for-life shoe, or who hikes long days on rough, rocky ground under a loaded pack, will be better served by a more durable, more supportive shoe such as the Merrell Moab 3 or a Salomon. And anyone who regularly hits genuinely uneven or rocky terrain should consider the mid version for the extra ankle cover, because the low cut offers none.
RAIN.RDY and the gusseted tongue
Waterproofing is the reason to buy this shoe, so it is worth being clear about what RAIN.RDY is and what it does. RAIN.RDY is adidas's own waterproof, breathable membrane, its equivalent of a brand membrane like KEEN.DRY rather than GORE-TEX. It sits inside the shoe as a barrier that keeps water out over the height of the upper while letting some sweat vapour escape.
On typical UK conditions, wet grass, dewy mornings, shallow puddles and light-to-moderate rain, testers report it keeps socks dry as intended. That is the bulk of the British walking year, and for a shoe at this price to seal out that kind of wet reliably is the headline. Independent reviews also note it breathes a touch better than a GORE-TEX shoe of the same build, which is a fair trade for a membrane that is not quite as bombproof.
The gusseted tongue is the detail that makes the waterproofing work in practice. The tongue is stitched to the sides of the shoe rather than hanging free, so there is no open channel down the sides for water, mud and grit to run into. On a shoe like this, a free tongue would be the obvious weak point, so sealing it is exactly the right call.
The limit is the one every low waterproof shoe shares. The membrane only protects up to the collar. Step into water deeper than the shoe, or take a soaking over the top on a wet-grass traverse, and water gets in, and once in, the membrane that kept it out now slows it draining. That is not a fault of the Anylander, it is the physics of a low waterproof shoe, and it is the reason boots exist for standing water and deep bog.
Traxion grip
The outsole is adidas's Traxion, a multi-directional lug pattern designed to bite in every direction on mixed ground. On the surfaces this shoe is built for, pavement, gravel, hardpack, damp paths, wet rock and roots at walking pace, testers describe the footing as secure and confident, which is more than you often get at this price.
Where Traxion is less specialised is deep, soft mud. The lugs are a moderate all-round pattern, not the deep, widely spaced chevrons of a dedicated mud shoe like the Salomon Speedcross 6, so in a proper Purbeck bog it clogs and skates where an aggressive tread would clear and bite. And like any rubber, it will not save you on ice, polished stone or wet metal. For general UK trail and coast-path walking, though, the grip is a strength rather than a compromise.
Cushioning and comfort
The Anylander rides on a cushioned EVA midsole with a well-padded, supportive collar, and the payoff is that it is comfortable straight out of the box. There is no break-in period to speak of, the padding round the ankle and heel holds the foot without hotspots, and testers consistently rate it as an easy, comfortable shoe for extended walks. Owner ratings across retailers back that up.
The fit is a standard width, true to size for a medium foot, with a reinforced toe cap that adds a little protection against stubbed toes on rooty, stony ground. There is no dedicated wide fitting, so broad-footed walkers who find adidas snug should look at KEEN's Targhee III instead.
The cushioning is good rather than plush. Over shorter and moderate days it is comfortable and supportive, but it is a firmer, simpler platform than the deeply cushioned midsoles on pricier shoes, and on very long days on hard ground you will feel more of the trail through it. For the distances most casual and regular walkers cover, that is a fair place to save money.
The trade-off against GORE-TEX shoes
The Anylander earns its price by giving something up, and it is worth naming exactly what, because it is the difference between a smart buy and a disappointing one.
The membrane is not GORE-TEX. RAIN.RDY handles typical UK wet well, but GORE-TEX carries a longer track record for durability and a formal waterproof guarantee, and adidas do not publish the same wear guarantees on RAIN.RDY that GORE-TEX partners do. In heavy, sustained use over years, a top GORE-TEX shoe is the safer bet for staying waterproof for longer.
The upper is textile with a reinforced toe, and it scuffs and wears faster than the leather or heavier-duty builds on a Moab or a Salomon. Reviewers flag this as the main durability limit: fine for the money, but not a buy-it-for-life shoe.
And it is a lighter-duty shoe on rough ground. The support and underfoot protection are pitched at trail and mixed terrain at a walking pace, not at loaded, rocky, all-day hillwalking. Ask it to do a rugged shoe's job and it will feel out of its depth where a Moab or an XA Pro stays planted.
None of that undercuts the value case. It sets the expectation. The Anylander is a waterproof shoe for typical UK walking at a low price, and judged against that brief it delivers. Judged as a rugged, buy-once do-everything shoe, it was never trying to be one.
The natural step up within the same brand is the adidas Terrex Trailmaker 2 GORE-TEX at around £90. For the extra outlay you get a full GORE-TEX membrane and a tougher, longer-proven build, and it is our pick for the best waterproof shoe overall. If the Anylander's price is the whole appeal, buy the Anylander. If you can stretch and want the shoe to last, the Trailmaker is the one.
Specs at a glance
- Type
- Low-cut waterproof walking shoe
- Weight
- ~390g per shoe (men's UK 8.5), ~330g (women's UK 5.5)
- Waterproofing
- adidas RAIN.RDY membrane, gusseted tongue
- Outsole
- Traxion, multi-directional lugs
- Midsole
- EVA
- Heel-to-toe drop
- 10mm
- Upper
- Textile with reinforced toe cap
- Fit
- Standard width, padded supportive collar, true to size
- UK price
- ~£60 (RRP ~£75)
Pros and cons
- Best value waterproof walking shoe going, at around £60
- RAIN.RDY membrane and gusseted tongue keep feet dry in typical UK wet
- Grippy Traxion outsole, secure on gravel, hardpack, damp paths and wet rock
- Comfortable straight out of the box, no break-in, well-padded collar
- Reinforced toe cap and a little breathing edge over full GORE-TEX shoes
- Strong owner ratings for the money
- RAIN.RDY is not GORE-TEX and carries no equivalent wear guarantee
- Textile upper scuffs and wears faster than leather; not a buy-it-for-life shoe
- Lighter-duty on rough, rocky, loaded ground than a Moab or Salomon
- Moderate lugs clog and skate in deep, soft mud
- Cushioning is good rather than plush over very long days
- No wide fitting, and the low cut gives no ankle cover
The best value waterproof walking shoe for casual and regular UK hikers who want dry feet on coast path, downland and mixed trail without spending £100-plus. A strong first waterproof shoe or a cheap second pair.
Verdict: the best value waterproof
The adidas Terrex Anylander Rain.Rdy is the best value waterproof walking shoe on the market, and that is exactly how to judge it. At around £60 it gives you a real waterproof membrane, a sealed gusseted tongue and a grippy Traxion outsole, the three things that actually matter for keeping your feet dry and planted on wet UK trails, for a price that undercuts almost every membrane shoe going. Comfortable out of the box and well rated by owners, it does the job it is priced to do.
The compromises are the ones a budget shoe should make. RAIN.RDY is not GORE-TEX and carries no equivalent guarantee, the textile upper wears faster than leather, and it is a lighter-duty shoe than a rugged all-rounder on rough ground. For a casual or regular walker on the coast path and downland, none of that gets in the way. For long, loaded days on rocky ground, or for a shoe meant to last many years, it does, and that is where the money buys something more.
Buy the Anylander if you want dependable dry feet at the lowest sensible price. If you can stretch to around £90 and want the shoe to last, step up to the adidas Terrex Trailmaker 2 GORE-TEX. As the value pick, the Anylander is hard to beat.
Rating: 4.3 / 5
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