Adidas put a lot of research into building the Terrex Feather Jacket, including a study into how men and women heat up and sweat differently. The research resulted in the interesting location of the pit zips, low, forward and angled for the men. The single direction zip opens an impressively large area of jacket for dumping heat while also helping create a flow of air across the body.

It worked really well, except that it was easy to confuse the pit zip with the pocket, located just a couple inches lower. Several testers found if they didn’t look they’d crack the wrong one. The diagonal pit zip was easy to open with one hand but took two hands to zip it back up.
That was the only complaint. Otherwise, this good-looking and well fitting jacket could be your only shell—which would go a long way to justifying it’s hefty price tag. The Gore Tex Pro Shell is a proven four-season performer used by many ski and snowboard clothing companies, and even a lighter weight it cuts the wind and all kinds of moisture without fail. A reflective stripe down each sleeve adds urban utility for bike commuting or running in the cold and wet. And at 14 ounces, it’s on par with other summer shells.  Looks wise, we got lots of great comments on this jacket. It looks good and hung nicely on everyone who wore it. The adidas strips down each shoulder added a nice fashion touch. Another nice feature is the combination of stretchy nylon and adidas’ Formation construction, a design ethos that ensures the jacket doesn’t bunch or shift when reaching or lunging. It didn’t seem to matter what kind of move we made, our wrists and bellies stayed covered.

The jacket falls to hip level, perfect for backpacking, climbing or skiing. The two main pockets (not quite big enough for skins or a water bottle) sat low, so they weren’t always out of the way of pack hip belts or harnesses, but high enough that they were always partially accessible. When they did get in the way we moved essentials to the two chest pockets.