Brooks Divide 2 review

Brooks Divide 2 review

The Divide 2 from Brooks is designed as a transition shoe for road runners looking to do a little off-road running, or as a hybrid shoe that can play on hard and soft surfaces. 

Breathable upper mesh

The shoe has a nice, breathable air mesh upper with a nice mix of welded overlays. This keeps moisture and debris out while adding a bit of durability.  

Nice, padded tongue

It’s a low-profile, padded mesh tongue that doesn’t get in the way. It’s also gusseted which is a nice feature for a shoe at this price point. Overall, love the stretchy material they use here. 

Laces stay tight

The Divide has some high-quality laces that stay tight. There's a welded eyelet chain instead of the standard lace holes, complete with a secondary top hole. I am actually able to utilize and stabilize the heel a bit, but the laces are too short if you wanted to use both of the top holes.

I honestly don't think it's needed, but some may be frustrated by it. 

Secure heel lockdown

It’s stiff but no real problems with slip. Props to Brooks for putting a very large heel loop. I hate when it’s a pain to get a finger through these or you need both hands to do it. This is plenty accommodating. 

Divide 2 has aggressive outsole

Brooks’ TrailTack rubber is a great product. It can be an aggressive outsole if the Divide was a dedicated trail runner. 

I actually really like this outsole for its intended purpose — it’s balanced, works well on hard surfaces, and has enough bite to hit mild to moderately technical trails, which I also tend to find on commuter/mixed-terrain runs. 

Dull ride in the Divide 2

It’s a bit dull and uninteresting underfoot. Dare I say, it’s kinda like a brick. 

The Rock Plate is a nice feature, but not totally needed as the midsole itself is pretty dense and protective. It may stiffen the shoe up a bit more than most want. 

Road shoe fit and feel

The Brooks Divide 2 fits and feels like a road shoe, which is the idea here — to give road runners a similar platform to start exploring off-road. 

I don’t love the midsole

There could be more plushness here, but it protects the foot from rocks nicely and breathes well too. I like how it feels on my foot and I find myself wearing these around town just as much as I run in them, so that says something. 

Lighter

It weighs 10.6 oz. It could be lighter for sure, especially considering this shoe is built for road runners to try out trail running. Surely, this can be quite hefty for them. 

Drop/Stack

• 32mm stack in the heel 
• 8mm drop

The drop is on the high end for trail shoes, in my book. But again, catering to road runners, I think it was smart to leave the drop squarely in the middle of the range to feel consistent with more road shoes. 

Some creasing on the midsole

It’s a budget shoe and I am already seeing some creasing on the midsole. However, it has plenty of welded overlays to help with upper wear. I think it’s a middle-distance shoe at about 300-400 miles. 

Looks

I really dig how this shoe looks. It’s almost like a retro-style sneaker with its neon accents. 

Awesome price

It retails for $100 which is awesome. I think you can even get the Divide 1 for $75 right now. This is a budget shoe for those who just want to start exploring off-road running before committing to it full-on. 

Overall conclusion

For those on a budget or those new to trail running, I think it’s an interesting option. And if your style dictates wearing trail shoes around town, it’s actually a killer “technical sneaker” in my mind.