Brooks Divide 3 review

We believe the Brooks Divide 3 is a solid choice for:

• Trail runners on a budget who want a versatile shoe equally at home on occasional road runs.
• Those who prefer a firm ride and need a hybrid shoe capable of tackling a variety of surfaces.
• Brooks fans who sometimes venture onto easy trails with their road shoes and want something with a bit more grip.

The Brooks Divide 3 does a decent job in the versatile trail category, but if you're a runner who favors flexibility in running shoes, it might feel a bit too stiff underfoot even while walking. We think the ASICS Gel Venture 9 offers similar features and price with a much more flexible feel.

We also found the DNA Loft foam to be surprisingly firm. If a plush, soft ride is what you're after, we think the Divide 3 likely won't hit the mark. We know from our lab tests that there are softer midsoles in the road-to-trail category, like the Hoka Challenger 7 or the Nike Pegasus Trail 4.

In the lab, we measured the shoe's drop (the difference between heel and forefoot height) and found it to be 8.4 mm.

That's super close to the 8 mm advertised by Brooks, meaning it'll feel comfortable for pretty much any type of footstrike. And we want to give props to Brooks for being accurate with their specs—we often see bigger differences here!

Let's talk about that DNA Loft midsole. Right out of the box, it has a noticeably firm feel—we think this'll really appeal to runners who love a snappy, classic ride.

To back up our initial impression, we whipped out the durometer and got a reading of 33.5 HA. This confirms that Brooks tweaked the DNA Loft in this shoe for extra firmness, likely considering its trail-running focus.

And what about the toebox? Well, it delivers what we think it's a spacious fit, clocking in at 99.1 mm in the widest part.

We took a second measurement specifically around the big toe area—where fit can get tricky for many runners.

Here, the Divide 3 measures in at 79.5 mm, providing plenty of room for comfortable toe splay. While it's not a true wide-toebox shoe, we think the Divide 3 strikes a great balance for runners who want a bit more space up front without sacrificing a secure fit.

Since the Divide 3 is designed for both roads and trails, short lugs are key—those big, chunky lugs found on pure trail shoes would feel terrible on pavement.

Luckily, the Divide 3 features 3.1-mm lugs, a thoughtful touch that guarantees a smoother ride on hard surfaces while still offering good grip on the trails.

The goal of the Divide 3 is ultimate versatility – from trips to the store to long trail adventures. That means it needs to strike a balance and avoid being too stiff, or it'll feel downright uncomfortable.

In our 90-degree bend test, the Divide 3 resisted up to 29.8N of force, placing it squarely in the average flexibility range. While just a touch more flexibility would've been ideal, this result proves it should be comfortable for a variety of activities.

Let's be honest, the Divide 3 isn't some featherweight speed demon when it comes to how it feels on your foot. But clocking in at 10.25 oz, it's not what we'd call heavy—it sits just in that middle-of-the-road weight for its category.

When you factor in the wallet-friendly price, it's definitely a fair deal!

Right out of the box, it's obvious that the Divide 3's upper draws inspiration from road running shoes, giving us high hopes for better-than-average airflow.

And our smoke-pumping test proved these hopes right! The Divide 3 delivered a nice 4/5 rating, which is seriously impressive for a trail shoe.

To understand the mechanics behind this breathability, we held the upper up to a light. This instantly revealed ventilation holes and the shoe's strategic structure. It boasts sturdy support from the midfoot to the heel, yet maintains a remarkably ventilated toebox with countless tiny air holes.

Next, we brought out our trusty lab microscope to zoom in on those holes.

The images were fascinating, clearly highlighting Brooks' commitment to crafting a mesh with great breathability.

Finally, we examined the cut-in-half upper. The engineered mesh offers a touch of stretch and generous padding for enhanced comfort.

One awesome perk of a super-firm midsole is that it instantly boosts stability. That's a big part of why the Divide 3 feels so rock-solid on the run, but it's not the only reason.

We tried our best to bend and twist the Divide 3, and it seriously put up a fight—way more rigid than we were expecting at 4/5. While this definitely reinforces its stability, a touch more flexibility would make it a better all-around shoe.

We found the heel counter offers that same tough-as-nails feel—we rated it a 4/5 for rigidity.

Though we think 3/5 would be a better approach, heel strikers are sure to appreciate the locked-in, super-secure feeling it provides.

Our measurements showed the forefoot clocks in at an average 113.6 mm. This width is absolutely perfect for a hybrid shoe like the Divide 3.

After the disappointing toebox durability test, we crossed our fingers for a stronger heel performance under the Dremel.

But, that hope quickly shattered. The Divide 3 delivered another bad performance, earning yet another rock-bottom 1/5 rating. If you're the type of runner who tends to blow out heels thanks to your Achilles, this shoe definitely isn't for you.

The outsole measures in at a solid 2.2 mm, which we think is the perfect sweet spot for this shoe.

Any thicker, and running on pavement would feel downright clunky in this road-to-trail hybrid.

We were curious to see how the midsole handled the cold, so we put it in our lab freezer for 20 minutes.

After our retest, it clocked in at a firm 40.0 HA (+19.4%), basically a brick underfoot.

The insole is totally removable as it's not glued. On top of that, it has a pretty standard shape, so we think you can easily swap it out with your favorite aftermarket insole without any issues.

Unfortunately, the Divide 3 misses the mark when it comes to reflective details. Still, considering its $100 price tag, we can't really complain about that!

We found that the Divide 3 features a semi-gusseted tongue, a premium touch that we were pleasantly surprised to see in a $100 shoe.

This design adds a snug and secure feel around the midfoot, helping ensure a comfortable and locked-in fit throughout your run.

The heel sports the Brooks logo indented right into the heel counter, giving it a cool look. Yet unfortunately, it's missing a finger-loop heel tab—a feature we think really comes in handy on trail shoes!