Brooks PureGrit 4

Brooks PureGrit4: Happy feet

Having used these for my trail races over winter, I feel now is the time to write a review. I have worn these shoes for various distances, and I particularly enjoy using them for my long runs.

Introduction

Although these shoes run quite narrow, I chose them as I thought, even with flipper feet, I might want a tighter fitting shoe for my first attempts at trail running.

They have a variety of color options and I really like the purple and turquoise. They are pretty without being too girly. They are also bright enough that I can still see my feet through the layers of mud at the end of a run.

I think that there are a couple of things that make a good shoe. Comfort and durability are my main criteria with the price also being an important factor.

Positive column

Comfort

Over various distances from 8km to 35km, these are really very comfy. They keep my ankles nice and secure right to the end, this is very important to me as I often get a bit clumsy and roll my ankles when my muscles are a little fatigued.

The tread of the shoe seems to avoid picking up stones which are great. Several of my other pairs of running shoes have a habit of doing this and it is very annoying. 

The tighter fit of the shoes means that trail bits (stones, little bits of tree) stay out of the shoe.

This is brilliant for longer runs as I don’t have to keep stopping to shake them out. The cushioning on these shoes is sufficient for a softer ground without getting in the way of the feel of the trail.

I have tried these shoes on the road too and they remain comfortable even on hard surfaces. This gives me confidence that the shoes will allow me to run on the trails over summer when the ground is harder without becoming painful on the knees.

They are slightly less flexible than the shoes I normally wear but this seems to work in their favor over a rough trail as the midsole has enough bend to allow for brilliant grip on tougher sections of fast downhill. 

Durability

The shoe is very durable. There is a little wear on the outer sole after a few hundred kilometers, but the shoe seems to be sturdy and has survived the muddy trails, well.

I have had absolutely no problems with them despite the rough treatment they’ve had over a winter season.

Price

They are a very well-priced shoe. 

Grip

I am extremely clumsy and this shoe is very grippy which makes running in the cold, wet mud a much more pleasant experience as I’m less likely to fall over!

Negative column

Comfort 

Being nit-picky, they do run slightly narrow and seem to pick up quite a lot of mud which can make them a bit heavy towards the end of a rough run.

Durability 

I am very impressed by their ability to keep bouncing back after each run. The upper seems to let in quite a lot of water and mud.

My feet and socks were in a bit of a state after using them for their first trail race. That said, they dried out pretty quickly.

Conclusion 

Considering how much I paid for them, I was very pleasantly surprised. They are very comfortable and supportive shoes for trail running. They are a good price and have managed to survive even the worst of my trail attempts so far.