The perfect summer trail shoe is an elusive beast. Many brands compete to promote their mix of grip, cushioning and responsiveness, but the balance between these three elements is so hard to get right for a summer trail shoe. Trails can be surprisingly hard when the mud dries and compacts, whilst rugged, unyielding furrows can be painful on scantily cushioned feet, demanding on the grip and requiring pin-point balance to avoid awkward sprains. The Brooks Puregrit 2 does a pretty good job on achieving a good balance of the three key elements, and is a good option for anyone wanting a light trail shoe.
I have run about 100 miles in these shoes as I have been waiting to try these in wet conditions before reviewing them, so they have certainly been thoroughly checked!
Before we get onto the nuts and bolts, a word about the fit. Personally I am a fan of the Pureproject range, so it’s no surprise that I find the fit both true and comfortable, though I am aware that the ‘bevelled’ feeling around the arch is not to everyone’s taste. I would certainly urge any potential buyers to try before buying to check your feet like the fit.
Like the rest of the Pureproject range, the Puregrit 2 has a low heel to toe drop (4mm), which is great in terms of comfort and encourages a more unshackled running style, especially important when out on the trails. It also offers more cushioning than many of the low profile shoes, which mitigates the pain of landing on a needle-sharp ridge of mud, whilst maintaining a good level of flexibility and responsiveness. The additional cushioning is also good for the harder surfaces that usually accompany the warmer seasons, especially if, like me, you face a constant battle with niggling joints (possibly one of the reasons why you’re out on the trails in the first place). This became especially noticeable when running longer distances (10 miles and longer): my calves were much less sore than when in my old summer trail shoes (Saucony Kinvaras).
The soles doesn’t look like they’d inspire much confidence; from the side there is little evidence of serious traction, and I was sceptical about the grip, however it is much better than it looks. The diamond shaped pattern is made more rugged by the varying depths of each lug, and I found on a range of terrain, including loose rocks, mud, grass and steep ups and downs, that the grip felt reasonably secure and there was minimal slipping or sliding: over the course of a few runs I developed enough faith in the Puregrits to stride out downhill and attack running uphill. The flatness of the soles meant the Puregrits felt much more comfortable on relatively even stretches of trail (and tarmac) as well.
The grip has one significant failing however, even in comparison to other light trail shoes such as the Saucony Kinvaras. The tread has a tendency to clog with dirt which takes a while to shed, and this causes some loss of traction, which tells on steeper gradients. I found that running on hardened mud with a slimey sheen of rain made for a distinctly slippery ride. This shortcoming would prevent me from automatically choosing the Puregrits for races - a reccy of the conditions (and a pair of contingency shoes) would be needed before making a choice.
All in all, I am quite taken with the Puregrits. They have their limitations, however as long as you recognise that these shoes are best suited to summer conditions, they are a good option, especially if you are looking for a shoe with a bit of extra cushioning for longer runs, with a good level of flexibility and responsiveness.