Women's Trailblade

Comments about Trailblade:

I have enjoyed every brooks shoe that i have purchased. These are comfortable right out of the box. I love, love, love them (well, as much as you can love a running shoe). lol!

Comments about Trailblade:

I use these shoes for prairie runs, up in the mountains and around town. Good for everywhere, although the treads on the bottom are not quite ideal for paved roads. A comfy, durable, good all around shoe.

Comments about Trailblade:

I love my Trailblades!!!! After I added arch supports, they were fantastic. Hoping to find another color :)

Comments about Trailblade:

I am an avid trail runner, and most trails in my area are highly technical, rocky and steep. On those trails, the Trailblade shows excellent traction when it's dry, but not so good in wet or slightly icy conditions, or on smooth rocks. I was actually surprised by how well this shoe performs even on the technical trails, as I had bought it primarily for use on gravel roads and on less technical trails, or when I just can't make up my mind where I'm going to run and need a shoe that can do both trails and roads.

What I noticed is that the sole of the shoe is rather stiff, and not flexible. This offers good protection from pointed rocks and loose gravel, but might be a bit uncomfortable on hard-top downhills. On the other hand, the sole is nicely rounded off towards the front, so the lacking flexibility is made up for somewhat by this shape. The foot can still roll off naturally and does not feel restricted, except on paved roads where you'd want an easier, smoother transition from landing to push-off.

I have not used the shoe much yet, but it seems to drain well. It also has fairly good traction in mud, due to the rugged sole.

Like on other Brooks shoes, the laces do not hold the knots well, no matter how you tie them, and they were the only thing I replaced on the shoes. Laces which are thicker and offer some elasticity work best on these shoes. If you don't want to exchange them, taping them down with duct tape is also a solution that works.

Comments about Trailblade:

These shoes have a great fit for high volume feet and high insteps, but the stability on the trail is minimal. It would be a decent trail shoe if the sole were lowered and some stability were added. They're fine for tame, manicured trails, but not for anything that requires some lateral stability.

Comments about Trailblade:

Great lightweight trail shoe. Excellent for those who want something with a little extra traction yet don't want the heavier "feel" of traditional trail shoes. Have recommended them to others who've loved them too

Comments about Trailblade:

This is a pretty shoe but I need more support for my feet. Others may not but I have feet problems that have to have more support

Comments about Trailblade:

My husband recommended these shoes for me to use in my outdoor walking/running. I also use a clean different pair for the gym 5 days a week. I have a hard foot to fit and have a lot of foot/ankle pain issues. The trailblade seems to minimize my aches and pains. These shoes have been very comfortable and supportive.