Pure Grit are part of Brooks Pure Project range.
These are probably the most comfortable running shoes I have ever had. If they matched my suit I would wear them to work.
There is something very natural about the way the front of the shoe is shaped. The Toe box feels wide and low, and your feet seem to splay very naturally. For me, when you put your feet in them it is the same feeling as putting your feet into your slippers. The heel is low, soft, and just fits, holding your foot without feeling stiff or aggravating your achilles.
I have been looking for a good trail shoe for some time vith a view to running long distances on trails. I have tried various options. I got a pair of Salomon X trails but they had so much cushioning and support they felt like I was running on stilts and I always felt my ankles were at risk from falling sideways off them. I also did a season training in Brooks Adrenaline ASR shoes which were ok, they were like Adrenalines with a trail sole. They werent great for technical stuff, got a bit soggy, and were a bit slow, solid and clumpy for my liking but were ok. I like Inov-8s. I ran the 53 miles of the Highland Fling in Inov-8 Terrocs, which worked suprisingly well even though I only wore them by accident, when I discovered on the morning of the race that the shoes I had neatly packed into a shoe bag were at home in Alloa and not in Milngavie where I needed them. Much as I love them for hills and bog, I have never been confident in my Inov-8s for long distances, even though I have a pair of roclite 365’s which are billed as being suitable for ultras. I did get a very good tip from Katie in Achilles Heel. She suggested putting a pair of cushioned insoles in my Inov-8s and that made a huge difference to how wearable they were over long distances.
A better sole has been promised for the Pure Grit 2 which is out any time now so I am looking forward to getting my hands on a pair. Finally I should say thanks to Gavin at Sweatshop Glasgow who went to great lengths to source these shoes as they are not readily available in running stores.
At the moment, these are likely to be my shoe of choice for the West Highland Way, especially if the Grit 2 version delivers the promised grippier sole. Enough of a trail shoe to cope with the terrain but really comfortable to wear for many hours. If it is pouring with rain I might just change into my Inov-8s for the trip over Conic Hill though as I would prefer to limit the amount of time I spend horizontal on the way down to Balmaha.
Comments
I wear the same shoes and LOVE them. However, running on mud in them is like running on ice! Looking forward to the new version.
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