The Brooks Divide 5. All images: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
The Brooks Divide 5 ($110) is beginner-friendly, experienced-runner-approved, budget-conscious, gentle path shoe — with the soul of a highway shoe, and underfoot safety worthy of trails. It’s simple to neglect about on the ft so long as terrain stays comparatively gentle, and your tempo is decided extra by your temper than your watch.
The Brooks Divide mannequin has been a staple within the road-to-trail working shoe area of interest for the previous 4 years, however with this fifth iteration, it appears Brooks embraced what the Divide is. A number of upgrades within the cushioning and higher permit it to completely transfer into the function of a shoe you’ll be able to comfortably run some paved bike path miles in, earlier than connecting to filth roads and fewer technical trails.
The brand new Divide looks like the right mix of the softer cushioning and adaptability of the Brooks Ghost line from the previous a number of years, blended with the superb traction and extra secure platform of the Brooks Cascadia 18 (with out the stiffness and weight.) It’s a uncommon path shoe that doesn’t really feel clunky on pavement, but nonetheless feels balanced on much less technical trails. It doesn’t discriminate between heel and midfoot strikers and, not less than for me, it’s excellent for straightforward runs and tempo runs alike.
The Divide 5 has an 8-millimeter drop with an precise weight of 9.9 ounces (282 grams) for a U.S. males’s 9, almost a full ounce lighter than the Cascadia 18. For individuals who favor a Gore-Tex shoe, the Brooks Divide 5 GTX ($140) can be out there, although we didn’t check that shoe for this evaluate.
Sizing notice: The Divide 5 is per my typical Brooks measurement and on par with what I put on in New Stability, La Sportiva, Asics, and Montrail. It’s a full measurement bigger than what I put on for Salomon.
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Brooks Divide 5 Higher
A lateral view of the Brooks Divide 5.
The higher of the Brooks Divide 5 is a smooth, snag-resistant, breathable mesh that permits for ample air flow however is lined with a clean inside layer to assist maintain sand and particles out and friction low. The impartial final and comparatively roomy toebox make for a really snug surroundings for the ft to do their factor by means of the gait cycle. Skinny TPU overlays present a little bit of construction by means of graphics medially and laterally alongside the midfoot and heel. Thicker overlays on high home the lacing slits that permit for a extremely snugly locked down midfoot, with out creating any eyelet strain factors alongside the highest of the foot.
The flat, woven laces keep tied higher than some sneakers, however a good double knot is vital. The efficient, safe match by means of the midfoot and heel was particularly evident with cambered trails, washes, cross-prairie journey, and after I hit quick sections of extra technical path, I used to be capable of preserve the tempo and turnover I desired with the arrogance that my foot and shoe have been working collectively as most popular.
The well-padded ankle collar and durable heel cup additional enhance the consolation, safety, and confidence when working or climbing, and even straight out of the field, I had zero points with scorching spots or break-in creases. On highway sections, the padding and clean inside maintain the foot and ankle stress and blister free even because the tempo and repetitive nature of the foot strikes enhance. The rand across the toebox is extra substantial than a highway shoe, which is good for the occasional incursion into cement sidewalk lips and path options alike; it additionally helps present appreciated stiffness for shorter, steeper hills when being up on the toes is vital. Toebox quantity is lofty sufficient that even with the protecting entrance, my toenails stay friction free and glad.
Fortunately, Brooks hasn’t tried to reinvent the tongue as has been the case with another manufacturers. The usual wanting tongue is comparatively low profile however has simply sufficient padding to guard the highest of the foot from locked down laces, but is skinny sufficient not to take in water when a rock-hopping stream crossing will get a bit splashy.
As a part of their dedication to sustainability, Brooks states that the higher is made with virtually 60% recycled supplies. In my 140 miles within the shoe, the consolation, flexibility, and performance of the higher remains to be pretty much as good as when new out of the field. I see no put on patterns or creases within the higher and have but to have even one friction level, although I’ve worn them with traction gadgets connected to navigate some current persistent icy and packed snow sections of highway and path. Street sneakers not often maintain as much as traction gadgets properly with out placing odd strain on the toes and ft — the Divide 5, nevertheless, is performing flawlessly.
Brooks Divide 5 Midsole
A medial view of the Brooks Divide 5.
The midsole of the Brooks Divide 5 is the place Brooks appears to have spent most of their improve efforts. The dynamic cushioning is now 4-millimeters thicker and feels softer and extra responsive, due to the DNA Loft v2 midsole compound. The rockplate remains to be current, however it interacts seamlessly with the EVA and goes unnoticed apart from the safety supplied underfoot. The elevated midsole cushioning stack comes at solely a 0.2-ounce enhance in weight, however not less than for me, it’s properly price it for the consolation it brings.
Earlier variations of the Divide have been generally recognized as being too agency or not feeling cushioned sufficient to deal with highway miles properly. In my expertise with the Divide 5, after I did find yourself working some miles on the pavement to get to the crushed gravel or smoother singletrack, my legs nonetheless felt good and springy as if I had a correct highway shoe on. But on the singletrack, the shoe supplies the safety and torsional stiffness wanted to deal with the various angles and occasional chunks with out feeling overbearing. Returning to the pavement to attach again to the automobile, once more, the highway shoe resilience and springiness nonetheless shines.
Heel-toe roll by means of is clean and simple and the shoe feels pretty gentle on my ft. I put on a pair different forms of door-to-trail sneakers, and the Divide 5 is the closest to the highway shoe expertise out of any of them, whereas not sacrificing gentle path efficiency.
I didn’t check this shoe past 15 miles at a time. It did appear that round that distance is the place the consolation began fading a bit. A part of which may be my physique’s distinct choice for extra elevation change and fewer flat, poundy terrain throughout longer runs, however I feel the midsole of this shoe might be extra of a daily-running-miles shoe slightly than an extremely/long-run shoe. Your expertise could range. I’d want a bit firmer resilience, notably by means of the arch, to make use of this shoe on longer outings.
Brooks Divide 5 Outsole
The outsole of the Brooks Divide 5.
The Brooks Divide 5 outsole options wonderful traction, due to the TrailTrack Inexperienced compound Brooks makes use of all through the underside. Multidirectional 3-millimeter lugs in various chevron and triangular shapes are properly spaced over your entire sole, besides the place useful grooves are carved to each lighten the burden and enhance the pliability and torsional mobility by means of the outsole.
This compound works exceptionally properly on moist rocks, roots, filth, and pavement alike, and since the lugs aren’t too distinguished, they don’t stack clay-mud very deep earlier than you’ll be able to fling it off with a well-placed little mid-air kick. The traction additionally supplies ample confidence on hilly crushed gravel and sand layers over exhausting filth highway, path, pavement, and even on steeper descents.
Fall-winter provides such mercurial climate experiences, that on any given hour you may face a wide range of underfoot situations. This outsole makes it simpler to simply maintain working. Whereas the Divide 5 shouldn’t be essentially designed for snow, on well-packed snow, there’s simply sufficient grip from the lugs and the outsole compound to maintain slippage to a minimal, and the outsole works very well with a selected traction gadget that allow the lugs do their factor with overlying small enamel.
The outsole may simply be the very best performing facet of the shoe — rising properly above its “station” as a door-to-trail shoe. When you occurred to take just one pair of sneakers on a visit that would come with highway and path working and climbing, the outsole alone would make it easier to get away with extra technical terrain in a pinch, though the Divide 5 actually excels on calmer surfaces.
Brooks Divide 5 Total Impressions
A high view of the Brooks Divide 5.
At solely $110, the Brooks Divide 5 is a powerful choice providing highway shoe vibes and path shoe traction in a really safe, snug bundle. Whether or not you’re a highway runner dabbling in trails, or an skilled path runner who connects pavement and filth roads to some gentler singletrack, the Divide 5 will get you the place you should go with out fanfare or drama.
Presumably the very best praise I might give this shoe is that while you lace them up and head out, you simply don’t take into consideration them very a lot. There are undoubtedly lighter, quicker, extra technical sneakers on the market, however for the day by day miles on light blended terrain, the Divide 5 is a terrific selection. Thus far, I anticipate I’ll get the standard 350-400 miles out of those, primarily based on the sturdiness and resilience up to now. Runner math undoubtedly holds up properly then on the cents-per-mile value accounting — they’re an excellent deal!
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