The Brooks Divide 5 ($110) is beginner-friendly, experienced-runner-approved, budget-conscious, mild path shoe — with the soul of a highway shoe, and underfoot safety worthy of trails. It’s straightforward to overlook about on the toes so long as terrain stays comparatively delicate, and your tempo is set extra by your temper than your watch.
The Brooks Divide mannequin has been a staple within the road-to-trail operating shoe area of interest for the previous 4 years, however with this fifth iteration, it appears Brooks embraced what the Divide is. Just a few upgrades within the cushioning and higher enable it to completely transfer into the position of a shoe you possibly can comfortably run some paved bike path miles in, earlier than connecting to filth roads and fewer technical trails.
The brand new Divide seems 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 good 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 many who favor a Gore-Tex shoe, the Brooks Divide 5 GTX ($140) can be accessible, although we didn’t take a look at that shoe for this assessment.
Sizing word: The Divide 5 is in line with my normal Brooks measurement and on par with what I put on in New Steadiness, 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 easy interior layer to assist preserve sand and particles out and friction low. The impartial final and comparatively roomy toebox make for a really comfy setting for the toes to do their factor by the gait cycle. Skinny TPU overlays present a little bit of construction by graphics medially and laterally alongside the midfoot and heel. Thicker overlays on prime home the lacing slits that enable for a very snugly locked down midfoot, with out creating any eyelet stress factors alongside the highest of the foot.
The flat, woven laces keep tied higher than some sneakers, however a good double knot is essential. The efficient, safe match by the midfoot and heel was particularly evident with cambered trails, washes, cross-prairie journey, and once I hit quick sections of extra technical path, I used to be in a position to keep the tempo and turnover I desired with the boldness 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 operating or mountaineering, and even straight out of the field, I had zero points with sizzling spots or break-in creases. On highway sections, the padding and easy inside preserve the foot and ankle stress and blister free even because the tempo and repetitive nature of the foot strikes improve. The rand across the toebox is extra substantial than a highway shoe, which is right 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 necessary. 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 nearly 60% recycled supplies. In my 140 miles within the shoe, the consolation, flexibility, and performance of the higher continues 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, regardless that I’ve worn them with traction units hooked up to navigate some current persistent icy and packed snow sections of highway and path. Street sneakers hardly ever maintain as much as traction units nicely with out placing odd stress on the toes and toes — the Divide 5, nonetheless, 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 continues to be current, nevertheless it interacts seamlessly with the EVA and goes unnoticed aside from the safety supplied underfoot. The elevated midsole cushioning stack comes at solely a 0.2-ounce improve in weight, however not less than for me, it’s nicely 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 nicely. In my expertise with the Divide 5, once I did find yourself operating 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 is easy and simple and the shoe feels pretty mild on my toes. I put on a pair different sorts 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 mild path efficiency.
I didn’t take a look at 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 believe the midsole of this shoe might be extra of a daily-running-miles shoe reasonably than an extremely/long-run shoe. Your expertise could range. I’d want a bit firmer resilience, notably by 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 nicely spaced over the complete sole, besides the place useful grooves are carved to each lighten the burden and enhance the pliability and torsional mobility by the outsole.
This compound works exceptionally nicely on moist rocks, roots, filth, and pavement alike, and since the lugs aren’t too outstanding, they don’t stack clay-mud very deep earlier than you possibly can 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 laborious filth highway, path, pavement, and even on steeper descents.
Fall-winter affords such mercurial climate experiences, that on any given hour you would face a wide range of underfoot situations. This outsole makes it simpler to simply preserve operating. 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 specific traction machine that permit the lugs do their factor with overlying small tooth.
The outsole may simply be the best performing facet of the shoe — rising nicely above its “station” as a door-to-trail shoe. In case you occurred to take just one pair of sneakers on a visit that would come with highway and path operating and mountaineering, 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 General Impressions
A prime view of the Brooks Divide 5.
At solely $110, the Brooks Divide 5 is a formidable possibility providing highway shoe vibes and path shoe traction in a really safe, comfy 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 it’s essential go with out fanfare or drama.
Presumably the very best praise I may give this shoe is that if 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 every day miles on mild blended terrain, the Divide 5 is a terrific selection. Thus far, I count on I’ll get the same old 350-400 miles out of those, primarily based on the sturdiness and resilience to date. Runner math positively holds up nicely then on the cents-per-mile value accounting — they’re an awesome deal!
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