Product Review 1: Brooks Adrenaline GTX

It's been awhile since I had this pair of shoes but I did not have a good chance of testing them out.
Until recently when I have to take them out on a hike and a really long walk in the park.

Why I Needed it?

I been trying to get a decent pair of shoes (or boots) for hiking.
One of the downside of hiking shoes is weight and they are not the best if you decide to run. In other words the hiking footwear provide the grip, stability and support you need but minus the speed and weight.
So if you want something light and fast, then trail running shoes would be fine except for not having waterproof material like Goretex.
If you used any old running shoes on muddy terrain, you get mud seeping through and that will lead to dirty socks and blisters.


First Look


The shoes are called Brooks Adrenaline GTX (Medium)
I am not sure what the medium means though.
I got mine at local sports store. They are not cheap. It goes for SGD 189 but as the store is getting rid of their older models it was selling at SGD 90. The size Euro 44 or UK 9 normal width (D). Don't ask what "D" stands for either.
It feels true to its size. So you don't need to get a size smaller or larger to match exactly to your feet. So good news for online shoppers.








The sole looks fantastic and designed something for the military rather than sports.

The color I got here is called lava red. Sort of "orangey" like red. They also come in green.

Like any other shoes this one also needs some break in. A few runs should do the trick.

For night runners or hikers, you will be glad to know the designers added reflective strips for the shoes.

I don't know how useful is it but it doesn't hurt.









I love the cushioning and it is comfortable for wide feet. I was a little worried about the depth of my feet inside the shoes. It seemed rather shallow. You probably notice that most running shoes have that sort of deep foot placing especially for the heels. Well this one doesn't but I don't feel any affect when Iuse them.

But the reason why I bought these shoes is the waterproof Goretex feature. It protects the feet from mud and water that tries to seep through.





Goretex is widely used for waterproofing most hiking apparel and footwear. Waterproof would not be the most correct technical term as nothing is waterproof, rather water resistant.

However, I been warned by store assistants that Goretex can be hot on your feet for tropical climates and I soon found out how hot it really can get.






Performance

I first tried them on a rainy day. I walked on tar pavement, cement pavement and then over a sewer lid and whoops I almost slipped. To be fair most shoes might of made you slip on a metallic sewer lid and these are not your urban walking shoes. The Goretex does keep your feet dry and warm even though it was raining.

After a few runs, I brought these shoes out for a hike on a muddy trail. Mud did not seep through. Hiking in these made the hike a lot more fun. It can easily out run hikers in hiking shoes. Grip is excellent (thanks to the military like shoes threads) and definitely no slipping here. There was some slight abrasion on my toes. I wasn't sure if it was from these shoes.

Final test was a walk in a park (literally) on a really sunny day. I was walking mostly on a tar pavement. The Goretex which was meant to keep your feet dry may actually cause them to sweat more. I was wearing thick sports socks and in the heat, my feet was begging me to remove these shoes. After the entire walk for at least 3 hours or more I found a blister on my toe.


Conclusion

I like these shoes. They are light, fast and I think I made a good choice over hiking shoes. The Goretex delivers but it can be a double edge sword. I found that wearing shoes inserts and thick socks makes the shoes unnecessarily tight and gives your the top of your toes some form of minor abrasions.

I now wear these with thinner socks, without any inserts and avoid long runs on tar pavement.

I notice another thing is that the shoelaces easily comes undone. More of an irritation than a major flaw. But I guess serious runners would not agree with me on that.

Pros

• Goretex delivers but do wear socks that wicks away sweat fast.
• Grip is great.
• Performance up-to expectation for off road.
• No issues even for high arch feet.
• Lighter than hiking shoes.

Cons

• Limited color choice.
• Goretex can make your feet sweat.
• It is hard on tar pavement, if you have to run (or walk) for long hours.
• Constant shoelace tying.
• Retail price may match a pair of hiking shoes or boots.