ASICS - Gel-Trabuco 12

Grosse déception . désormais c'est une chaussure de route avec une semelle trail. Rigides et instables. Je les ai revendu et ai racheté des trabuco 12.

My personal thoughts about the three. I am far from being an expert and these are just my impressions :-) - Fuji Lite 4: my favourite when it comes to shorter runs. Snappy, light and fun shoe, with great feeling on the foot. I think their limit is probably (for me) around 15/20k runs. - Trabuco 12: It's the shoes that "convinced" me to move from Hoka to Asics. Light, very well-rounded shoe, with the right amount of cushioning. However, it lacked in my opinion a bit of stability (especially on the arches) and is quite "flat". Often I ended up hoping it would give me some more energy in return. I absolutely loved the sole. The drop, in my opinion, is right on point. - Trabuco 13: Honestly, it feels like a brand new shoe rather than an evolution of the 12. I feel the whole geometry of the shoe has changed, while keeping the same drop. It is a glove, with a more comfortable toe box, great feeling on the foot overall and tremendous improvement on the two things that I felt the 12 missed the most, stability and energy return. All this while keeping a great cushioning. They also changed the geometry of the sole, making it slightly more flat at the center. Very impressed with them. Overall, I am very satisfied of all three and they are in my rotation. As someone said in the comments, I am absolutely impressed by the durability overall: coming from Hokas, where the sole was gone super quickly (disappointingly), it is a huge improvement. I ran the entire summer of 2024 in the Trabuco 12 and the lugs are still in great conditions. I am a fan of Vibram soles, and probably the Asics' is the only proprietary sole at the same level but (at least in my experience) with a much much better durability. I also tried the Trabuco Max 2 and hated them to the guts (😅) but I am planning to try the new Trabuco Max 4 at some point. However, I think the Trabuco 13 are the sweet spot between comfort and performance.

I've been going back-and-forth a bit, but lately I genuinely enjoy the Trabuco 12. The Lite are great as well. I also like Hoka, but I guess the Challenger are simply not my shoes -- this is why trying several is (imho) quite important.

They run small and very snug compared to the prior iteration. Had to take out the insole to get the perfect fit. go half a size for wide feet

I've using mine for around 150k, so far so good. But honestly, I prefer the previous (Trabuco 11), don't know why but the 11 fits like a glove, (I’ve run 1200k on them). Still use them for recovery runs, the mesh in one of the shoes start to rip apart, the cushion is not the same anymore, but for small recovery runs that’s enough. About the Trabuco 12, 2 weeks ago have done a pretty hilly and muddy 20k Trail Run, the grip on these is insane. A lot of runners had problems with grip and a lot of falls. Only one time it fails me, but I was getting out of a small river we must follow for 1 hundred meters and on the exit the terrain is slippery. Because of constant running down (and up), with water and sand/mud inside I had an abrasion in one toe. I've started to notice on speedy down runs around 15-16k mark, in the end I have no skin on the spot. But I’ve already use them to do some runs (20k-30k) and never happened before. The cushion is very good, I have wide feet and they feel comfortable, not like the T.11 but good enough.

Great experience with the 12s. Have used them across arid and wet climates this fall with great traction on the surfaces I’ve come across. (Seattle, Portland, Denver, PHX, LA). Will likely blindly go into the 13s once I need them I’ve liked them so much. For reference, previously in Brooks Cascade(they ruined a great shoe), and Saucony Peregrine (hard on my feet after rocky terrain over ~8mi

Can’t speak for 13, but I’ve loved every Asics shoe I’ve had since switching over. Currently rocking the Gel Trabuco 12

i believe the newer model is the nh100 mine was a really ugly blue model lol. but i switched to merrell moab 2 which I am still using now edit: i do not own their trail running shoes, just hiking boots a long time ago i use asics trabuco 12s for trail running now

I have the 12 and it’s pretty solid!

I ran a 13k race with them, it was comfortable. Muddy and wet, no toe abrasions. I feel the ground contact was pretty good, the trail had a lot of rocks and roots. If I was wearing say a Trabuco Max, I might have rolled an ankle or something.

I weigh about 85-89 kilos, I run with asics trabuco 12. it’s abit heavier but really good traction. I’ve ran on soft powder snow and muddy trails with it. O also have flat feet so the stability helps too.

I have wide feet, and I was doing quite a research about trail shoes, and one of the options that I had available in my country were the asics gel trabuco 12. After narrowing my choice down to three models, I went to the store and fried on the Trabucos, and they they fitted perfectly. I got the male version of the shoe. It was the smallest size from the male section since they are a bit wider in the front of the foot than the woman's models. Went out on the trail and tried them out for a short run of maybe two kilometers, and they felt fine. No hotspots, no heel rubbing, no pinky toe squishing, or any other kind of rubbing on the foot. The only downside to the shoe is the bad mud clearance of the lugs. If it's particularly muddy, a lot of mud can stick on the lugs and get cleared very slowly. I had a minor fall. Well, it was more of a sliding than a fall, but still, while wearing the shoes when it was really muddy and I was just sliding on the mud. The rest of the grip of the outsole is very good, very grippy, and I haven't trusted any shoes like a trust those shoes right now.

I have had the Trabuco 9, 10, 12 and now the 13. Interestingly enough in the same colour ways as the photo. Except for the 9, on all others I did min. 800 km of trailrunning. The grip is just superb. I do not have enough km on the 13 yet only 175km. They seem a little wider at the forefoot. Certainly for taller/bigger person's (I am 1.87 and 80kg) this imo is a really great shoe for all terrain. I have been running mountains trails upto 60km in Scotland, Belgium, France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland . So yes they are really my Goto trailrunning shoes, I am a recreational runner though. If there is one thing I would like is that I could easily buy replacement asics inner soles just to replace them after 400km during the life of the shoe. But that might be my 80kg Other shoes I have used are Salomon, Inov8 and Adidas Terrex Ultra.

I’m training in a region with many muddy, rocky and steep sections in between paths of gravel and asphalt. I’m using the Nike Pegasus trail 5 gtx for trails with more than 30% of gravel/asphalt and asics gel trabuco 12 gtx for paths less than 30% gravel and asphalt. I’m really happy with the all terrain compound of the Nike trail shoes. The grip on muddy paths of the ASICS is amazing but for mixed trails the Nike safes you a lot of energy in my opinion.

Yup, they're an all terrain shoe. Obviously Asphalt will wear the lugs down quicker and it will feel hard to run on as trail shoes are normally heavier due to build. But these will be fine.

I also have wide feet (2E for most shoes) and got the Trabuco 12 in a half size up and they fit perfectly. Seems the forefoot area and toe box is wider than usual. On a side note, I’ve been using runrepeat.com to find suitable shoes, crazy amount of info. A lot of brands dont seem to bother with wide fits, but the site helps to identify shoes that have wider standard fit. That’s how I came to buy the Asics Trabuco’s

I’ve got both the asics trabuco gtx 12 and the new balance hierro goretex. Both are great shoes I bought on discount. The asics are a bit more sturdy, harder grip and less breathable whereas the new balance I would wear to work on a rainy day

Not on the list. But - ASICS Trabuco 11’s fit the criteria. I’ve just upgraded to 12’s because there was a sale I couldn’t miss. Put well over 1000km into my 11’s.

I’ve done 200k in mine. A mix of steep technical stuff and roads. All good. Done a couple of 20k runs in them too.

Did you manage to find a set of shoes, OP? I'd like to add my opinion. I have had the Trabuco 11, 12 and now the 13. I would say that out of them all, the 13 is by the best in terms of comfort. So, 11's were great and comfortable but were a size too small which meant my toes kept hitting the ends of the shoe so I ended up selling them. The 12's were good but a little stiff. The grip on them was incredible however. Now to the 13's - actually won these in a competition literally a week after buying the 12's so I was able to do a side by side comparison with basically two new sets of shoes (Trabuco 12 vs 13). The 13's are by far the best in comfort out of all of them. The toe box is wider than the 12 (which was a bit narrow for my feet). The 13's sole is cushioned and flexible which made hitting the trails a breeze. They didn't need any break in period whatsoever. The first few runs the grip wasn't as good as the 12's but now they feel a lot better. Not sure why though. Honestly, if these die then I'd purchase another set of the 13's immediately.

The Trabuco 12 have been the best trail shoes I’ve ever owned. I’m 6”4 and charge hard over serious rocky terrain…and I feel completely safe in them. About the upgrade to the 13

Hi from Edmonton :) Asics gel-trabuco GTX are the latest ones I've bought and my favorite so far. My feet are never wet. Rock protection plate is A+ on the trail. Tread has been grippy on wet trails, snowy trails, and slippery streets so far. My toes had to get used to the hard toe at first, but they did... And that harder toe has been essential for someone who trips over roots as much as I do 😁

I used to use Asics gortex runners, switched to Salomon.   Both I've had excellent experience with running on dirt and over rock plateaus and waterways.   A few runners ive met doing tough mudder really liked ice bug. 

Fit matters, as all the major brands produce some good trail runners. I used a Trabuco way back in the day and they were fine.

I run in Brooks Glycerine on Road and Asics gel Trabuco on trails. Love the asics

ASICS Gel Trabuco. I love ‘em

I love my Gel Trabucos! Have the same colour👌

ASICS Trabuco Max line is legit. Dan Green wore them for Cocodona 250. Trabuco Gel is good also for slightly more technical terrain.

Damn I know I should've gone for the lite's. I wanted to try something outside of SG's and went with the gel trabuco's and they feel dead. Grip is good on mid and loose stuff though.

The Gel Trabuco and Fujilite will be relatively similar to your experience in the Gel Pursue 8, with the gel trabuco being more similar as it shares the same drop. Not familiar with terra 2. Also Asics trail shoes I've had have had excellent grip.

I picked up some Gel Trabucos here recently and love them. Other shoes I have been wearing are xodus ultras, mtn racers and brooks catamount. Fit wise I love them, they feel stable and enough cushion while not being clunky like my catamounts.

I’ve had good luck with asics Trabuco’s. I’m in Arizona that’s mega sharp and rocky.

I like Vibram a lot, any shoe with a Megagrip outsole will have enough traction for me. But I have found that it is not the end all be all anymore. Asicsgrip is stickier than Vibram and extremely durable on top. It's amazing stuff, really. Asics' trail lineup is not that big, but they have some really interesting models and a great allrounder in the Trabuco.

Well I guess that depends on what we call technical and individual adaptation to that technical terrain. I prefer Asics trabucos for this type of terrain, closer to the ground, more grip o wet rock and not soft. I live inside the Zegama course, for this type of terrain AP5 works great for nearly all the course. But if going more rocky high altitude terrain I prefer the Asics. Haven't tried any of the shoes you mention to compare, sorry. All in all, they are a nice shoe for putting km on.

I use Asics trabuco. As gripy as vibrams megagrip if not more, quite close to the ground and not too soft. It also works well for long outings. I guess anything that fits well and is similar would work for me.

I focus on trail running during the summer months, and last June, I picked up a pair of Merrell Agility Peak 5 — and absolutely fell in love with them. In 2022 and 2023, I ran in both the Salomon Ultra Glide and the Asics Trabuco, which are excellent trail shoes in their own right. However, the Merrells stood out offering great comfort and protection over long distances. They’re a fantastic all-around choice though they are a bit on the heavy side. Looking ahead to 2025, I’ve been considering the Saucony Xodus, as I’ve heard great things about them and am eager to see how they compare.

The sole material on the Trabuco is some of the grippiest material I’ve tried.

You can probably find decent all rounders to do this, Brooks Cascadia or ASICS Trabuco. Personally if it’s over half marathon with 10k or more on road I’ll favour comfort over grip and just be prepared to slip around a bit, and will use my Trabuco Max.

Brooks Cascadia, ASICS Trabuco, TNF vector enduris 3, all good all rounder trail shoes. Look for deals, avoid altra unless you know that you want zero drop.

Asics Trabuco and Pegasus trail 4.

ASICS Trabuco for everything! I used them on a 63k/4500m and a 44k/2000m ultra and never thought about my feet. My current training pair has 1100k and still no sign of breaking down.

ASICS Trabuco

Trabuco is comfy, good grip. Big stack height if you like that. Haven’t tried the Cascadia but I have the caldera. I’m guessing similar to the cascadia but with more cushion. I like it, fits my foot well. Good grip and still comfy

Everything is perfect on them, only issue I have is lockdown. When going downhill I always tie my shoes more than usual, and the tongue of the Trabuco doesn’t protect my foot from lace pinching.

That's pretty good. Thanks for letting me know. I tried out Asics Trabuco for their delicious boying-boing (lol), but sadly the change in heel drop made it feel like I was running in heels. Not a good plan.

Have a the asics range, the Trabuco and Trabuco Max have been my go to UK trail shoe. They’re not brilliant on mud, but for rocky and hard packed trails they’re brilliant.

Asics have decent ones too, I had Trabucos for a while, they were great but the lack of protection sucks when you're a defender

People are sleeping on ASICS Tribuco. I’ve bought 2 pairs and done a few ultras. The ASICS rubber is wildly grippy

S-tier: Asicsgrip. Tested it on mossy wet rocks by the waterfall. Beats megagrip

Asicsgrip is amazing. I have a pair of old Fujilyte 2 to walk the dog and these MFs still stick to the ground as fairly new. I've done super fast series on technical terrain where at first I would've swear I was about to kill myself but nope. On the other hand I have always Found LaSportiva Akasha awesome, I guess the rest of the lineup will be similar regarding the proper sole/terrains intended. Once you've run a few miles to get rid of that "new sole coating" they move incredible. Less over wet rock/soils but very nice anyways, slipped just two or three times in a +1000kms distance span.

For me in wet terrain with rocks, the best is Asicsgrip (6). After that, probably Vibram (tried in Hoka and Nike shoes), Contagrip in Salomon Speedcross 4 and Continental in various Adidas models. Here, some variation between them (for example, Continental in Adidas Terrex Two Flow is better than in Adidas Terrex Agravic Flow 2.0 (so a 4 for them). After those, probably the outsole by La Sportiva (in Jackal model) and various Nike outsoles (Kiger 8, Wildhorse 6, Pegasus 4 TR) in wet terrain (btw, in mid Spring to mid Autumn, Nike are pretty nice shoes here)