ASICS - GEL-TRABUCO 13 GTX

Damn, I am in the same boat - It is hard finding US16/17 sized shoes. At the moment I am stuck with only two options: \- Altra Lone Peak 9 \- Asics Gel-Trabuco 13 G-TX And out of the two options above, the Asics is really the only one, as I find that the Altra needs more cushioning for the longer races (I am 6'5/230lb). Wish there were more options for people with large feet.

I started (M/43/UK) running properly when I was 36. I had attempted it for a year or so, thinking 1-3km was a run and I’d be totally done. Started on tarmac and thought it was all about speed. Since moving to fell and trail I absolutely love it. I’ve had many different shoes over the last few years, but my best advice would be to go to a local store like Runners Need/Cotswold Outdoor or similar and try on some shoes. If you find a pair you like, pop online to see what the best price available is on sites like Sportsshoes.com. Or, if money isn’t an issue, and you want to support local independent running store then go for it. I’m using Asics Gel-Trabuco 13 GTX, which I love, but previously I had the Salomon Sense Ride 5’s which covered me for almost 1100km on trails/fells before I retired them. Other shoes have been Hoka Challenger 7 ATR (more trail/road mix) since moving to trail and they were ok. Fells can get pretty wet, with loose ground, so I’m tempted to look at some Nnormal Kjerag 2.0 or Inov8 shoes as my next pair. Something with real grip. Enjoy the trails!

I would go for North Face Vective Enduris 4, or maybe Merrel Mtl Adapt Matryx. I’m 90 kg, have wide feet and run on technical terrain in Norway (it often rains, so a lot of mud, and with periods of snow). I have ran in: • Hoka Speedgoat 5 - not very durable grip. • New Balance Hierro V9 - A bit unstable. • Asics Gel - Trabuco 13 GTX - Caused achilles pain.

It’s a pity, because those who fit it report good results. And it actually feels more energetic than my Cascadia 18 so I liked that. In the end, it wasn’t a good match.

Oh interesting because I read a lot how they’re both good but the Trabuco had better grip in mud and snow. Well, I’ll test them and in any case I can return them and get the Cascadia 19 GTX.

Damn everything. I just came home, tried them for 5 minutes, they felt tight, and started noticing something in the left foot, down right and top left. Also the upper ceiling is too low to fit my orthopedic insoles, although that stretched after a bit. I removed them and switched to the Cascadia and my feet breathed! Same merino socks, same orthopedic insoles. I’ll return them tomorrow and buy the Cascadia 19 GTX.

ASICS gel trabuco GTX are also a great shoe ETA: the GTX versions do take longer to dry though - so keep that in mind if you’re running multiple days in a row

I haven’t done much road running with them but I’ve done a fair bit of hard packed trail - they’re comfortable but not very bouncy or fast. Almost like a less soft/squishy Gel Nimbus.

Hi. I live in Japan and I have big feet so my options are limited. My first ever shoes were the asics Fujilite. I bought them because they fitted the best for the limited options I could get (I fully agree with everyone’s opinion that the best shoes for you are the ones that fit the best). They worked well but after a while I started running further and I felt that I needed more cushioning so I went with the ASICS Gel Trabuco 12 and I loved them, good cushioning for long runs. A few weeks ago I bought the Trabuco 13 for this race but after 2 runs a small hole was appearing and the outsole in the toe area was coming of so I didn’t have any confidence in them for my race so I kept with my Trabuco 12. All I can say is that I used the Trabuco 12 and love them and they held up very well in almost 10 hours of non stop running.

The gel-Trabuco 13 only came out a month or two ago so I assume the salesperson was wrong. I have two things to add. 1, gore-tex shoes are crap! You don’t want to lock moisture in your shoes. The top of your socks will get wet and the dampness will seep down into the bottom of your socks and the gtx will keep the water in. You’d be better with normal quick drying shoes. If you really want waterproof, go with waterproof socks. 2, I have the Trabuco 12 and love them. I’ve used them for over 600km. I’ve used them in 50k races no problem. I bought the 13s and after two runs totalling 30k a hole was starting to appear on the side and the front toe area where the outsole meets the upper, it started peeling. I sent them back for a refund.

I think Asics makes some good all terrain options. I have a few trails I run that are a mix between rocks, hardpack and pavement and mine have done well in rain, slop, and cold snow. [https://www.asics.com/us/en-us/gore-tex/c/aa90000015/](https://www.asics.com/us/en-us/gore-tex/c/aa90000015/)

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. 

Both Asics gortex and Salomon gortex Ive found to be the best I've used.   I get probably 2-3000km out of them?   Say 8km a day of sandstone gravel fire trails and rocky escarpments for a year. I  would get 12-18 months out of them.   Sometimes I just wear out heel rubber and foam is still good so I build it back up using Sikaflex or something to go another 6 month lol 

I have a pair of Asics gortex trail shoes and a pair of light weight Mammut boots. Both of which I found. And they are both good. I don't recommend finding footwear but it's always an option.

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.