ASICS - Trabuco Max 2

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.

Came here to comment exactly this. I'm 6'2", 190lb (188cm/87kg). Daily trail runner in Switzerland, running 70-80km/week. I have the Trabuco Max 2 and Max 3. Version 4 is the most recent launch. By far the most comfortable trail shoes I've ever owned. They just work perfectly for me. Have over 1000km in the 3's, so super durable too. Also own Hoka Stinson 6 (bit soft), Brooks Caldera 6 (too firm, never softened up), Altra Olympus 6 (midsole felt dead from the start) and Nike Wildhorse 7 (most comfortable upper of any shoe but midsole a bit thin) but none are as good for me as the Trabuco Max.

Same experience here in Max 2. Had to go half size up due to sharp taper at big toe. Thanks for asking the question.

I mostly run with Asics trabuco max shoes, max stack, very technical terrain mostly, I have only rolled my ankle once because of the socks, lightweight or kinda sleek socks makes your feet roll inside the shoe, if you get some nice thicker rough socks you wont have rolling ankle problems, or much less

yeah I have a pair, had the Trabuco max 2 and after 400km they became a little soft and floppy, bought this pair above Tmax4, great shoe for 5km to 50km, haven't done more, we only have rocky trails and the Tmax4 fly over the rocks, does great on pavement as well, have a bit more go forward than the Tmax2 and stiffer. Great shoes!!

Love my Trabuco max 2, done quite a few 25-50ks in them now and they haven’t let me down.

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.

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 Max 2. Lovely plush upper with good lockdown, infinite cushioning, a rocker that just keeps you going, and the best outsole money can buy.

I use Asics Trabuco Max 2 and Salomon Thundercross. I have a very wide forefoot but both of these had wide enough toe boxes in the normal width.

I absolutely love the Trabuco max. I have a connective tissue disorder so these shoes help me stay injury free. Right now I’m rocking the 2s but I’m gonna get the 4s this month! For an everyday shoe with the same kind of support, try the Nimbus, they have the same foam.

Hoka Challenger is a comfortable road to trail hybrid. I also enjoy (even more) ASICS Trabuco Max 2 for trail/road. Puma running shoes have “Puma Grip“ which works great for both roads and trails. The MagMax and Deviate Elite models are great.

Ran my first 100miler in a pair of Trabuco Max 2 and absolutely loved them. So much comfort

I love the Asics Trabuco Max 2, really comfortable

I've got the Asics Trabuco Max 2's, and the volume is a bit too much, which causes more instability than the high stack. I find my foot sloshing around a bit.

I've got these (the 2s). They are big and squishy.

Great review! How did you find the heel counter? Did it bother you at all? I have the Trabuco Max 2 and quite like it, but find it bothers my heels with blistering a bit.

I’m still running in the Catamount 3. Great shoe for <50km or less. Haven’t tried the Caldera but would gladly give them a go once I decide to retire my Trabuco Max. Sadly, can’t seem to get them to fit very well but also keep forcing myself to run in them.

I loved the Trabuco Max 2 and hated the Trabuco Max 4 for the first 50 km. After that they soften up and now I like them even more than the 2. But in my first runs the 4 was just terribly hard and I almost threw they away.

Hello! I have the Asics Trabuco Max 2s which I understand aren’t too different from the 3s and 4s. I treat mine almost like they are a hybrid shoe, as I find them comfy enough for sections of hard packed trail and road, and they are absolutely fantastic with pretty much no signs of wear after 550km. They are my go-to long run shoe and probably my favourite shoe so far due to their comfort. I want a pair of road shoes that feel like them. I’ve seen people get to 2000kms with the Trabuco 11s with them looking great, which is mind blowing. I can just about hit marathon pace without feeling too dead in the Trabuco Max 2s, but they’re not the fastest, as you’d expect. I’ve done some moderately technical trail in them, and they performed well enough, though obviously you don’t get the same feel as a pair that aren’t super cushioned. They’re quite a stable shoe due to the width. I’ve not yet owned or tried a pair of Novablast 5s, but there are lots of people saying that their longevity is not so good, and they lose bounce after 200-300kms. Take this with a pinch of salt, I don’t know if they’re still comfortable once they lose their bounce or not, you’d have to research more closely there. There is a TR option for the NB4s so that could be an option perhaps? The terrain you’ve described doesn’t sound like you *need* trail shoes, but that if it is wet, lumpy, and muddy you may have that bit of extra security. When it comes to walking around in general I would not do this until the shoe has finished its lifespan for running, because they’re too expensive to wear down before their time. Given all of this, personally I would choose the Trabuco Max 4s, provided about 40-50% of my running was on the trail. But I am biased from my own experience and from seeing poor reviews :)

Im 5’10, 155 pounds and don’t think they are too stiff or clunky. Just finished a 100 miler and did the first 60 miles with the Trabuco Max 4. Switched back to the Trabuco Max 2 for about 20 miles, then finished the last 20 back in the 4’s. As others have said, these are pretty stable, despite the stack height. I have been through several pairs of Superblast 1 and 2 and feel like these ride and break in very similarly.

I have several pairs of the Trabuco Max 2s and I love them so much. Sounds like there have been quite a few changes over the past couple of versions!

I've just recycled my Asics Trabuco Max 2's at 900kms. I wore them on gravel, grass, mud and road as a true hybrid shoe. The mid sole was 100% fine at 900km, only reason for replacement was the outsole lugs had worn down and no longer gave grip in the wet mud. I replaced them with.....another pair of Asics Trabuco Max 2's :D I firmly believe they are one of the best shoes Asics makes, and completely missed by most people looking for trail shoes. They are light, and you can run road sections easily with them, plus they work in the mud.

Agree with others. This is a bit heavy and stiff but cheap. For a generalist trail shoe, look at the Trabuco. For a more Ultra Shoe, the Trabuco Max. For trail racing shoes, Meta Fuji and Fuji Lite. I ran an Ultra in the Trabuco Max 2, was perfect.

Agree with others. This is a bit heavy and stiff but cheap. For a generalist trail shoe, look at the Trabuco. For a more Ultra Shoe, the Trabuco Max. For trail racing shoes, Meta Fuji and Fuji Lite. I ran an Ultra in the Trabuco Max 2, was perfect.

Agree with others. This is a bit heavy and stiff but cheap. For a generalist trail shoe, look at the Trabuco. For a more Ultra Shoe, the Trabuco Max. For trail racing shoes, Meta Fuji and Fuji Lite. I ran an Ultra in the Trabuco Max 2, was perfect.

The Trabuco Max series is aimed at Ultra Distances on hard trails and small road sections. They are a bit heavy as a result but if you're ok with the added weight over the non-max versions they are excellent. I've run in various generations of this shoe and found it a please to run in from short runs to Ultra Marathon. The lugs are fairly low profile by trail shoe standards. Due to that, very soft mud and wet conditions they are not good for.

I love them too, but i wouldn't consider them soft or squishy, especially compared to max stack trail shoes like the Zegama 2 or Trabuco Max 2.

Probably a pair of asics Trabuco Max 2’s. They’ve done 500 miles, been resoled and have done marathons, ultras and loads of long runs in them. They’re not the best in a given category but I just keep coming back to them.

Asics Trabuco Max would be my thought. They’re not great in the mud, but they’re perfectly usable and they are very well cushioned. Or what about the Nike Zegama 2? Vibram sole, loads of ZoomX so should work.

Try the asics Trabuco Max, they’re well cushioned but the cushion is on the firm side that may suit a heavier runner.

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.

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.

Nike Zegama 2 has a sticky Vibram sole and is frequently on sale and widely available. Asics Trabuco Max 2 / 3 also has good grip and is comfortable. Both can be run in on and off pavement. Both are comfortable enough to wear for casual use.

Zegama 2 is firm, fresh foam more is firm, speedgoat is firm. I have tried them all and they might be softer than an old style trail shoe, but definitely not soft shoes. The softest I have tried so far is ASICS trabuco max 2&3 But I would love to find a similar or softer and bouncy trail shoe, like Neo vista but for door to trail type shoes.

The trabuco max 2&3 had exceptional grip. Probably a combination of rubber+lug pattern+depth. Dunno why Asics changed it for the 4 iteration, but they NEED to bring it back before I run through my stock of Max 2s. I also tend to agree with those who say that FFBlast+ eco does not live up to the FFBlast+ plushness and liveliness, based on thumbpressing the 3&4 side by side, and having more than 200 race miles on the 2s.

The trabucco max has a decent toe box width! I was pleasantly surprised!

Have you thought about Asics Trabuco Max or Brooks Caldera 8? Those are good high stack options and also stable with good grip. Seems to check some of your boxes. Another shoe you may want to keep an eye out for releasing later this summer is the La Sportiva Prodigio MAX. Prodigio Pro is great, but I'm sure the MAX will be really good, more specifically for bigger runners.

Asics trabuco max. Ran a trail marathon in them and they were amazing. They are a 5mm drop tho

I quite enjoy Saucony Ride TR, but even regular Rides are fine. Asics Fujitrabuco max are nice too.

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

I found the Trabuca Max to be a bit stiff. I ended up loving the Solomon S/lab Ultra Glide as it has dreamy cushion. It's a very high end running shoe with a matching price tag. I suspect many would consider it overkill for trail walking, but i like it for both.

I have chronic knee issues from torn ligaments coupled with weak glutes. I have issues with patella tracking and some damage to the area. I usually run in ASICS or Saucony (and use KT tape and strength training). I’ve taken ASICS Trabuco Max, Novablast/ Novablast Trail or Gel Nimbus on trails like this. Saucony Xodus Ultra and Peregrine too. I prefer the higher heel drops and max cushion for my knee. Some of my trail shoes rec might be a bit overkill, but the road versions would work.

I have loose ankle ligaments. My lowest drop trail shoe, the MTN Racer, is what what I’ve rolled my ankle in the most. My highest stack, Trabuco Max, I’ve rolled it the least. Not saying lower = more rolls, but I don’t think you’ll a big improvement with lower drop. Ankle strength work, ankle brace or wrap

Same, except I tried on some trail shoes and was incredibly unimpressed. The Gel Trabuco Max felt as if the insole/midsole was completely flat. Zero arch or other support. Coming from the Nimbus 27 this was a shock. Especially for a $160 trail shoe. I think that price range should automatically include Vibram rubber too.

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.

Mafate speed 4 is actually 7mm in runrepeat test. I have a pair, and they don't feel as other 4mm drop shoes I use. OP, you could try Asics trabucos. They are 8mm, go for 12th versión, 13th upper is trash

Asics trabucos work for me in highly technical terrain. Enough cushion but still quite stiff, not very high and wide fit. Trabuco 13s upper is not good, it breaks really easy, I'm in my second pair and I won't get more than 400km from any of them (second one is a replacement sent by Asics). 11 and 12 work better for this kind of skyrunning. I was getting around 700/800km put of them.

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.

Asics Trabuco have worked well for me.

Well that's indeed what I would do, unless you are used to hiking boots with zero drop. If you are not (most boots are not zero drop) definitely get something with cushioning and drop. There are plenty of good shoes out there. The Trabuco from Asics is also a good one (8mm drop I believe). Enjoy the trails!

Asics Trabuco and Pegasus trail 4.

I have 3 pairs. One for trail and two road. The road pairs are identical models and I wear them in rotation. I start the second pair when the first is half way through its life. The theory is that will help prevent injury as you’re not going from wearing quite worn out shoes all the time to suddenly wearing new ones, ie a sudden change in the level of support etc. Plus at least every second run you’re wearing shoes that are in the first half of their life. If you retire your shoes at a set number of kms you won’t actually spend any extra money. I was recommended asics gt2000 after a foot analysis at a running store, plus by a podiatrist and physio, and have been wearing that model for over a decade. Love them. For trails I wear asics trabuco, very grippy!

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

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.

For the rim to rim, trail runners are perfect. It's mostly a packed trail trail runners let your feet breathe more. I did the rim to rim to rim in ASICS Trabicos trail a few years back, and they were perfect. Otherwise, it kind of depends where you tend to do a lot of your hiking and preference for what you like to wear. In the Rocky Mountains, I prefer a hiking boot to help navigate Rocky trails in big boulders-- while my friend doesn't find that she needs that very much. Hiking poles can make a difference too--I used those for room to rim, and I used them for longer, moderate hikes, and challenging hikes.

With trail runners you're going to protect your feet more if you're hiking a trail where you are navigating big rocks and tree stumps, etc. Think less stubbed toes and less time removing debris etc . I think overall, you'll be able to hike more trails with trail runners. You can always strap your Sandals onto your day pack for water crossing or for the option. I know a lot of people like the Altras. I've owned four different pairs of ASICS Trabucos. The best thing to do is to go to a store and try them all on because everybody's feet are different. Ps. Get yourself some affordable dirty girl gaiters to keep debris from entering your shoes and you'll be set!

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)