I’m planning to add some off road work to my training. This isn’t so much for tri specifically, but for overall fitness. I’d like to be able to run on the road for 20 mins or so to the park/off road section, then it will be a little bit of trail, a little sand, and some boulders, before getting back onto the road to get home. Right now I’m running in Asics Gel Cumulus 9s. Any recommendations?
I could also use some opinions on how the Cumulus 10 and 11s stack up, since I’ll probably need new road shoes fairly soon.
You can likely just wear your current Asics, but if you are looking for a good off road, trail, fell shoe - I highly recommend anything from Inov8. They are really great - nice niche market: minimalist off road trail shoes (bit of an oxymoron, but hopefully you get the idea).
I have the newest Brooks Cascadias (4), and love them. Huge lugs on the bottom, I have taken them out in some pretty rough rain, on wet trails, over wet rocks, and in the snow. I also have a pair of Saloman XA Pro 3D XCR trail shoes. They are really my ‘winter’ snow shoes, or if it is real nasty out only because they are more water resistant and go up a bit higher. More like shoes geared for ‘speed hiking.’ I prefer my Cascadias, more like great running shoes with huge lugs on the bottom.