Review: Brooks Pure Connect 3

Brooks launched its Pure range of shoes back in 2011 with an eye on the blossoming ‘natural running’ market, adding a touch more cushioning than its minimalist brethren and a split-toe outsole design to mimic your foot.

Those features remain, though the outsole is now noticeably narrower – not a problem for this pencil-footed reviewer, but wider-footed athletes may need to look elsewhere. The tongue is a strange affair, with one side flowing across from the upper.

While we appreciated the lack of stitching when running barefoot, it crumples somewhat on tightening. We’re also not fans of the Nav band that purports to hold your foot in place. Style over substance for both, unfortunately.

The ride, though, is near perfect. At 280g for size UK10.5 there’s enough cushioning to absorb pavement stress, but not at the expense of feel. Tested over short interval sessions up to half marathons it coped with any change of speed and terrain effortlessly.

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Contact : www.brooksrunning.co.uk