ASICS Trabuco Max 4

The ASICS Trabuo Max 4 is a max cushioned trail shoe designed for comfort for long miles. Priced at $160, it competes with shoes like the Nike Zegama and Hoka Speedgoat. ASICS markets the Trabuco Max as a Gel-Nimbus for the trails, as the midsole is apparently constructed of the same FF Turbo+ ECO foam with a 40mm stack height. Upon step-in, we found the EVA blend foam to feel much more stiff and firm than in the Gel-Nimbus 27 and the fit to be a bit snug. It does have the same wide, stable base as the Nimbus plus a thick layer of ASICSGRIP rubber on the outsole. On the run, we found the foam to feel more like the Superblast 2 than the Nimbus—it felt firm, very protective, and a bit stiff. Unfortunately, it falls into a no-man’s land area for us since it lacks the pop or speed of a trail shoe like the Tecton X3 or the light, nimble feel of a Norda. It is a niche, firm, protective, stable, high stack trail shoe that is very controlled given the high stack of foam, but it is not fun or bouncy. If you are looking for a very protective, extremely stable trail running shoe, the Trabuco Max 4 would be a decent option, especially if you can find it on sale, but if you are looking for something fun or bouncy, there are better options out there.