Last year was a tough one for most runners across Canada.
This year, don’t miss a stride with these Gore-Tex and waterproofed winter shoes for every type of runner.
Brooks Adrenaline ASR 11 GTX
Men’s 331 g (11.7 oz.), Women’s 306 g (10.8 oz.) Drop: 12 mm, $180 The Adrenaline asr 11 gtx is a good choice for road runners looking for a waterproof stability shoe to get them through winter. The Adrenaline is a well-loved and tough everyday trainer that Brooks has perfected over many iterations. This eleventh generation winterized model features all of the aspects of the Adrenaline, but drapes the upper in Gore-Tex without weighing it down.
The 11 mm drop will work for many runners requiring some help with pronation and foot fall. Complementing this, Brooks’s proprietary dna cushioning adapts to a runners stride and weight. The Adrenaline asr 11 gtx is ideal for larger runners seeking a plush, more traditional ride. The knobby outsole provides slightly more traction than a conventional road shoe, but it still feels fast on dry, paved surfaces.
Merrell Bare Access Trail GTX
Men’s g 187 g (6.6 oz.), Women’s 164 g (5.8 oz.) Drop: Zero, $170 With the Bare Access Trail gtx, Merrell carries over their understanding of how to make quality minimal trail shoe to a roadready winter trainer. They stick with their zero drop approach, and the Bare Access’s soft, f lexible midsole. Merrell employs a toothier Vibram outsole in order to latch onto snow and ice. Our testers found this to be a great zero-drop option for those who want a solid hybrid winter trainer that can also stand in at a muckier trail event. The Gore-Tex performed as expected, but this is a low-cut shoe, meaning that it’s not going to love bounding through snow drifts. That said, it’s minimal design was really popular with many of our testers that only needed to battle your average Canadian winter road conditions. On the trails, this model performed like champ and kept the foot comfy and dry.
Merrell shoes are known for their wide toe box for significant splay and the Bare Access series provide ample room so you can really feel the ground on your forefoot. As we said of the Bare Access 3, this is a great example of a minimalist shoe done correctly.