Test Asics Gel Trabuco 13 W (women) – Again top trail shoes!

Test video summary

My summary

How do I use the Asics Gel Trabuco 13?

An iconic Asics model, the Trabuco is one of our most popular trail shoes! The Trabuco 13 stands out for its great versatility, offering an excellent compromise between comfort, dynamism and cushioning, making it an ideal choice for medium to long-distance outings.

Designed to adapt to a variety of terrains, it offers excellent grip and confidence. If you’re looking for a lighter, lower-drop alternative that’s better suited to shorter distances, the Fuji Lite 5 W or Fuji Speed 3 W might be better suited to you.

Features

• Drop: 8mm
• Stack to heel: approx. 35mm (as measured by us)
• Weight: 266g in size 40.5 (according to our scale)
• Stud thickness: 5mm (as measured by us)
• Pronation: neutral
• Carbon plate: no

Asics Trabuco 12 VS Trabuco 13

I’d already tested the Asics Trabuco 12, so I can give you some feedback on the points of comparison between the two:

• For the same size, the Trabuco 13 seems wider in the midfoot. Even though the midsole has been widened too, I feel a little less stable on my side.
• The midsole is FF Blast Plus Eco, not FF Blast. Personally, I don’t feel the difference.
• The studs have a different shape. The grip was already very good, and I think it might even be a little better.
• Even though the stack seems quite similar when I measured, it feels a little higher, perhaps simply because the shoe doesn’t ride as high on the ankle. It felt weird when I put them on, but I didn’t feel it at all afterwards.

Our full test of the Asics Trabuco 13 W (Women’s)

Look

Obviously not the most important point, but if you’re going to spend time in trail shoes, they might as well look good, right? Women’s Trabuco 13s come in a range of colors, but I particularly like the flash-orange hue of mine, which makes a welcome change from the pastel hues all too often found on women’s models.

It’s a shame, though, that the sole is pink and that every color available to women has at least a touch of pink, but hey! All in all, I find them quite stylish.

Comfort

For me, one of the great assets of this shoe is clearly its comfort. As soon as you slip them on, you immediately feel good thanks to their soft interior: real slippers 😉

The fit is generous, with plenty of room in the forefoot. In the midfoot, I find it a little too wide for me, but this may also appeal to some.

I also like the well-padded tongue, which adds comfort without getting in the way of lacing. A practical little detail: the elastic loop that lets you slide the laces in to prevent them from unraveling during use. Thanks to this system, I can avoid the double knot and limit the pressure points that can sometimes be annoying on other trail shoe models.

At the back, foam padding provides comfort, while the heel cup ensures a snug fit. The back of the shoe rises slightly above the ankle.

Weight

Weight-wise, the shoe is a little heavy, and this is noticeable as soon as you put it on. However, once in motion, this feeling quickly fades thanks to good weight distribution and sufficient dynamism to avoid weighing down the stride.

Amortization

I really like the cushioning of this shoe, both front and rear, thanks to the effective shock-absorbing foam.

The Asics Trabuco 13 features FF Blast Plus Eco foam in its midsole, an in-house technology reputed to combine cushioning and dynamism, offering 20% more foam than previous models. For my part, I admit I don’t feel any difference with the FF Blast foam of the Trabuco 12s, but I’ll give you the info! In any case, this level of comfort makes them an ideal ally for long outings.

Dynamism

True to its all-purpose DNA, the Asics Trabuco 13 offers satisfying dynamism. The relaunch is fluid and the roll-off pleasant, even if this model is not built for speed. In my opinion, it’s perfect for those looking for a good balance between cushioning and responsiveness .

Stability

If I had to mention one point to watch out for with the Trabuco 13, it would be this. Because of the wide fit, perhaps combined with the stack, the fact that the liner sits a little lower on the ankle, and despite the wide midsole, I felt a slight lack of stability on slopes, even when I tightened the shoes. Nothing dramatic for me, but watch out for thin feet, this is probably not the shoe for you!

Hook

I tested the Trabuco 13’s Asicsgrip sole and studs on a wide variety of terrains. Muddy paths across fields, but also a variety of soils in the Vosges mountains: dry and wet soil, sandy soil, with pebbles, rocks, on a small layer of snow/ice… all with a difference in altitude, of course. Verdict: I’m impressed by the grip, which I find really excellent.

It already was on the previous model, but I wonder if this one isn’t a step up! I find the shoe really makes you feel confident , because you know it’s not going to let you down, even on slippery downhill surfaces where I’m not really comfortable. Well, there’s always a limit, but for a versatile trail shoe, it’s great!

Protection

At first glance, you can’t see the stone guard, but it’s there: you can actually feel the anti-rock plate when you touch it. With my low-slung stride, I’m the specialist when it comes to kicking rocks, so I tested the stone guard and can confirm its effectiveness 😉

Conclusion

I really recommend these Asics Trabuco 13 shoes, which I think will suit many runners thanks to their versatility. If you have very thin feet, you may want to give them a try 🙂