Asics Gel-Trabuco 13 review: Versatile, aggressive, but can it compete?

The Asics Gel-Trabuco 13 is positioned by the brand as their mid-priced, versatile trail running shoe – the kind of all-rounder that’s meant to work for almost anyone. With its tacky lugs, well balanced midsole, and an accommodating upper, I'd say it nails the brief.

It comes in at around £140, which makes it cheaper than the Trabuco Max 4 by about twenty quid, but still carries a lot of the DNA that defines Asics’ off-road line.

Where the Max 4 feels like a maximalist cruiser – higher stack, a snugger fit, outsole better suited for road-to-trail running – the Gel-Trabuco 13 feels like its more grounded sibling.

This is the one I keep reaching for on days with hills, mud, or technical trails, where what I want most is stability over sheer plushness.

And that’s really the point of the Trabuco 13: it’s highly versatile, performs well in both wet and dry conditions, and while it doesn’t give you the marshmallow ride of the Max 4, it still has far more cushioning in the midsole than many of the best trail running shoes.

Over months of testing, I’ve taken it across the rolling Surrey hills, the gravely trails of my local army training areas, and a fair few sloppy bogs – and this shoe has consistently held its own.

Upper

The upper of the Gel-Trabuco 13 is built from a breathable ripstop mesh with a secondary sand guard layered on top. As someone who regularly runs trails where sand, grit and tiny pebbles are unavoidable, I really appreciated that detail.

Unlike many modern shoes which rely on Matryx or other Kevlar-infused fabrics, Asics have opted for a softer, less rigid textile here. It feels very comfortable, and it's soft to touch, but I have my doubts about its long term durability. More on that in a sec.

There’s no real elasticity in the material – it doesn’t stretch or conform – but there doesn’t need to be, because the fit is roomy, especially in the forefoot. That relaxed feel has been a hallmark of the Gel-Trabuco line, and it continues here, though very slightly narrower than its predecessor.

At the rear, things are very different. The heel counter is rigid and reinforced with a broad wall of rubber. That combination, a locked-in, secure heel and a spacious forefoot, is exactly what you want from a shoe like this. It keeps you stable on descents and rough terrain while allowing your toes to splay naturally and cope with swelling on longer runs.

Up front, Asics have added two thin rubber overlays across the toe box, reinforced internally by a stiff barrier. The result is a surprisingly protective forefoot: it can shrug off rocks and roots easily, though I wouldn’t recommend testing it against a wall or anything.

The lacing system is fairly standard, but I did like Asics’ design choice here: the eyelets are formed from a tough rubber border with open slits and a thick piece of nylon running through it. You can really cinch the laces tight without worrying about tearing anything, and it adapts well to different lacing styles if you want more lockdown across the midfoot or forefoot.

The downside is that the reinforcements only sit on the surface. The mesh beneath is cut to create the eyelets, and after three months of testing I’ve started to notice fraying and loose threads where those cuts were made. There's also one or two loose threads on the main mesh body, which is disconcerting after only a hundred miles.

Midsole

The midsole uses Asics’ FF Blast+ ECO foam, which is a blend of EVA and olefin copolymers with a partially bio-based formula (24% according to Asics). If that means nothing to you, its basically the usual ingredient (EVA, a soft but durable foam), with some stiffer, more high-performance compounds stirred in.

(And it's still mostly made of crude oils, so don't let that 24% bio-based stat trick you into calling this shoe sustainably made. Anyway–)

The stack is 34.5mm in the heel and 26.5mm in the forefoot, giving it an 8mm drop. In today’s high-stack landscape, that puts it pretty much bang in the middle: cushioned enough to soak up most of your impact, but not so thick that you lose all contact with the trail.

Compared to something like a Hoka midsole, it isn’t as pillowy soft. But that works in the Trabuco’s favour, because this foam is still comfortable, and really quite bouncy without being unstable.

The ride feels lively, there's some good energy return but it’s also reassuringly grounded. When I took these shoes on technical trails, I found the balance was pretty spot-on.

Most of the plushness sits in the heel, which extends slightly behind the shoe. It’s a feature that won’t please everyone, and as a from forefoot striker myself, I didn't get on great with it, but I can certainly see that it feels smooth and consistent when you slow to a heel-striking jog.

The geometry bends up towards the midfoot, which makes transitions gradual and comfortable. As someone who prioritises good running economy, I did come around to this approach for when I wanted to run slower with a repeatable stride.

Outsole

Asics have a history of experimenting with lug patterns. The earlier Trabuco Max 3 had twisted triangular lugs designed for multi-directional stability. The Trabuco Max 4 moved to an M-shaped pattern geared towards smooth ground contact and long-distance efficiency.

The Gel-Trabuco 13 strikes a middle ground, with a mix of chevron and Y-shaped lugs. This makes for an outsole that feels aggressive but still fairly versatile.

The lugs are longer and sharper than those on the Max 4, and in practice I found them excellent on soft or wet terrain. They bite hard into mud and grass, but they also let go cleanly. Mud shedding was never an issue, even in proper British bog conditions.

On descents, the backward-facing lugs braked confidently; on climbs, the forward chevrons pulled me uphill. Changing direction on technical ground felt secure, with the outsole gripping rather than sliding.

The rubber compound is Asicsgrip – the brand’s proprietary formula – and it continues to impress. It’s sticky enough to hold on wet rock and roots, and it even feels grippy on tarmac (though, ideally, you’re not spending much time there).

What I particularly liked is how the lugs are shaped: they rise gradually from the midsole rather than jutting straight out, which makes transitioning from road to trail smoother than you’d expect from such an aggressive tread pattern.

Price and competition

At £140 RRP (and often available cheaper) the Gel-Trabuco 13 feels like a bit of a bargain compared to its peers.

The Trabuco Max 4 costs more and is less versatile in truly technical terrain. The Arc’teryx Norvan LD 4 sits in a similar space as a stability-focused, all-round shoe, but it costs more and has a less aggressive outsole.

Of course, it's nowhere near as speedy as carbon shoes like the Hoka Mafate X or the North Face Vectiv Pro 3, but it's also nowhere near as expensive. With the Gel-Trabuco 13 you’re getting a durable, cushioned, and highly capable shoe for less than many flagship models.

Verdict

After months of testing, my takeaway is simple: the Asics Gel-Trabuco 13 is a star all-rounder. You get a solid heel that locks you in, a forefoot that lets your toes spread, an outsole that grips in all conditions, and a midsole that manages to be stable and bouncy at the same time.

It isn’t the plushest or the fastest shoe on the market, but if you want a shoe that feels reliable on everything from wet hills to dry hardpack, the Trabuco 13 is an excellent choice.

About the author

Milo Wilson is LFTO's trail running guru and destroyer of shoes. The hardest part of gear testing is truly assessing something's long-term durability, so we rely on Milo and his insane number of weekly miles on tough terrain to really give a thrashing to any new trail running shoes. He's been with us for 2 years.