Brooks Mazama Trail Running Shoes

Field Notes: Some shoes are just built with the ability to make you feel fast – and it’s even more impressive when they actually help you run faster. That’s what happens when strategy gets involved, a word used in force when describing the Mazamas. Right out of the box, these Brooks trail shoes offered us a great fit that made us giddy to get out on the trail. The nearly seamless upper is created by the double-layered mesh that combines stretch and structure. Once on the trails, these shoes were quick and responsive. 

Weighing in at 7.9 ounces, Brooks says the Mazama are their lightest women’s trail running shoes, not to mention their fastest, an attribute testers certainly took notice of. Thanks to the opposing lugs of the outsole, the tread provided us with amazing control going both up and down technical hills, while protection in important areas like the toe, forefoot and arch let us cruise over bumpy terrain. If you take your runs fast with a side of control, the Brooks Mazamas are quick to deliver. 

Tester Comments: “These trail running shoes were reminiscent of the racing spikes one Active Junky tester wore in Cross Country races she ran in college: super light, perfectly forming to your foot, and somehow giving you the ability to run the same course significantly faster than your regular trail shoes allowed for.”

Pros: The combination of lightweight construction, aggressive traction, and quick rebound, make this shoe an athlete’s best friend. They make training runs feel more productive and give your races better times. 

Cons: They feel a bit on the stiffer side, so the comfort level is not that of the Vasque or Pearl Izumi models we tested.

Key Attribute: Performance