If there is one thing I think we can all mostly agree upon, it is that running freedom is what drives us. Regardless of what we have going on in our lives at the current moment, a few miles on the road or trails can be mentally and emotionally freeing – at least for many of us. But there is still work to be done on this front until all runners – regardless of race, gender, or anything else.
This past year, Brooks has partnered with renowned fine artist and illustrator, Lisa Congdon to design this Spring’s Run Proud Collection. The new Trace 2 in this collection is out now.
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The 2022 Run Proud Collection currently has a few items in it:
- Tanks
- Hats
- Socks
- Shoes
Here’s a little bit more about the inspiration behind the collection:
“I wanted my designs to bring forward the idea of being yourself. I drew the illustrations by hand to create a composition that mimics the rhythmic elements of a dynamic landscape. And the colors from the progress flag gave me the perfect palette to bring energy to the designs. It really was an honor to create a design that speaks to queer joy.”
Looks:
Holy crap this shoe is amazing. Lisa’s bright and playful designs captures the joy and freedom of being yourself on the run and, more importantly, in life. We received a few items from this collection in the Spring – and really the style and colors are infectious. Not only does Brooks have quality in their materials – all the items – these shoes included – have a splash that just screams happiness.
The upper showcases the colors of the Progress Flag to represent the entirety of the LGBTQ+ community.
- Red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple harken back to the original Pride Flag.
- Black and brown stripes, representing BIPOC people, as well as the light blue, pink, and white of the Transgender Flag, represent the most marginalized members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Construction:
The Trace 2 is probably one of the more simple running shoes that Brooks has in their line. It still has very solid qualities obviously – from the cushion to the breathable upper to the nice fit, but overall its relatively simple. There’s not a lot of bells and whistles for this daily trainer.
That’s not to say that it isn’t a well made shoe. I found it super comfortable and lighter than I expected. My foot felt snug against the upper and overall the fit was really solid overall. It felt cushioned enough, though you will find other ultra plush cushion elsewhere.
This is the kind of shoe that you can just pick up and put on and not think too much about it. It is made with almost 50% recycled materials in the beautiful upper and overall 6.5+ plastic bottles are diverted form landfills in its construction. Thus, these shoes make you feel good on multiple fronts.
Overall:
To be honest, reviewing this shoe is more about the flair and allyship of the shoes than the shoe itself. This is one of the rare instances where I didn’t really care about the fit and feel as much as I normally would. Yes, the Trace 2 is a really fine shoe, but as long as it didn’t give me blisters with every step, I was going to give it the benefit of the doubt. At $100, this may be the most inexpensive running shoe you can get that isn’t a part of a deep discount sale.
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Products & Price:
- Brooks Trace 2 | $100
- Weight: 8.6 oz
- Offset: 12mm
Thank you to Brooks for providing us with test shoes. Please read our transparency page for info on how we do our reviews.
