There is something wonderful about running for the pure joy of it. No watch. No stress about pace. No worries about the time on the clock. No pressure. The one place I find myself completely free to run without any expectations is on the trails – surrounded by trees, the feel of dirt and leaves beneath my feet and a heart that is truly full.

Trail running is something I don’t do enough. So often, I’m training for a road race, and due to the specificity of my training plan and my caution to avoid rolling an ankle on a tree root, I skip the trails. Since finishing the Chicago Marathon earlier this month, I’ve been doing what I want, when I want when it comes to exercise: biking to the movies, lifting weights in my living room, running with friends who are much slower than me and hitting the trails.

When it comes to trail running, having the right pair of shoes is so important. It is easy to slip, fall and trip on the trails, and we need a stable shoe with excellent tread to keep us upright and safe. For the past year and a half, I ran and hiked in the Brooks Running PureGrit 2. Those shoes saw trails that crisscrossed the country: Angels Landing in Zion National Park, Delicate Arch in Arches National Park, the backwoods of Colorado, the Kalalau Trail in Kauai (Hawaii), my first trail race in Mississippi, trails to see waterfalls in North Carolina and much more.

Those shoes went on some of the most amazing adventures I’ve ever had, and yet, I never really liked those shoes. Don’t get me wrong, they were effective in terms of solid tread and a stable run/hike, but they were never perfectly comfortable. The shoelaces were too thin, the fit was never quite right and sometimes the back of the heel area would rub. I kept wearing them, but I never really liked them.

But, like every shoe does, a new model came out and everything changed.

This year, Brooks Running released its PureGrit 3 for men and women. The Pure Grit 3s are part of Brooks’ Pure Project line of lightweight shoes (many of you know I run in the PureCadence for all my road running). Back in June when I had the chance to visit Brooks Running Headquarters in Seattle, footwear merchandising expert Kira Harrison shared with me that legendary ultra and trail runner Scott Jurek actually helped Brooks design the PureGrit 3s so they wouldn’t just be a trail shoe that fit into their lightweight line, but it would be a trail shoe that could truly be in a league of its own.

In a word, the PureGrit 3s are AWESOME.

I spent a lot of time in my PureGrit 3s out on the trails in North Carolina earlier this month. Here are some features I love about the PureGrit 3s that were not as effective on the PureGrit 2s:

• The tread. The upgraded tread on the PureGrit 3 is amazing. Brooks calls it hex lugs that deliver maximum grip. They are so stable over any terrain. I was recently on trails that were wet and covered in leaves, and I didn’t feel any slipping. You will also notice on the PureGrit 3s that there is no longer a notch in the toe like the other shoes in the PureProject line. This will prevent rocks, pebbles and other debris from getting caught in that notch.

• The comfort. These shoes fit great and are so comfortable. They feel more cushioned than the previous version, and there is more comfort in the ankle area as well. I felt no rubbing or discomfort of any kind. In fact, I had these shoes on for 13 straight hours about a week ago and my feet still felt comfortable at the end of the day. The women’s weigh 8.1 ounces and the men’s 9.9 ounces.
• The laces. Brooks improved on the laces for the PureGrits from the second version to the third. They are more in line with the other Brooks PureProject shoes, which is a huge plus for me. I really did not like the weak, thin laces featured in the PureGrit 2s.
• The look. In addition to the effectiveness and awesome ride of these shoes, they also look cool. For women, the berry and yellow color combination pops without being over the top, while the men’s red, blue and yellow deliver a punch.

The PureGrit 3s retail at $120, and you will probably get about 300 to 400 miles out of them.

Please note: I am a Brooks Running Run Happy Ambassador and receive products each month from Brooks to try and test. I received my PureGrit 3s from Brooks for free. Everything I write about Brooks products are my own, uncensored, unbiased opinions and always will be. Brooks has no influence on the opinions I write about their products.

What is your favorite trail running shoe? Where is your favorite place to go trail running? If you have tried the PureGrit 3s, let us know what you think!