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Thoughtfully choosing a running shoe is a carefully calibrated consideration of dozens of factors, from weight to cushioning to size to materials, all filtered through a runner’s personal preferences, medical history, biomechanical quirks, exercise goals, and budget. Brooks knows this, which is why the premier performance running company has a shoe for seasoned marathoners, new pavement pounders, and everyone in between.
The Brooks lineup currently includes over 100 different shoes, and it would be easy to write thousands of words on what makes them all great, from the sustainable bona fides of the Green Silence Ghost 15 to the impressive traction of the Cascadia 17 GTX trail runners. But brevity is the soul of wit, and it’s also a better way to understand the broad range of shoes Brooks makes and how they serve runners of different goals and abilities.
So instead of doing an exhaustive survey of every shoe they make, we focused on three standouts in the Brooks lineup. Each is the perfect shoe for a certain kind of person with a certain kind of purpose, but all share the Brooks DNA: well-thought-out, well-made running shoes built so that the wearer gets the most out of their run.
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Glycerin 21
Comfort is the raison d’etre of this supersoft shoe. Its plush cushioning can make running—or walking, exercising, and otherwise not running—feel more like floating above the pavement than stepping on it. The secret is that the DNA LOFT v3 lower is infused with nitrogen, a step that makes the shoe lighter and bouncier than it otherwise would be.
Above all of that cushioning is an upper made of a new-and-improved Warp Knit material engineered for breathability and stretch for cooler, drier runs. The shoe itself has a wide base, and distributing bodyweight over more surface area means a more comfortable run and easier transition from heel to toe.
Glycerin 21 is a great shoe for all day wear in a variety of settings, from training runs to bodega runs. The most serious runners might not want it to be their only running shoe, but even they will have no problem finding reasons to wear (and love) these shoes.
Hyperion
Brooks’ Hyperion series came about after Brooks athletes told the company they wanted shoes that were simultaneously “super” (amplified and elevated) and “natural” (fluid and comfortable). The team considered and reworked every compound, geometry, plate, traction, and breathability factor.
In the process, they contradicted the conventional wisdom that shoes could be either fast or cushioned, super or natural, but not both. This series of shoes is unique to the market and customized to the heightened needs of professional racers, which means they’re also pretty good for the rest of us.
Today’s Hyperion running shoes are Brooks’ lightest training shoe with an updated design that accelerates the heel-to-toe transition for speedier splits while running everything from a 5K to a marathon.
Hyperion Elite 4
A step up from the base Hyperion model, the Hyperion Elite 4 adds DNA FLASH v2 cushioning that’s lighter and more impact-resistant and an Arris carbon fiber SpeedVault Race+ plate. The latter is sized differently depending on the size of the shoe, a customization that means Brooks can decrease the weight of the plate while optimizing its bending stiffness to the relative size of the runner. In concert with the rocker shape of the sole, it’s designed to propel runners toward new PRs.
Also helping with that goal is the redesigned upper that’s made to lock the foot in place, reducing the chance of hot spots and allowing for more confident running during a race. It all adds up to a cushioned feel and speedier road races, including the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February, where it was worn by Brooks athletes competing for spots on the team that will compete in Paris this summer.