Discontinued · road · Daily · $80
Entry-level Brooks trainer for walking and casual running.
Built for daily, at a target pace of 9:00–12:00 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Brooks Launch 12.
Brooks tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is modest, so the ride feels protective and damp rather than springy. 28 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as calm at 2/5 responsiveness.
There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.
A tall 12 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. The forefoot flexes easily, so the shoe adapts to slower, shorter strides. Support is light — neutral, with a mildly steady platform.
The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 350 miles from the outsole, about $0.23 per mile at $80.
For the foams and plates Brooks uses across its line, read the Brooks brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
272 g / 9.6 oz
3 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
28 mm
8 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
12 mm
6 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$80
80 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
2 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~350 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Brooks line it is lighter than the brand's median (283 g / 10.0 oz) and sits lower than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
Nike Downshifter 13
267 g / 9.4 oz · 32 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $75
Light, basic and bendable — a starter trainer for easy running.
Nike Revolution 8
270 g / 9.5 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $70
Nike's cheapest running shoe: soft foam, simple build, gentle miles.
On Cloud 6(2025)
267 g / 9.4 oz · 28 mm · 9 mm drop · — · $150
The slip-on lifestyle runner that started it all — light and easy.
Adidas Coreracer 2
280 g / 9.9 oz · 28 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $65
No-frills budget runner with a snug, sock-like fit.