In production · trail · Trail / Race day / Tempo · $180
Stripped-down Catamount for short, fast, technical racing.
Built for trail, race day, tempo, at a target pace of 7:00–9:30 /mi on trail.
Brooks tuned this midsole balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. 31 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. Combined, the ride reads as snappy at 4/5 responsiveness.
A nylon (or PEBA-blend) plate adds structure without the harsh stiffness of carbon. You get a firmer, more propulsive toe-off that still flexes at slower paces, which is why nylon-plated shoes double as workout and long-run shoes rather than race-day-only tools.
A 6 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The rocker is moderate — enough curve to smooth the roll-through without dictating your footstrike. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.
The toe-box is narrow and performance-oriented; wide-footed runners should try before buying. It runs small; most runners size up a half. Expect roughly 300 miles from the outsole, about $0.60 per mile at $180.
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
235 g / 8.3 oz
40 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
31 mm
5 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
6 mm
Level with the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$180
20 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~300 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.
Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed
255 g / 9.0 oz · 31 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $160
Light, quick trail racer with Continental grip.
Hoka Zinal 2
227 g / 8.0 oz · 30 mm · 5 mm drop · — · $160
Featherweight trail racer for short, fast mountain efforts.
Adidas Terrex Agravic Speed 2(2026)
240 g / 8.5 oz · 33 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $160
Stripped-down trail racer, lighter than the first Agravic Speed.
New Balance FuelCell Venym
230 g / 8.1 oz · 34 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $160
Fast, low trail racer born from NB's fell-and-mountain ambitions.