In production · road · Recovery / Long run · $200
Brooks' tallest, softest ride with a strong rocker to keep it moving.
Built for recovery, long run, at a target pace of 8:30–12:00 /mi on road.
The midsole is DNA Tuned, tuned very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is above average: the midsole rebounds well without feeling unstable. At 45 mm of heel stack this sits in max-cushion territory; legs stay fresher on long efforts, but the platform is tall. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 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 6 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. 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 450 miles from the outsole, about $0.44 per mile at $200.
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
311 g / 11.0 oz
36 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
45 mm
9 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
6 mm
Level with the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$200
40 pricier than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
5 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
4 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~450 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Brooks line it is heavier than the brand's median (283 g / 10.0 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (36 mm).
Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.
New Balance Fresh Foam X More v6
306 g / 10.8 oz · 44 mm · 4 mm drop · — · $165
Maximal Fresh Foam slab for the softest easy days.
On Cloudeclipse 2
290 g / 10.2 oz · 42 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $190
Double-layer CloudTec for On's softest long-run ride.
New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v15(2025)
275 g / 9.7 oz · 46 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $170
Taller, rockered and plush — NB's flagship soft daily.
Mizuno Wave Sky 9
295 g / 10.4 oz · 44 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $175
Mizuno's plush max-cushion cruiser.