Discontinued · road · Tempo / Daily · $130
Pod-based experimental speed trainer with a springy feel.
Built for tempo, daily, at a target pace of 7:00–9:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Brooks Hyperion 2.
Brooks tuned this midsole firm (2/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 26 mm of heel stack keeps you low and connected, with more ground feel than most current trainers. 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 8 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. 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 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 $0.43 per mile at $130.
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
244 g / 8.6 oz
31 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
26 mm
10 mm lower than the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$130
30 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
2 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 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.
Nike Rival Fly 4
235 g / 8.3 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Firm, low and cheap — the no-frills speedwork trainer.
Brooks Revel 8
246 g / 8.7 oz · 32 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
Brooks Revel 8: 32 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 244 g — specs from independent lab testing.
New Balance Fresh Foam 680 v9
259 g / 9.1 oz · 30 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
New Balance Fresh Foam 680 v9: 30 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 258 g — specs from independent lab testing.
New Balance Fresh Foam Roav V2
238 g / 8.4 oz · 32 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $100
New Balance Fresh Foam Roav V2: 32 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 238 g — specs from independent lab testing.