In production · road · Daily / Tempo · $110
Firm, cheap, flexible and quick — the no-nonsense budget trainer.
Built for daily, tempo, at a target pace of 7:15–10:00 /mi on road.
The midsole is DNA Flash, tuned balanced (3/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 36 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. 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 standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 400 miles from the outsole, about $0.28 per mile at $110.
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
218 g / 7.7 oz
57 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g
Heel stack
36 mm
Level with the catalog median of 36 mm
Drop
8 mm
2 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm
Price
$110
50 cheaper than the catalog median of 160
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Cushioning
3 / 5
Catalog median 4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Catalog median 3 / 5
Durability
~400 mi
Catalog median ~400 mi
Within the Brooks line it is lighter 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.
Brooks Hyperion GTS 2
215 g / 7.6 oz · 34 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $150
Brooks Hyperion GTS 2: 34 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 220 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Brooks Hyperion 3
244 g / 8.6 oz · 36 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $150
Brooks Hyperion 3: 36 mm heel stack, 8 mm drop, 244 g — specs from independent lab testing.
Brooks Launch 12(2025)
249 g / 8.8 oz · 35 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110
Firm, light, cheap — the honest budget uptempo trainer.
Adidas Adizero SL2
238 g / 8.4 oz · 35 mm · 9 mm drop · — · $130
Adidas Adizero SL2: 35 mm heel stack, 9 mm drop, 245 g — specs from independent lab testing.