Brooks Running Shoes Review

Customer Reviews

Most helpful customer reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Great shoes...for the right runner
By amelthia72
Let me just preface this by noting that I did some light running in high school and college (about 5 years ago) and recently got back into it about 3 months ago....so I am far from experienced. I have been doing 15-20 miles per week in my old Saucony Cohesions and was really wanting a lighter shoe that had a little less to it than traditional running shoes. I ended up purchasing a pair of Lyte33s based on tons of positive reviews from different sites and how they felt when I tried them on at the store. My first time out with them I completed 3 miles on a treadmill (I have been running outside and had not been on a treadmill in about 5 years)and ended up in severe pain in my knees, hips, and lower back, which has never happened to me before. I tried these shoes two additional times (for outside runs) and didn't make it very far before I was again experiencing these pains. I then contacted Asics, which was willing to let me switch this shoe for a different model, so I ended up going to a few different stores to try some additional styles. After trying the Blur, as well as some of the other more traditional Asics, I continued to really love the fit of my Lytes and decided to give them one more try. My most recent run in these shoes (earlier today) went very well...4 miles (a mixture of pavement and dirt roads) and I do not feel any joint pain or muscle stiffness. I was having some knee pain when I first started out, but decided to try to run it off and focus on my running form. I found that every time I began to experience pain, there was something I was doing wrong....my shoulders were getting stiff, I was getting tired and hitting the ground too hard, I was running too much with my lower legs and not enough with my core, etc. I felt like this shoe really forced me to run well and keep a strong form...if I got lazy at all I felt it pretty immediately. Based on how I feel right now, I'm expecting to feel fewer running associated aches and pains tonight/tomorrow morning. In this regard (if this shoe does keep me running in a better form and lighter on my feet) I absolutely love this shoe. I will also say that between my first few failures and today's run I added a pair of Sofsole insoles (which I highly recommend!), and have been focusing on core workouts and some hip exercises to prevent lower leg injuries. I believe that a somewhat solid core is essential to running in these shoes...probably not that right shoes for someone who is just starting out and is at the same time heavier/trying to lose weight. In fact, I feel like they would be perfect if I was about 10-15 lbs. lighter (I'm 5'3 and 135). I also would not recommend these for anything other than running. I have had my feet go numb while wearing them on the elliptical (an issue that I've never had before), and find them to be much more comfortable while running at a faster pace as opposed to a slower "jog". I will keep these for running and probably purchase an additional pair of more traditional shoes to use for other workouts at the gym.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful.
Extremely light-weight!!
By JH
These shoes are great for running and / or working out. There are really light weight. I am very happy I purchased them.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Light shoes, lower drop
By Katy D07
These shoes are extremely lightweight. The cushioning is moderate, it does have a different "feel" to it than other running shoes, perhaps due to the lighter materials used for the cushioning. The shoe has a lower drop, meaning the heel is lower to the ground than the average running shoe (6 mm drop vs 14-15 mm). This will affect your running form if you are used to a standard shoe. I have used them only on my shorter runs (3-6 miles). I tend to reach more for my trusty Mizuno Wave Riders for longer runs because of the cushioning. The shoe seems less flexible than other shoes, the mesh overlay in the upper is stiff. This bothered me at first but is no longer an issue. I think these will be my 5K racing shoes.