Brooks Hyperion Max 2 Review: Let Brooks Cook

What You Need To Know

Introduction to the Brooks Hyperion Max 2

ROBBE: When people hear the word ‘max’, they tend to think of a few things. For those who grew up in the ‘00s, it’s a collection of Apple products. For ‘90s kids, it’s Skin-a-max, that holy grail of channels hidden deep in the cable roster. Maybe a bunch of McDonald’s hamburgers with special sauce. For those ‘80s kids, it’s Max Headroom, the first computer-generated TV presenter; I have no idea how to even explain that concept or why it was popular in the first place. It was the eighties, not much made sense. 

If you’re a shoe reviewer, the word ‘max’ usually means high stack and high cushion, i.e. the Hoka effect. Most often, max and cushion are joined at the hip, forming the descriptive basis for shoes like the New Balance More and Balos, Hoka Bondi, Adidas Prime X Strung, Saucony Triumph, or the Brooks Ghost Max. 

So it may surprise you that the Hyperion Max 2 is not a max cushion shoe. At all. We covered this entire debate in our review of the first version of the shoe, so if you’re familiar with that, then you know what we’re talking about.

If this is your first time learning about the shoe, then you should know that it’s a max shoe only in the framework of the Hyperion line. Meaning, it’s a higher stack version of the Hyperion (formerly the Hyperion Tempo). That’s all. 

As you’ll soon learn, this is not a max cushion shoe or a soft shoe or a comfort shoe or a recovery shoe. But here’s the thing– that’s not a bad thing, at all. In fact, it’s a very, very good thing. Because Brooks has dialed in this shoe so well that it may be the best Brooks shoe that money can buy.

For the purposes of a review, that’s putting the cart before the horse, but it has to be said. 

There are some similarities between the Hyperion Max 2 and the first version of the shoe, but we see a few differences in this version. For starters, a redesigned lightweight double jacquard mesh upper is breathable and secure (a flat knit tongue complements the whole thing). A Pebax SpeedVault plate has been added for extra propulsion. More stack has been added to the midsole, 4 mm in the heel and 6 mm in the forefoot (total stack height: 36 mm in the heel, 30 m in the forefoot). The DNA Flash v2 is supposed to deliver 10% more energy return, though that’s impossible to quantify by feel. 

It’s a shoe that’s meant to go fast when necessary but provide a solid ride at everyday paces. Let’s see if that holds true.

JON: As someone who was born in ‘84, I resonate with all of the references Robbe made. It’s been maybe 25 years (ugh) since I’ve seen an episode of Max Headroom and I still remember how confusing it was. Truly before its time.

Brooks continuing to go with the name Hyperion Max is just as perplexing as the glitchy blonde computer persona. Going into this my only experience with the Hyperion line is the support version, the Hyperion GTS. I thought I was going to get something with, well, a max amount of cushion and instead got an uptempo shoe. This was a nice surprise thankfully.

CARYN: As a ‘90s kid that grew up without cable, lots of social references (including skin-a-max) are totally lost on me. I’d like to think I make up for my truly abysmal understanding of television with a solid grasp on music and books, but I digress. The “max” cushion running shoe revolution has been fascinating to engage with. As shoes continue to come out with increasingly large slabs of foam underfoot, I wonder if brands actually see any limit to stack height (“The limit does not exist!”).

Aside from the Ghost Max, Brooks has largely stayed away from the marshmallowy hype. And while some throw shade at Brooks for their lack of innovation, I can respect the reliability they offer in most of their lines. There’s something to be said for consistency, right? If you wear the Ghost, there’s a great chance you’re going to like the Ghost 16 as much, if not more, than the Ghost 15. 

The only downside, really, is that there’s nothing earth-shattering going on with the Ghost. In a sea of carbon plates and bouncy foams, it doesn’t exactly stand out. Over the last couple of years, however, Brooks has started to move and groove with their materials, providing some great updates and interesting additions to its lineup. While I can’t promise I can keep all of the Max, GTS, Stealthfit, and GTX lingo straight, I can promise that the Hyperion Max 2 is a fantastic divergence from your traditional Brooks shoe. Let’s get into it.

What we like about the Brooks Hyperion Max 2

ROBBE: This section is going to be long, and it’s been a long time coming for Brooks, so hold me closer, tiny dancer, as we spin circles on the ballroom floor. 

This shoe looks amazing. So good, in fact, that it shouldn’t be a Brooks shoe. The Paris colorway is done right, with just the right amount of flash. The sculpted midsole design with the slight plate accent is just too good. It gives off fast vibes. Speaking of fast vibes, the hottest trend in running shoes is plastering big and bold text on the medial side, going for that Nascar-style branding. Like Ricky Bobby on the final turn in Talladega, this thing doesn’t back down, telling you that Brooks owns this asphalt. (Quick shout-out to Skechers Performance who did the flashy lettering way before everyone, just like they did with the supercritical foam. Once again, they walked so everyone else could race.)

The upper itself… man, it may be the best fitting upper of any trainer on the market right now. The double jacquard with the flat knit, gusseted tongue is just absolutely perfect. It wraps the foot completely and wholly, like a mountain mama’s embrace on the coldest of winter nights. Of important note: the tongue also has multiple lace slits for an even more secure fit, which isn’t even necessary, but very cool to have. The sawtooth style laces are always the correct choice. I have zero notes.

Brooks did everything right in improving this shoe over the first version. To be honest, I thought the first version was pretty solid and I always wished I had been able to get more miles in it. The Hyperion Max 2 improves upon everything in that shoe in all the right ways. The Hyperion and Hyperion Max were just way too close to each other to justify having both. Adding 6 mm of stack height to the forefoot is the correct move and helps to separate it from the Hyperion. Now we have a real choice.

This is where I remind you, dear reader, that this is not a soft shoe, or a comfort shoe, or an easy day shoe. This is a performance shoe, and when used properly, it’s a best-in-class type of shoe. The DNA Flash v2 has had a weird history. It’s been great in some shoes and mediocre in others and flat-out awful in the Hyperion Elite. There’s a time and place for it, and that time is now and that place is this shoe. That’s it.

At slower paces it feels surprisingly firm, because you’re probably expecting something like the Saucony Endorphin Speed 4 or Asics Superblast or New Balance SC Trainer. So, just throw all those comparisons out. It is firmer, but it’s not a bad thing. I enjoy all the shoes I just listed, and they’re great do-it-all shoes, but I also find that they’re all a little hard to get going when you just want to let it rip. 

The Brooks Hyperion Max does the exact opposite. It’s not ideal at slower paces (it’s fine, it just feels a bit firm), but it stands at attention with hand on heart when called upon to perform. Meaning, this thing has some real get up and go, even if it isn’t the lightest choice out there. When you want to go faster, the midsole comes alive without hesitation. It does take a couple runs to break it in, but once it does, you’re golden. The Flash gives back, the plate pushes, and the Rapid Roll rocker geometry throws it all together and forward, again and again, in an effortless way. It’s smooth and true through the stride. With the perfect upper, the whole thing comes together in a package that’s hard to beat.

I did a long workout in the shoe this morning and I hit all my paces with ease, even in the dead heat of the day. Getting it up to speed was effortless, and keeping it there felt easy and smooth. Like magnetic north, its needle points to wherever you’re heading.

The outsole coverage is generous and grippy, unlike a lot of faster shoes that shave off the rubber to save weight. Translation: you’ll get a lot of life out of these. I wasn’t able to test in the rain, so cannot report back on that.

At $180, I think the price is more than fair, especially in comparison to the competition. 

This is the best Brooks shoe right now, no comparison.

JON: Brooks knocked it out of the park; both with form and function. The upper was incredibly comfortable and fit like a glove. There was lots of room in the toe box and the elf ear heel helped lock in the fit. It breathed great even on the hottest, most humid days I took them out. The gray with neon accents and large Brooks logo on the medial side was the right amount of pop that worked well.

I appreciated the attention to detail with the gusseted tongue and lacing. The tongue almost fit like an extra sock with how snug and minimal it was. The flat laces did a great job at adding to how comfortable of a shoe it is. Once I laced them up, I didn’t need to re-adjust mid-run.

The DNA flash midsole combined with the plate was a great combination. The resiliency of the foam combined with some extra propulsion from a plate worked great together. The added stack absorbed impact nicely with the rocker geometry naturally pushing you to lift off with the ball of your feet. I found myself naturally hitting faster paces thanks to this. On my long runs, I typically had enough gas in the tank for a fast finish. It did great at shifting gears into faster efforts and not completely wearing me out in the summer heat wave Maryland went through while I tested them. 

The outsole is resilient and high quality; I’m almost positive you’ll see an above-average return on the lifespan of this shoe. Traction is great in dry conditions, and it did just OK in the rain. I would probably not consciously take these out in bad weather.

CARYN: As someone who doesn’t always love a typical max cushion shoe, I was a little wary of the Brooks Hyperion Max 2. I didn’t test the original Hyperion Max, but heard from friends and reviewers that they enjoyed the shoe’s ride more than others they’ve tried from Brooks. I was also careful to keep in mind that the Hyperion Max 2 is not a “max cushion” in the typical sense, i.e. it is not an easy day or recovery shoe.

Right out of the box, I was so impressed with the shoe’s aesthetics to the point that I was downright shocked it was a Brooks model. It felt light in hand, and just as light when laced up. Even as a neutral shoe girly, I feel a touch of well-placed neon can make anyone feel cool and fast. Brooks completely nailed the fit and design of the double-jacquard upper. Honestly, I could write an entire paragraph about the upper and laces of this shoe alone, but I won’t do that because I think I’d risk losing the three people that show up to read my reviews (Hi, Mom!). The upper offers just the right amount of stretch, and the gusseted tongue does not budge on the run. I have a weird hang-up about laces, and these are top-notch, five-star laces. The sawtooth design helps them stay put, and makes putting on the shoe a quite enjoyable experience.

My first run in this shoe was a mix of easy and uptempo paces on both the track and roads, which was a great way to check out the Hyperion Max 2 at all of its angles. I didn’t find the shoe obtrusive at slower paces, and would personally not hesitate to use it for easy running. That being said, it really shines in that uptempo range of paces. The combination of the DNA Flash v2 midsole, the Pebax SpeedVault plate, and the slightly rockered geometry is fairly magical once you begin to turnover.

I tend to prefer shoes with a more responsive, firmer feel that also offer enough cushion for longer, marathon training workouts. The Hyperion Max 2 easily locked into marathon pace for some cruising to the point that I forgot about it– the sign of a great shoe. I don’t see myself wearing this shoe for paces faster than marathon and threshold, but that’s totally fine. While I haven’t tested it beyond a 10-mile run, I think it could be a great long run cruiser, especially if there’s pacework or a workout included.

What we don’t like about the Brooks Hyperion Max 2

ROBBE: I don’t think it’s as versatile as some of the other shoes in its range. If you’re keeping it Zone 2 on your easy days, it just doesn’t feel like it works in the way that shoes like the SC Trainer or Superblast work. Again, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing and I certainly don’t want it to change. It just leans more towards the faster side of things. Which, again, is why I really don’t like the ‘max’ denotation. I get it, I do, I totally understand the logic in that it’s a max version of the Hyperion. I just don’t think a lot of people will translate it as such, especially if they’re unfamiliar with the Hyperion line. Point being, if you’re reading this and looking for a max cushion Brooks shoe, you want the Ghost Max.

JON:  I didn’t have a lot of complaints besides some overworked calves from the 6mm drop and rocker. The only issue I really had was traction of the outsole underperforming in inclement weather. I was slipping around a little more than I wanted to and had to be extra cautious when it was wet out. I wouldn’t take these out if I saw storms in the forecast and would opt for something else. That said, this wasn’t a deal breaker.   

The Max name had me rolling my eyes too. I get what Brooks is doing with their naming conventions, but I feel like this is just going to confuse people.  This isn’t isolated to the Hyperion line either; I remember the Ravenna being ditched for the Launch GTS. Maybe the decision to tag on the Max was before the wave of the super trainer?

CARYN: I don’t have much to contribute here, other than the fact that the name of this shoe just doesn’t make sense. It sounds like this has been discussed um, at length, in this forum, so I will just back everyone up with my agreement on the silliness of the name.

I agree with Robbe that this shoe does not make it as easy to run easy, if that makes sense. I would say the Hyperion Max 2 lines up more with say, an Adidas Boston 12 than a New Balance SC Trainer, to provide some context.  This certainly isn’t an issue, just something to note when you’re out shopping for your running shoe lineup.

Final thoughts on the Brooks Hyperion Max 2

ROBBE: If you’ve been waiting until Brooks got good again, wait no more. DNA Flash has finally found its meaning in life, and it’s in the Hyperion Max 2. The upper fit is sublime and I wish every shoe fit like this. When giving your best, the midsole feels like it’s matching your effort. It’s hard to find a shoe that translates directly to what you’re putting into it, but I feel like this is that shoe. It’s been a long time coming, but Brooks has finally found the best use case for DNA Flash v2. It’s been worth the wait.

JON: To bring the Max references into the 21st century, let’s talk about Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s one of the best, if not the best action movies of the 2000s. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve watched it and look forward to seeing what else will come out of it after enjoying the Furiosa prequel that just came out. George Miller’s dystopian world has come a long, long way from Beyond Thunderdome. Brooks is having their Fury Road moment. While it’s not an everyday shoe, it has a clear purpose to be fast and peppy in a package that looks and feels great. 

CARYN: As a fairly neutral party when it comes to Brooks, the Hyperion Max 2 is enough to move the needle into some cautious optimism. The shoe (finally) makes great use of the DNA Flash v2, combining it with a rocker and Pebax plate to provide a smooth, energy-returning ride that shines at uptempo paces. I’m always here for a solid brand revolution (see: Asics, 2019), so Brooks, go on with your bad self. We’re here for it.

You can pick up the Brooks Hyperion Max 2 for $180 by using the buttons below.