Best Brooks Running Shoes Right Now

If you’re only going to do one thing, do it well. At least, that’s the model Brooks seems to follow as it eats, sleeps, and breathes running shoes. On the bright side, that means you should be able to track down a pair of Brooks shoes no matter what you’re looking for. We’re here to help you “run happy” with our guide to the best Brooks Running Shoes you can buy.

The Seattle-based company got its start over 100 years ago making ballet flats and bathing shoes (I know, right?) in Philadelphia. It made the move towards running shoes in 1972, and today, running is all it does. The results speak for themselves. We may not all get to call ourselves Brooks Beasts (their elite running squad), but at least our picks can help you dream of greatness.

We’ve picked our top 10 shoes to get you going on the road or trail, so let’s get into it.

Questions or comments? Leave them below, and we’ll do our best to get back to you.

The Glycerin 23 picks up where its predecessor left off, revisiting a DNA Tuned midsole for a bit more forefoot responsiveness and a little more heel comfort. Honestly, not much has changed since version 22, and that's okay. Although the stack height remains the same, we now have a triple jacquard mesh upper, which will give more durability but also hold a little bit more heat. 

Unfortunately, the Glycerin 23 also went up in price by another $10, now coming in at $175. Yes, there’s a lot of competition out there, but the Glycerin remains a premium trainer that will certainly last you a whole bunch of miles. If nothing else, it makes for a great walking shoe as well.

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We thought Brooks was hitting the Max trend pretty hot and heavy, adding a new stacked-up option to pretty much every series in its collection, but we forgot one thing: Brooks can add new models elsewhere, too. So, imagine our surprise when we got a new (theoretically) uptempo Brooks Ghost to test out.

Now, although the Ghost Amp is, in fact, a Ghost on paper, it doesn't actually share too much with its mainline sibling. This new silhouette uses a combination of PEBA and EVA foam in its DNA Hype midsole, which adds a welcome pep to the running step. Brooks's clean, simple styling is still there, though you'll have to be prepared for a selection of monochrome colorways.

Also, this version is lighter than the standard Brooks Ghost, and its upper is much more breathable than the triple jacquard mesh we just talked about above. All told, this is probably the Ghost for the most.

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Now that the Hyperion Max is into its fourth generation, we'd say it's figured a few things out. Yes, Robbe had issues with the early uppers, but Brooks has moved away from the knit material it started with, and now this, too, packs a triple jacquard mesh. Don't worry, though, this mesh isn't the same as the one we talked about above; it's lighter and far more breathable.

Underfoot, the Hyperion Max 4 tells the same story as its predecessor, combining a lively layer of DNA Gold with a stabilizing bed of DNA Flash v2 for plenty of support and energy return. The SpeedVault plate sandwiched between the two adds a nice dose of pop, and the cutouts in the midsole keep things feeling light and flexible.

Granted, the Hyperion Max 4 isn't what we'd call a soft shoe. In fact, it lands on the firmer end of tempo trainers, but the smooth heel-to-toe rocker keeps it turning over much faster than some super trainers we've tried this year. Honestly, if you aren't looking for a true super shoe to take for your next 26.2, this might be your next best bet.

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At this point, three years on, the Ghost Max is a known quantity. Just like the Hyperion Max, it's in its fourth generation, and it feels like Brooks is in a cycle of refining rather than rebuilding. It has smoothed out the DNA Loft v3 that sits underfoot, making it a little firmer while emphasizing the rocker to keep you moving on easy days.

Interestingly, while it doesn't seem like Brooks has changed much on paper, the Ghost Max 4 is lighter than its predecessor, and our reviewer Chad had nothing but praise for how it felt on foot. He pointed out that the modifications did away with the light road rash he ran into on the Ghost Max 3, and the rock-solid outsole coverage means this shoe should last for miles and miles.

If we had one complaint about the Brooks Ghost Max 4, it's that the shoe has lost a little bit of its uniqueness. Its style now blends in a bit more with Brooks's other Max models, but we'd love to see it stand out with some sort of Ghost flair that we know and love from the well-cushioned lineup.

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Tired of Max shoes yet? Yeah, I get it. You have no idea how many times I’ve had to retype the last few names because I’m jumbling the Ghost, Hyperion, and Glycerin of it all. So, let's take a break from the Max of it all and talk about another brand-new Brooks shoe, the Glycerin Flex.

From the minute you open the box, you can tell the Glycerin Flex is something different. It's as close as we've come to a spiritual successor to the Aurora-BL, but it's taken several years for us to get here. Either way, it's here, and that's what matters. Everything about the Glycerin Flex seems like a step forward, from its knit upper to the flexible DNA Tuned midsole, which has been specifically designed to add ground feel.

If you ask us, this is the direction that Brooks should head with more of its daily trainers, trimming weight, adding fun, and thinking outside the box. It's probably not a go-to at run specialty shops because it's so different for Brooks, but that's what might make it a hit.

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And now, for one of the most reliable shoes to ever do it: the Brooks Ghost 18. Listen, it’s impossible to hate the Ghost — it just is. There’s not enough true good or evil in this spooky specter to swing it to the top or the bottom of the podium, which makes it great. It’s a shoe for running, not a shoe for thinking.

I mean, let’s face it, you absolutely, positively know someone who’s run in the Brooks Ghost since the first time they laced up a running shoe. And, if you’ve ever bought from a run specialty shop, you probably know a collegiate cross country runner who schlepped you a pair while earning beer money for the weekend. It’s a simple, reliable shoe, and it’ll last for a ton of slow, steady miles, and we reviewed it as such.

Well, actually, we reviewed the Ghost 18 pretty favorably. Maybe we weren’t generous, but we gave the DNA Loft v3 midsole and triple jacquard mesh upper the love they deserved without going overboard. Where this shoe does go a little overboard, though, is with its rubber outsole — that thing is freakin’ bulletproof. And sure, maybe it adds an ounce or two to the overall package, but when you’re after a shoe that’ll soak up your morning trot, who cares?

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Up next is a race day shoe that's finally worthy of its place on the podium. There is, perhaps, no other shoe we've given more grief over the years than the Brooks Hyperion Elite. It's one racer that always seemed to miss the mark, yet it always looked breathtakingly good while doing so. That's finally changed with the Hyperion Elite 6.

Alright, let's first go back a step or two. While we loved the feeling underfoot of the Hyperion Elite 4 PB (hello, DNA Gold), we felt like the Elite 5 swung too far the other way, taking on the character of an old racing flat. Now, the Hyperion Elite 6 strikes a perfect balance, offering a ton of stack and a ton of cushioning paired with one of the lightest racing uppers we've ever worn.

Did we feel like our toes might rip right through that upper? Yes, we did. Did they? No, they did not. What did rip right through us, though, is the $275 price tag, which is at least $25 too much. Maybe if we get an ATPU midsole out of the Hyperion Elite 7, we'll be able to revisit this conversation.

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I think we can dive into the wild side of Brooks for a moment, because that means a chance to talk about the Catamount Agil. If you remember the original Catamount, you’ll remember that it was basically a Hyperion for the dirt, even if it had an all-white upper. Well, the Catamount Agil is an evolution of that shoe, picking up a more aggressive sock-like upper and adding a specially tuned SpeedVault Trail plate underfoot.

This time, we let our resident trail expert, Taylor, take the lead, and he jumped right on the precision of the Catamount Agil. It’s a lightweight, nimble crusher of a shoe that likes to go fast, and he said as much. We’ve had experiences with tight, sock-like uppers in past trail shoes, but we can happily say that this one is so much better. It’s tight, sure, but not impossible to get on and off, and there’s actually some forgiveness in the forefoot for once.

Where the Catamount Agil really makes its money, however, is with the DNA Flash v2 midsole. It’s closer to what Brooks uses on its Hyperion lineup, which means it has plenty of bounce underfoot, and it translates beautifully to life on the trails. It’s not the thickest midsole, so you may find yourself limited at longer distances, but if you can keep the shoe feeling fresh, the TrailTack Green outsole will rip and rock through any technical terrain you want to seek out.

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When one of our reviewers, John, submitted his review of the Cascadia 20, we were pretty surprised to see him put forth an S-tier rating. He argued in favor of a few things, but none stood out to us more than the Vibram Megagrip outsole. See, Brooks has long been a proponent of its in-house compound, so for it to don the yellow badge meant something.

We did, ultimately, decide to go down just one tier from our top honors, settling on the Cascadia 20 as an A-tier update. And before you dismiss that as not good enough, hear us out: This shoe is so simple that an A-tier rating is practically us throwing a parade. The Cascadia 20 isn't a racer, nor is it particularly thrilling, but the combination of DNA Flash v2 and an updated outsole really just works for us.

Of course, if you want some speed out of your trail shoe, you may want to look elsewhere on this list. The Cascadia 20 also hasn't really changed its look in a few years, leaving the current silhouette looking a little retro. We'd love to see Brooks get a little adventurous and slim some things down when the shoe turns 21.

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And then, there was one. It's not every day that we say it of a company with its roots on the road, but the very best Brooks running shoe might be on the trails. Why? Well, the Brooks Cascadia Elite is pretty much the perfect mix of running technology and clean styling, just turned up to the max.

For starters, it has a plush DNA Gold midsole, but it's tuned slightly firmer to put up with hours of torment on the trails. Inside, there's a SpeedVault Plus plate for stability and protection, and the Matryx upper on top is just about bulletproof. All of this comes together in a package that's fun, stylish, and ready to go fast even on long trail races.

We should, however, note that the Vibram Megagrip Elite outsole packs a series of 3.5mm lugs. They're not the most aggressive for muddy or loose terrain, but they do feature Traction Lug technology, which adds little knobs for extra surface area. You should have no issues with wear and tear; just be mindful of East Coast vs West Coast trails.

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