Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB Review: Finally, Race Day Done Right

Introduction to the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB

THOMAS: Let’s talk about Brooks and super shoes. Up until now, they’ve been absent from the marathon starting line. Their daily trainers have been solid, but nothing you’d choose for a race day. Meanwhile, athletes like Josh Kerr, Des Linden, and others were sporting the Hyperion Elite 4, and we couldn’t help but think: “Wow, these runners must be incredibly fast in any shoe.” That’s because they are. We knew the foam in the Hyperion Elite shoe wasn’t great. It simply didn’t measure up to what the competition was offering.

I made a video expressing my disappointment in the Hyperion Elite 4. Brooks had done so much right with that shoe, and the Hyperion line in general. The knit upper was a great fit, maybe the best we’d seen—innovative and comfortable. They used our favorite sawtooth laces, and the new 3D-printed Arris plate was tailored to the shoe’s size, not just a shrunken or stretched version for smaller or larger sizes. The outsole had good traction, and everything about the shoe seemed to scream great potential—except for the foam. The nitrogen-infused DNA Flash just wasn’t cutting it on race day.

Then, at the Running Event this year, we learned that Brooks had been supplying its athletes with a version of the Hyperion Elite 4 that featured PB Gold foam in the midsole, a 100% PEBA formulation. Suddenly, it all clicked: Josh Kerr winning the mile, Des Linden throwing down in New York, and CJ Albertson making his mark in pretty much every marathon he entered (which were many). These athletes had a different shoe with a different midsole.

Of course, we wanted to try it. If you take all the components of the Elite 4 and add premium foam, does it become a super trainer, competitive with shoes like the VaporFly, the MetaSpeed, or the Endorphin Pro? My hunch was that the foam was the only thing holding this shoe back.

MEAGHAN: There are two real-life experiences that stand out when I think about the Hyperion Elite. First, we were told the original version would only last 30 miles (gasp). It lasted less than that for me because it was so bad. It never should have been made. Second, I took version two out of the box for 22 miles and came home with bloody heels. As Thomas mentioned, Brooks came out with the Hyperion Elite 4 in 2024 and it fell very short of our current race day standards. I opted out of that one, but then Brooks gave it a major upgrade and tacked on a PB to the name, along with a whole bunch of promises that it didn’t suck, so I had to give it another try. 

Maybe, just maybe, Brooks will change our minds this time around.

What we like about the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB

THOMAS: This is the identical shoe to the Hyperion Elite 4 with a different foam, so everything from the top down to the stitches and tooling is the same. Our team agreed that the Hyperion Elite 4 had an incredible knit upper. It fits like a glove, is light, and lets the air flow like a screen door. 

The new PB Gold fixes our only issue with the Hyperion Elite 4. The foam is lighter, more energetic, and now you can feel the benefit of the plate. My US men’s size 10.5 weighs 7.4 ounces (210 grams). That is almost an ounce lighter than the Hyperion Elite 4 with the DNA Flash supercritical midsole. In testing, Brooks found that the foam was 2 minutes and 32 seconds faster over the marathon than the Hyperion 4 without the new foam. Anyone shooting for a BQ or OTQ knows 2:32 is a significant amount of time.

MEAGHAN: There’s nothing more exciting than lacing up a fresh pair of race day shoes. They’re light, they’re usually a little flashy, and they’re just fun to run in. The upper of the Hyperion Elite 4 gives you those race day vibes. The knit is super light and very breathable, and fits like a glove. It’s very, very similar to the Nike Vaporfly upper, in both design and fit. If the laces were off-centered they’d be nearly identical. I stayed with my typical W7.5 and didn’t have any hot spots or rubbing.

But, we’re here to talk about the addition of PEBA foam, the stuff we’ve been waiting on for nearly 3 years now. The stuff that Brooks claims makes this shoe over 2 minutes faster than the previous version. I’m guessing they used exactly one human for this claim, and I’m guessing his name is CJ Albertson. But the point is, we finally have a shoe from Brooks that feels competitive to what’s on the market. The foam is light, it’s bouncy and it’s fun. 

Most of my running is made up of easy miles right now, but I did pick up the pace for a few miles and added some striders to get the feel for this shoe. It reminded me most of the Puma Deviate Nitro Elite v3. It doesn’t have that mechanical feeling (like a Nike Alphafly 3 or Saucony Endorphin Elite 2), and I found the plate to be slightly hidden within the foam, but it was still a very nice ride. The shoes definitely came to life when the pace got faster, but I found them comfortable for easy miles as well. And I can’t forget to mention the weight – my W7.5 came in at 5.7 oz, crazy light (and the exact same weight as the Nike Alphafly 3).

What we don’t like about the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB

THOMAS: Now that the foam is fixed, I noticed a few possible minor issues. The shoe is narrow and with the stack height of 40 mm and softer foam, the Hyperion Elite 4 PB is less stable. I also noticed my foot extended over the midsole in some spots. Neither of these items had an effect on comfort or performance for me. However, I have narrow feet and don’t need overly stable shoes. 

Philosophically, I haven’t liked how Brooks has rolled out their premier marathon racer. They have put models out knowing that they were crappy, only to replace it with a “better” version within the same season. Think back to the release of the OG Hyperion Elite, launched a month before the 2020 Olympic Trials in Atlanta. Des ran in an unreleased model featuring a nitrogen-infused midsole that Brooks sold to the public just a few weeks after the original version. Similarly, the Hyperion Elite 4 PB would make me feel like a sucker if I had purchased the DNA Flash version of the shoe, even though the public had to wait a year. Brooks’ athletes have been using the PB Gold throughout 2024.

MEAGHAN: I think this shoe is going to be a top pick for a lot of people, but it’s just lacking that elite race day pop for me. I want to feel like the shoe is working just as hard as I am when I’m pushing the pace, and I never felt that aggressive propulsive feeling that I wanted. For me this felt more like a really great workout shoe rather than one I’m lacing up for race day.

Final thoughts on the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB

THOMAS (13 out of 15): Welcome to the party Brooks! You finally have a competitive marathon race day shoe. The Hyperion Elite 4 PB stacks up against the Nike Vaporfly, Asics Metaspeed, and the Adidas Adizero Pro 4. It makes me excited to try the Hyperion Elite 5 PB, which looks even better and is coming fall 2025. If you want to run in Brooks for your spring marathon, I am happy to report Brooks has a shoe for you. Finally.

MEAGHAN (12 out of 15): Brooks came out with some of my favorite trainers (Glycerin Max, Ghost Max) so it’s great to see them updating foams for race day as well. While this wouldn’t be my #1 pick for the start line, I think it will be for many. I disagree with Thomas on the Adizero Pro 4, as I think that shoe is a tier above this one, But, if you enjoyed the Nike Vaporfly 3 or Puma Deviate Elite 3, I think you’ll enjoy this model as well. It’s simple, light, and fast.

You can pick up the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB for $250 on February 1, 2025, by using the shop links below.