Brooks Hyperion Elite LD Review: Ready For The Long Run?

Introduction to the Brooks Hyperion Elite LD

SAM: Five years. That’s how long it’s been since I last stepped on the track in a competitive fashion. I didn’t know at the time that my indoor conference championship in my senior year of college would be my last track race for an extended period of time, but here we are five years later, and that was it. As painful as the passage of time is for me to admit, track is where I got my start with running, so I relish any chance I can to connect myself with my first love. So, when the opportunity came up for me to review a track spike, I jumped on it. Getting to the track in a meaningful sense isn’t as easy as it used to be for me, but if you’re looking for a track spike ahead of the outdoor season, I’m hoping this review comes at a good time for you. Let’s get into it.

What we like about the Brooks Hyperion Elite LD

SAM: While our Form/Fit/Function rating system is brand new, it’s exactly what I’ve always used to evaluate track spikes. Why fit? You have to feel fast to run fast, and those first few strides in a spike tell you almost everything you need to know about how it is going to fit your foot. Why form? Function follows form, and the shape and build of a spike are incredibly important in crafting what race day experience you are going to get from it. Finally, why function? The purpose of a track spike is as simple as it gets: performance. A pair of spikes is a tool more than anything else in running. If it’s not useful in its one true purpose, it’s not worth buying.

For the Hyperion Elite LD, my positives fall under the fit and function categories. The fit is impeccable. I love the knit upper on these spikes. It has the perfect balance between structure, comfort, and stability. It’s a light spike without feeling nonexistent and has a great lockdown with the ribbed laces. I wore them both barefoot and with light socks on and found both extremely comfortable. The step-in feel and strides are tremendous as well. Before you even race, this shoe sets the expectation that you’re going to go fast. The spike setup in the forefoot offers great traction as well, providing an extra layer of confidence before any race.

In terms of function, this is a fast spike, though maybe not for the races it’s intended for (more on that later). The spike pushes you up on your toes and provides a dynamic running experience to get your turnover moving and your top-end speed rolling. All in all, the Hyperion Elite LD is a comfortable, light, and fast spike. I would use it from races 800-3000 meters without a second thought and would argue that it shines in the 1500m/mile arena.

What we don’t like about the Brooks Hyperion Elite LD

SAM: Sadly, the form of this shoe is what really knocks it down a peg for me. While the function is great, this shoe is not intended for the 800-3000m range. The Brooks Hyperion Elite LD is meant to be used from 3000m to 10k, and that’s not something I could see myself using this spike for. The current pinnacle of racing spikes, in my opinion, is the Nike Dragonfly.

Similar to the Dragonfly series, the Brooks Hyperion Elite LD has a large stack of superform in the forefoot. Unlike the Dragonfly, Brooks does not match this forefoot stack with any substantial cushion in the heel of the shoe. Ironically enough, it seems to have even less cushion in the heel than Brooks’s middle-distance spike. This lack of balanced cushioning leads to an unbalanced and clunky feeling when running longer distances. The build of this spike is similar to that of a middle distance spike, see the Nike Air Zoom Victory line, because the heavier forefoot fits with a fast, high cadence stride. When you slow down over longer races and your pace is more of a fast run instead of a sprint, I believe that this spike loses some appeal.

Final thoughts on the Brooks Hyperion Elite LD

SAM: After five years, it was a great feeling to be spiked up on the track once again. I’m not as fast as I once was, but the feeling of wearing a track spike and running a fast 200 is something that will never get old. While I loved the fit of the Brooks Hyperion Elite LD and found it to be a fun and fast shoe over shorter distances, I could not see myself choosing this spike over other options for any races over 1600 meters in length. If you are looking for a fast and comfortable shoe to wear over the middle distances, the Brooks Hyperion Elite LD is the shoe for you. If your track skills fall into that longer range, I would look elsewhere.

You can pick up the Brooks Hyperion Elite LD for $150 from Brooks by using the buttons below.