I really had no idea what to expect from the Brooks Ravenna 10. A friend of mine told me that they reminded him of the New Balance Vazee Prism V2. That may be super random, but that was one of both of our favorite shoes and we were both devastated when it got cut (I’m still searching for pairs on super sketchy shoe websites that probably steal my identity).
Could the Ravenna 10 possibly live up to that hype?! To find out, I racked up over 90 miles in the shoe, from the cold sidewalks of Baltimore to the dirt paths of San Francisco hills.
The Ravenna 10 is a stability shoe with a 10mm drop. It’s on the lighter side for stability shoes, coming in at 9.4 oz; my size 10.5 2E weighs 10.3 oz. The 10th update to the Ravenna line brings some fresh changes: Brooks introduced the GuideRails holistic support system, an updated midsole, and a new one-piece mesh upper and internal bootie.
The biggest addition is the new GuideRails holistic support system, which makes it sound like some spiritual Zen thing. In reality, they’re just two pieces of plastic on both sides of the heel where the upper and midsole meet. While the GuideRails are not new to Brooks (see Bedlam, Adrenaline GTS 19, or Transcend 6), they are new to the Ravenna line. By removing the thicker stability section of the Ravenna 9’s midsole and adding the GuideRails, Brooks has turned the shoe into a neutral/stability hybrid.
The GuideRails aren’t going to correct your stride like a traditional stability shoe would do. Instead, they keep your foot more in place to return you to your preferred stride. This is why both neutral and pronators can run in it. While running in the shoes, I never really noticed the GuideRails. I tried thinking about them while running, but still nothing, which was a good thing. It didn’t cause me any pressure or hot spots and my knees and my hips never hurt or felt funky like running in some true neutral shoes do for me. I’m not quite sure how well the GuideRails would work for someone who severely over or under pronates, but it should work great for anyone in between.
The upper is made of a one-piece mesh. When a company does a mesh upper poorly, it can ruin a shoe. However, when done correctly (as is the case with the Ravenna 10), you get a great snug fit that makes wearing it a delight. I have the wide 2E width and this is how I wish every wide shoe felt. I don’t feel like my foot is moving around from a stretchy material, but I also don’t feel like my foot is being constricted or falling off the side. The internal bootie is also great. It’s silky smooth, but not too slippery.
Nothing is super special about the outsole. It just works well and feels secure no matter the weather conditions. Hell, I even took the Ravenna 10 trail running in San Francisco and didn’t slip at all. But now they no longer look all clean and new… *insert sad face*.
Lastly, let’s talk price: $110. Hell yeah I can get behind that!
The midsole is made up of BioMoGo DNA. Compared to the last iteration, Brooks added more foam under the forefoot. I didn’t run in the Ravenna 9, but if they had less foam/cushion, they must have just had bricks for midsoles. The Ravenna 10 are some firm shoes! Not as firm as this guy’s handshake, but a close second:
I think they are great for speedwork, shorter runs, or tempo stuff, but I’m not convinced about distances longer than a half marathon. Your feet might start to hurt.
If you can’t tell by my reviews by now, I’m the runner who likes bright neon stuff (sorry Thomas). The color options are pretty tame with the Ravenna 10. Only one of the three colorways is relatively cool. I’m imagining a Brooks employee had orange picked for the bootie and laces and then was going to change the midsole color, but their supervisor came in screaming “REIN IT IN!” Brooks, have a little bit more fun with some of these options!
I really like the Ravenna 10 and the shoe fits a lot of needs in my rotation. I don’t think I plan on using them for long runs, but they are going to come out for short and medium distance runs, speed work, and even race day. The wide width is spot on and the additions aren’t obtrusive. If you’re looking for an extremely solid running shoe that won’t break the bank, check out the Ravenna 10.
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