Brooks Beast & Brooks Ariel Running Shoe Review

Brooks Beast & Brooks Ariel 100-Mile Review

In each category of running shoes, whether it's neutral trainer, moderate support or maximum motion control, there is a "benchmark" model. A model that year in and year out consistently exceeds the runners' expectations. The benchmark shoe is also the model every other brand targets when they set their design teams to work. In the motion control category, the leader and benchmark model over the years has been the Brooks Beast for men and the Brooks Ariel for women.

Brooks has a long and proud tradition as a motion control brand dating back to the Vantage model of the 1970's. Brooks was the first brand to incorporate a Varus wedge in their midsole design to help curb over-pronation. Brooks also offered up the Chariot, a shoe that did not pretend to be anything but what it was, a shoe designed to control over-pronation for any runner, regardless of size. The Brooks Chariot was big, it was heavy and it was proud to serve the needs of many large framed runners who suffered from over-pronation. Brooks updated their flagship motion control shoe and named it The Beast. Again a shoe that did not pretend to be anything other than a shoe with one goal in mind, to stop any and all runners from over-pronating Apparently someone within Brooks felt that naming a women's shoe the Beast was inappropriate and decided to give the shoe a name with a decidedly more feminine flair. They dubbed the female Beast the Ariel. Same shoe, cuter name.

Everything about this model is incorporated in the name of controlling over-pronation. This model sports not only an extensive medial post made up of firm rubber, but also offers a diagonal roll bar. This plastic device further supports the medial side of the shoe, preventing any but the most serious over-pronator from collapsing the medial side of the shoe. The upper materials are hefty and the cushioning technology is supreme to account for the larger framed runners who gravitate towards this shoe. surprisingly, with all of this motion control going on, the one trait that the Beast and Ariel have been known for is there very cushioned feel and smooth ride, which is a complete 180 from the stereotypic "bricks" that made up motion control trainers in years past.

To see if the Beast and Ariel continue to be the benchmarks of the motion control category, our wear testers put them through several weeks of training. Each logged in excess of 100 miles through a wide variety of surfaces to see if they live up to their reputation for providing a superior amount of motion control in a well cushioned trainer with good heel to toe transition.

Running Warehouse Wear Testers for the Brooks Beast (test conducted 2/1/06-3/6/06):
Nancy Female, 47 Frame size: Large Occupation: Paralegal Average miles per week: 20 Current Trainer: Brooks Addiction 6 Favorite Trainer: Brooks Addiction series	Jeff Male, 45 Frame size: Medium Occupation: Production Engineer Average miles per week: 50-60 Current Trainer: Asics Evolution Favorite Trainer: Asics Koji	Julie Female, 43 Frame size: Medium Occupation: Dental Hygienist Average miles per week: 45 Current Trainer: Asics Evolution Favorite Trainer: Asics Evolution

Fit

The Beast and Ariel are designed primarily for large framed runners. Because of this, the fit tends to be larger than comparable models normally worn by smaller framed runners. The fit for the Beast and Ariel was good for our wear testers that had normal to wider feet. The one runner with a narrow foot did not fit into the shoe well and thus scored it very low. The other testers scored it very high. Average Wear Tester Score: 3.67

Nancy: Now that the Ariel is broken in, it feels and performs great. The stiffness I felt at the beginning of the test has diminished, and the overall fit of the shoe is great and works well with my orthotics. Because I have a wide foot and wear orthotics I like a wider toebox, but require a snug fit in the heel. The Ariel provides both.

Jeff: The Ultimate Sockliner formed to my feet after a couple of runs. I had some early irritation from the lacing on my ankle, but adjustment of the lacing system eliminated this. The fit of the Brooks Beast is very comparable to my regular trainer, the ASICS Evolution.

Julie: These shoes are too wide for me from the arch forward. The heel was tight but the rest of the shoe didn't have a very comfortable fit. The ankle area of the shoe where the tongue meets your ankle kept digging into my ankle. I had to stop numerous times to try to loosen the shoestring, but that didn't work. Poor fit for me. They were too big in the toe box and too hard and uncomfortable around my ankle.

Heel Cushioning

This area was particularly popular with the wear testers. They universally gave it very high marks. Average Wear Tester Score: 4.67

Nancy: I especially like the way the Ariel supports and cushions the heel, and I did not feel either diminished during the time I wore them.

Jeff: The heel cushioning was good from the first run and didn't change at all during the test period. The heel cushioning of the Brooks Beast is very comparable to my regular trainer, the ASICS Evolution.

Julie: The heel is very firm. After about 30 miles the stiffness started to diminish, which greatly improved the comfort of the heel. The firmness eased up just enough to make the heel more flexible. The heel firmness and cushioning was perfect for rocky trails.

Forefoot Cushioning/Flexibility

The Beast/Ariel tended to start on the stiff side, but loosened up after a few miles. The wear testers approved greatly of the forefoot cushioning and flexibility. Average Wear Tester Score: 4.67

Nancy: My only complaint when I first started testing the Ariel was a stiffness in the forefoot, which did loosen up as I wore them. After the initial stiffness diminished, the forefoot flexibility improved and the cushioning remained. I have a tendency to have an ache in my forefoot when I put in 15 - 20 miles in a week, but the Ariel's forefoot cushioning and flexibility helped eliminate some of the aches.

Jeff: The forefoot cushioning was very good from the first run and did not diminish at all during the test period. The flexibility was suspect at first, but dramatically improved over time. The shoe felt much better after several runs, to where it was very comparable to my Asics Evolution.

Julie: The forefoot is very firm and the cushioning diminished enough to make the shoe more flexible. Over the course of the test, the shoe has become more and more comfortable due to the increase in flexibility in the midsole and forefoot area.

Stability/Support

The name of the game in the motion control category is stability and support. The Brooks Beast/Ariel did not disappoint, racking up another very impressive score. Average Wear Tester Score: 4.67

Nancy: The stability and support of the Ariel did not diminish during the test and provided a great deal of both, whether I was running on trails, in the sand or on asphalt.

Jeff: It is flat out impossible to over-pronate in these shoes. Your ankle will break first. In fact there was a bit of discomfort in my left ankle after the first few runs, but this went away fairly quickly when I ran on more even surfaces.

Julie: The shoe stayed stable and supportive over the test period. There was very little change in this area over the course of the test.

Heel to Toe Transition/Road Feel

For a motion control shoe that has a very sturdy, solid midsole, the Beast/Ariel did surprisingly well. The wear testers gave it overwhelming approval. Average Wear Tester Score: 4.50

Nancy: After the stiffness in the forefoot diminished, the Ariel provided a very smooth transition from heel to toe. The outsole did provide a great grip, and was perfect for my average runs on trails, sand or asphalt. The road felt firm, not squishy at all.

Jeff: Due to the weight of the shoes, there wasn't much toe off during the first few runs. After I got used to them, I found the transition to be very smooth. These must be the trainers that Hummer owners wear. You don't feel the need to avoid rocky patches in these shoes...you want to run right over the rocks because you won't even feel them. This is the trainer for 4-wheel off-roading. The sole grips well on a variety of surfaces, both wet and dry (dirt, gravel, asphalt, treadmill). No noticeable wear after 100+ miles.

Julie: Over the course of the test the shoe became more flexible, making for a smoother transition. There is still a little bit of abruptness in the midsole. There isn't a soft spot, just a stiffness in the midsole when you push off from heel to toe. The outsole didn't seem to wear down at all during the test period.

Summary

Being a benchmark shoe for your respective category should translate into a model that exceeds the customer's expectation in every major performance category. The Brooks Beast and Ariel definitely met this objective with flying colors. This model sets performance standards that are very high for a motion control trainer. It's easy to see why the Brooks Beast and Ariel have been the leaders in the motion control category for so long - the shoes provide a maximum amount of protection from over-pronation and do so in a package that's comfortable, well cushioned and pleasant to run in. Overall Rating: 4.33 out of 5

Brook Beast & Brooks Ariel Summary Sheet