Which Brooks Running Shoe is Right For Me?

Voted one of Running Warehouse’s Best Running Shoes of 2025, the Brooks Ghost 17 is a classic entry point to Brooks' lineup.

The Ghosts have been consistently successful, model after model, thanks to their reputation as some of the best-fitting shoes on the market, and thanks to their commitment to providing consistent comfort and reliability. The Brooks Ghost 17 achieves this by raising its stack heights just slightly, over previous models, to offer increased cushioning and shock absorption, while still remaining firmer and more speed-oriented than their extra plush bretheren, the Brooks Glycerins.

If you want to know more, you can see our full review of the Brooks Ghost 17 here.

The Glycerin line of shoes have been around seemingly forever and have proven themselves to be reliable staples in the running world... just like Brooks themselves. But with this newest iteration, the Glycerin 22 proves that staples can reimagine themselves without losing their core values.

The Glycerin is a premium shoe from Brooks’ lineup that emphasizes luxury, and that starts with Brooks’ latest, most exceptionally comfortable foam. Their DNA Tuned foaming offers better cushioning than ever before, managing to make the Glycerins feel even plusher, despite their lower overall stack height.

It’s a little bit more cushioned than the Ghost, and thus a little bit heavier. The fit is a little bit snugger. But if you want to enjoy a plush ride without diving all the way into Max Cushioning, then the Glycerin is a great option. If you want to know more, come check out our full review of the Glycerin 22.

The Glycerin Max is one of the newer entrants to Brooks’ lineup and serves as a fantastic showcase of some of Brooks’ most unique concepts and technologies to date. Obviously, in a “Max Stacked” shoe, we’re going to pay a lot of attention to the midfoot composition. Or...in this case...compositionS.

With an innovative midsole approach from Brooks' BlueLine Lab, the Glycerin Max tries something unique by introducing dual-sized cell technology. In the heel, larger cells accommodate plusher landings, while in the forefoot smaller cells have been utilized to increase responsiveness and to provide more energetic toe-offs. We here at Running Warehouse think the dual-sized experiment paid off, resulting in a ride that feels all at once soft and lively underfoot.

If you’re looking to pick up the pace, but don’t want to deal with the rigidity of carbon plates, or the aggressive geometries of a performance trainer, then the Brooks Hyperion 3 is going to be your happy place. It’s a quick and responsive trainer that doesn’t completely abandon comfort. Faster than daily trainers like the Glycerin or the Ghost, yet more plush than a carbon plated shoe, the Hyperion 3 straddles the line between both worlds, giving you a little bit of everything for your next tempo run or mile repeats.

With shallow, but effective, heel and toe rockers, the Hyperion 3 will feel more familiar on foot than aggressive Performance Trainers, but faster on foot than other Daily Trainers.

Combining Max Stacks with a SpeedVault plate, the Brooks Hyperion Max 3 feels like Brooks’ “everything and the kitchen sink” shoe. We get a combination of soft landings and responsive energy returns thanks to their DNA GOLD and DNA FLASH v2 foams, while the nylon plate in between adds structure and propulsion for efficient toe-offs. It’s a very tall shoe, but it can pick up the pace and it balances its bounce with its cushioning to give runners a uniquely fun, enjoyable ride.

For a shoe that’s fully committed to the “MAX” part of their name (adding 10 mm of foam from version 2 to version 3), the shoe remains surprisingly taut and quick under foot. It feels a bit more responsive than a max cushioned shoe, but a bit more elevated and protective than some other performance trainers. As such, we found it to be a shoe that thrived in the long tempo run range.

With a fit that feels familiar to Brooks fans, and an underfoot experience that’s a touch more comfortable than many super-shoe competitors, the Hyperion Elite 5 is propulsive enough for professional, elite racers, yet approachable enough to elevate even a fun-runner's race day.

Although other super shoes might gain slight competitive edges thanks to radical design choices, or insanely light weights, the Hyperion Elite 5’s duo of DNA Gold foam and SpeedVault+ plate offer comfort, stability, AND are responsive , race-day feel. It has an upper which is composed of a fantastically light, nylon mesh material which emulates the wrap of a knit upper, but remains optimally breathable.

If you want to know more, you can see our full review of the Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 here.

The Cascadia are Brooks' best-selling trail running shoes for good reason, providing a dependable combination of comfort, rock protection and a pivot system in the midsole to help protect you from uneven trail surfaces.

The shoe is exceptionally durable, able to survive and thrive across hundreds of miles worth of rocky and technical trails, and with durable toe caps and mudguards for added protection from the elements.

As the most nimble, speed-focused trail shoe in Brooks' lineup, the Catamount 4 is designed with maximum agility and responsiveness in mind. It’s a shoe meant for runners that are conquering technical trails and steep climbs, and who need to do so with unhindered speed and precision.

With a DNA FLASH v2 foam and a SkyVault Trail Plate v2 offering an optimal balance of propulsion and protection. As an added bonus, the shoe is Certified CarbonNeutral® thanks to its utilizing recycled materials and Brooks’ purchase of offsets for those emissions that they aren't able to eliminate just yet. Meaning it’s a shoe that you that you can feel good about having on your feet as you enjoy your time racing through your favorite nature preserves.

One of the things Brooks is most renowned for is their universally comfortable fits. Brooks run true to size, if slightly narrow. Their midfoot wraps and heel fits are universally secure, but if you’re a wider footed runner there’s a chance you’ll find them a bit too secure. Length-wise, we’d recommend sticking with your usual shoe size.

Durability will fluctuate based on the type of shoe, your own intensity of use, the types of paths you’re running on, and more. As a baseline though, a pair of good Brooks Daily Trainers are bound to last between 300-500 miles. Please don’t expect a racing shoe like the Hyperion Elites to last that long, though.

Brooks shoes tend to fit best for narrow-to-neutral width feet with standard arches. To find your running shoe fit at home, check out our handy guide.

Yes. Although the exact specs will vary model by model, Brooks shoes do not tend to commit to overly extreme toe rockers, heel bevels, or midsole cut-outs, lending pleasant, familiar, "walkable" feels across their lineup. Their midsole foams tend to be plush and comfortable enough to support long days on your feet.