Introduction
Brooks is a company based in the United States of America and a subsidiary of the famous Berkshire Hathaway. Established in 1914, Brooks was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a company designing and marketing high performance sports equipment. The company is currently headquartered in Seattle, Washington. An esteemed sports equipment company, in 1977, Brooks’ Vantage was ranked number 1 in the annual Runner’s World, leading magazine for sports equipment, running guide. In 2011, the company’s 100th year, Brooks broke through US$500 million in revenue and aims to become a billion-dollar company. With that goal in mind, the company has expanded its product line-up with new technologies and designs.
Our goal is to help you to navigate and understand Brooks’ running shoes product line-up. Additionally, understand the different midsole technology Brooks. Currently, Brooks has 4 different types of midsoles, namely:
- BioMoGo DNA,
- DNA Loft,
- DNA AMP,
- DNA Flash.
The Four Midsole Types
BioMoGo DNA
BioMoGo DNA is a midsole foam with a blend of BioMoGo and Brooks DNA. The BioMoGo is a non-toxic natural additive which provides cushioning while the Brooks DNA is a non-Newtonian polymer. Non-Newtonian polymer changes its viscosity depending on the shear rate making it suitable for running. With forces applied by runners at different pace, the cushioning could be augmented to meet the varying.
DNA Loft
The DNA Loft is a midsole that combines EVA foam, rubber, and air to create Brooks softest cushion yet. Combining air into the midsole allowed the weight of the midsole to be reduced. Additionally, the rubber within the compound helped to ensure durability. The DNA Loft midsole is used in running shoes where Brooks seek to provide runners with ultra-cushioned shoes that can protect the legs from the impact of road running.
As such running shoes with the DNA Loft are cater for workouts or runners who like to have protection and amp cushioning against the road elements. Additionally, ensure the legs do not feel overly beaten up after a run.
DNA AMP
DNA AMP is a midsole which absorbs and return the energy which runners put into the midsole. One word to summarize DNA Amp – Springy. The midsole is made of polyurethane (PU) foam and encased in a layer of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material. The PU foam provides the durability and elasticity of the midsole foam while the TPU layer provides the elastic structure of the midsole. The TPU layer plays an important role in containing and directing the energy which the PU foam absorbs without flattening out. While weight was an initial downside to the DNA AMP, Brooks has made great progress to reduce the weight of DNA AMP by 20% over the years. Brooks worked with BASF to create the DNA AMP midsole foam.
DNA Flash
The last in the line-up is DNA Flash, the top-of-the-line performance midsole from Brooks. The DNA Flash is a nitrogen injected midsole foam that provides a responsive feel in a lightweight package. This midsole foam is used in Brooks racing shoes such as the Hyperion Tempo, Hyperion Elite, and the Catamount trail shoes.
Product Mapping
Brooks running shoes typically range between US$100 to US$150 for road running shoes and US$160 for trail running shoes. The most expensive of them all is the Hyperion Elite, carbon plated race day shoes, coming in at US$250. The most affordable running shoes are the Revel 5 for road running and Divide 2 for trail running, both at US$100.
Most Affordable
For new runners looking for a budget choice, Brooks offer the Revel or the Launch series ranging from US$100 to US$110. Additionally, the Launch also caters for runners looking for support with a GTS version. What sets the two shoes apart include weight, stack height, and upper material and design. Launch 9 is lighter than Revel 5 and has a taller stack height than Revel 5. Revel 5 spots a knit upper while Launch 9 features the Creel Warp mesh.
Seasoned Runner & Daily Options
Brooks daily trainers, the Ghost 14 and Adrenaline GTS 22, are for runners who are looking to dive deeper. Both features the softest cushioning, DNA Loft, which makes it ideal for to be the do it all running shoes. The Ghost is a pair of neutral shoes while the Adrenaline GTS is for those needing support/stability. For the trail runners, Brooks has the Cascadia 16 and Caldera 5 within this price range. The Cascadia 16 spots Brook DNA Loft v2 which is said to be 5% softer and 20% lighter than previous version. The Cascadia 16 has a GTX (Gortex) variant at a slightly higher price of US$160. On the other hand, Caldera 5 has a 30 plus mm thick BioMoGo DNA midsole foam.
Performance Trainers & Race Day Options
Moving up the price range, we will have Brooks running shoes with DNA Flash and DNA Amp. For the non-plated performance trainer, Brooks offer the Hyperion Tempo and Levitate 5 series. The Hyperion Tempo equipped with DNA Flash while Levitate has DNA AMP. As the only product with full length DNA AMP, the Levitate has 4 different variations catering to the varying preferences of runners. Aside from the neutral and support/stability versions, Levitate also has 2 upper designs: (i) Classic and (ii) Stealthfit. Aside from the Cascadia 16 GTX, the Catamount can be thought of as the trail version of Hyperion Tempo. Catamount features a DNA Flash midsole and a price of US$160. Lastly, we have the Hyperion Elite which is a unisex race day running shoes costing US$250.
Summary
For Brooks, there is a clear relationship between the price of the running shoes with the midsole technology used. The BioGoMo DNA foam has been Brooks longest serving midsole technology while the other three are more recently developed. For example, the DNA Loft has a V3 which is DNA Loft injected with nitrogen. DNA AMP was introduced first in 2017 and continues to spot in the Levitate although with lesser success in the market. The DNA Flash was first introduced with the Hyperion Tempo back in 2020 which has yet to see any updates since. In summary,
- Brooks has 4 type of midsole technologies, namely: (i) BioMoGo DNA, (ii) DNA Loft, (iii) DNA AMP, and (iv) DNA Flash,
- The price ranges from US$100 to US$250 with majority below the US$160 mark,
- Brooks caters for runners looking for stability with their GTS line-up.
We hope that this article has helped you to understand the Brooks running shoes better and make an informed choice about which pair is for you. If you like what we are doing here, please do not forget to subscribe to our newsletter for notification of our latest post. Or you can follow us on social media channels such as Twitter and Instagram. Till next time, just keep running.
