I have reviewed
nine shoes from Brooks in the past few
years. The Glycerin
13 (which received Runner’s World’s Best Update Award for 2015), PureFlow
5, Neuro, Launch
3 (one of my all-time favorites), Launch
4, Ghost
9, Glycerin
13, Glycerin
15 and the Caldera (the first Brooks Trail shoe that I’ve tested).
They all are great shoes that I use on
a rotating basis in my training.
Brooks is headquartered in Seattle,
Washington. Maybe that is why they are
so awesome (I grew up in Eastern Washington so maybe I am a little
biased). Brooks motto is to “Run Happy” but
they also try to “Live Green.” Their headquarters building is right near the
water and just across the street is a trailhead that leads to nearly 30 miles
of trails to run on. How awesome would
it be to work there? They invite the
public to come in if they are ever in the Seattle area for a free treadmill
gait analysis and to check out all of the latest Brooks running gear and apparel.
The Levitate
is Brooks’
new shoe and it has been in the works for quite a while. Brooks spent 2.5 years developing this shoe,
going through 9 rounds of development, 7 rounds of wear testing, and making
improvements along the way. They got
feedback from thousands of runners in the pursuit of the Levitate,
which promises to provide “The most energy return of leading performance
running shoes…”
The magic
all comes from Brooks’ new midsole made from their DNA AMP material. The midsole was made in partnership with
BASF, a giant in the chemistry field.
They were striving to make the perfect blend of cushion and energy
return. The materials are made to take
the energy from each foot strike and send that energy directly back up at your
foot without losing energy out the sides of the midsole.
The outsole
is made with a unique arrow pattern that is flexible and helps you move quickly
from heel to toe. I found that the shoe
not only flexed enough front to back, but side to side as well. I am a big fan of flexible shoes and this
design definitely made me happy. After
about 50 miles, the outsole material shows almost no signs of wear, which is
great.
The fit knit
upper is comfortable and flexes with your foot.
It really fits well, and adapts to your individual foot type. I have wider than normal feet and this was
not a problem at all with the Levitate. You can get a nice snug fit that in
conjunction with the padding near the heel collar, feels great mile-after-mile.
The Levitate
has an 8mm heel drop, is a neutral shoe, and weighs in at 11.2 ounces. This shoe is ideal for people with medium to
high arches and is a great shoe for all road running, from easy runs to races
and everything in between. Honestly my
biggest issue with the shoe is the weight.
It is heavier than most shoes I run in and wish that they could get it
under 10 ounces. With that being said,
it doesn’t feel heavy and I have enjoyed them on short fast runs as well as
longer slow runs. This is probably one
of Brooks’
best shoes to date.
Pros:
Fit true to size (for me)
Looks awesome (two color options Blue/Black or White/Black)
Great energy return
Flexible outsole
Feels great and fits like a glove.
90 Day Trial at Brooks.com (Free Returns)
Cons:
Slightly heavier than many shoes at 11.2 ounces
Brooks’ Social Media Links
Brooks keeps putting out great
shoes. The Levitate
is a great shoe that has jumped right into first place for Brooks shoes in my opinion. While the price may be a little on the higher
side at $150, they are an awesome pair of shoes that will really help you enjoy
your run. All of the development and
tester feedback paid off. You can find
them at the Brooks website or your local retailer (click here for
locations). Go to your local running
store and give it a test run. I would
love to know what you think.
Note:
I received this product in exchange for a review. The review is my
personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular
opinion of it. I am not a doctor, so
please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.
Hi, I am an heavy runner neutral (87kg). I've used Trascend 1,2 and 3. Are these shoes good for me or it is better buying Trascend 4?
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
Hi Harry. I haven't run in the Transcend but they are a stability shoe where the Levitate is a neutral shoe. Have you been evaluated for your shoe type? Do you probate?
DeleteI would say (from looking at deacriptions) that the Trancend offers more cushion and stability in a slightly lighter shoe.
The Levitate would provide more energy return and is made for people with mid to high arches (people who don't typically pronate) and don't need stability shoes.
I would strongly recommend that you get fitted at a local shoe store. It is typically free. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
I currently use Brooks Glycerin as I need a shoe with excellent cushioning. Would this shoe provide better cushioning?
ReplyDeleteHi Tracy. The Glycerin 15 has more cushion. The Levitate is more responsive nd provides a little more energy return. It sounds like you would be more happy in the Glycerin 15. Have you lookedninto Hoka's?
DeleteCool Stuff
ReplyDeleteHamstring Injury Running