Customer Reviews

Brooks Men's Launch Running Shoe,Black/Silver/Nightlife,10 D(M) US

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just a little over 9oz, so about the same as the Nike Lunar Trainer. This was the main reason I bought it, wanted the lightness of the NLTs but with the amazing Brooks fit. The Nikes had a sloppy fit up front, gave me blisters on my toes and made me supinate on runs over 10 miles.

Out of the box, found it too stiff as is often the case with Brooks shoes before break-in. So I walked around in it for several days. 50 miles of running later, it's now a good bit more flexible. I'm thinking that at 100-150 miles it'll be perfect.

The laces are EXTREMELY long for some reason. I tuck the loops under the laces, so it's not a big problem but I wonder why Brooks made them so long. Was thinking that maybe the upper has too much give, so that I had to pull the laces pretty tightly together in order to get a snug fit across the top of my fore/mid foot.

Am very ambivalent about the cushioning in this shoe, though. Very little road feel, though it's not as squishy as the NLTs. Yet somehow it doesn't feel like there's much energy return happening. It held up well for a 17 miler on asphalt and concrete though, legs and feet felt fine afterwards. Although it's a "neutral" trainer, the wide outsole and forefoot naturally allows for a good bit of stability. So I could definitely see running a marathon in this, and expect very decent longevity out of it, probably on par with say an Adrenaline.

The shoe that I keep comparing this to is my Brooks Ghost (1), which despite being a good 2-3 oz heavier, somehow FEELS "faster" especially on soft surfaces---could that be due to the Ghost having firmer cushioning and the sprung toe, plus the tighter/narrower fit?

The bright red and orange color gave me pause when I was looking at it in the store, but since my running clothes are mostly black, gray or white, I don't mind that much. It draws more attention when walking around than while running. What I initially felt was garish is steadily growing on me, lol.

As usual, I wish Brooks would make a shoe with a low heel for midfoot strikers like myself, at least on par with the New Balance 790. The Launch still feels flatter than say an Adrenaline of course, and I appreciate its absence of excessive arch support unlike the NLT.

I don't hate this shoe, but am wondering if I should've gone with the Nike Lunar Racer instead...

Rating: 7 out of 10.

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UPDATE, 1/21/2010:
Well, I did get the Lunar Racer. It actually made me appreciate the Launch more! Love the lightness of the Lunar Racer (about 3 oz less) and it feels great for my Tabata sprints and tempo runs, but the Launch is simply a more rugged and comfortable shoe especially for long hauls, 10-20 milers, esp. if there's a little off roading involved. So maybe next time I'll experiment with a 1/2 size smaller on the Launch, maybe that will snug things up a bit.

Revised rating: 8.5 out of 10.

I had been running in Newtons until I had a calf problem and needed a shoe that supported a mid foot strike better. I was able to go to these without having the feeling of heavy, over supportive shoe. I am on my 2nd pair and they have been very comfortable even without socks when I have used them in triathlons. They are very light and breath better then most shoes I have run in here in South Texas. A great shoe if you are looking for what feels like a training flat with more cushioning.

I find this shoe great for my training purposes. I started out in Supernova Sequence 2 and move to Brooks green silence in search of something lighter and less imposing. The green silence is a great shoe for me if im running less then about 10 miles (Saving for races and shorter runs) otherwise I feel a lack of support. So from there I switched to the Nike lunarglides which I found somewhat disappointing. I feel these Brooks Launch shoes are a lighter more comfortable version of the lunarglides but with similar support. Hope this helps.

After 450 miles the original insoles are toast so I replaced with a pair of blue Spencos. Also the tread in the ball/forefoot area is wearing smooth, but the rest of the shoe is holding up well. I hope to get another 50 to 75 miles out of them.

I am 5'11" 168# and have used my Size 10 Launches for everything from speedwork to 22-mile long runs. I average 50 to 70 miles per week and alternate 3 pairs of shoes a one time. You can really feel how much lighter these are than my Brooks Defyance and Ghosts (also cushioned neutral), so I prefer them for speedwork.

I like the black/green/silver color combo much better than my orange/red shoes, but nobody cares what your shoes look like at 6:00AM during the winter because it is too dark to see them.

450 miles with no complaints. Time for another pair.

Possibly the best road running shoe I ever got, I simply love them. Comfortable like no other, soft cushioning, great dynamic sensations, enough support and a perfectly smooth ride always and in many different terrains. I'm mostly a trail runner and use them for purposes they were not designed for, and even out there on the trails, when not overly technical or rocky, they're also perfect.

Chose the Launch after trying on almost a dozen different pairs of shoes. I didn't intend to buy a pair of 'competition' shoes when I walked in, but they were the most comfortable of the bunch, and came highly, highly recommended by the owner of a local specialty running shop (second generation owner, and three decades worth of experience). I wore them out of the box for a 5K the next day, and they were absolutely perfect. Amazingly comfortable; It was like they were made for me. I can't blame the shoes for my failure to PR (came close)! This is my first pair of Brooks' shoes, but it won't be my last!

Brooks is the only running shoe for my husband and I for the past 10 years. We buy either the Adrenaline or the Launch. They are light weight, holds your feet in the right places. Once you know what type of feet/arch you have and find the right Brooks shoes for you -- this will be the only shoes you'll buy.

This shoe is light, flexible and very well cushioned. I'm 6'0" and 195 and I think the cushioning is more then adequate. I'm also a mature runner (mature enough to not tell my age!) so if I find it to be well cushined I think it's saying alot. Not by any means a minimalist shoe but it is pretty simple with no "engineering". Just a simple cushion and durable outsole for those of us who think our bodies were designed properly. The heel is higher then the forefoot but not so much as the majority of shoes out there. An interesting observation is that the outsole is thicker in the forefoot then the heel...non heel strikers delight. My half marathon times are in the low 1hr 30mins, 5k in under 20mins. I do wear the Green Silence for race and speed days.

Pretty light shoe with plenty of cushioning. I really like to have the absolute minimum features in my running shoes and these fit that bill with plenty of cushioning. I have worn the Nike Free + and it's okay. I love the Brooks Green Silence but wanted something with a bit more cush. These are almost perfect. I like the very small drop inj sole thickness from heel to toe in the Green Silence and wish this shoe was a bit morw like that but this is just what the doctor ordered for a 6 foot, 190 pound guy like me when I run over 10 miles. I've worn many Brooks models over the years and they seem to keep getting better and better.

Like everyone else, I read "Born to Run" when it came out in late 2009. After that I transitioned away from mild stability (pronator) shoes (Asics 2140 and Saucony Guides) to midfoot/forefoot strike and lower heel by using the NB 800s (discontinued) in which I ran the 2010 L.A. Marathon. I bought the Nike Free Run Plus which were fine for up to 13 when my legs got tired, perhaps because there is very little forefoot cushion. Also, after not that much cumulative mileage on the shoe they seemed squishy and uneven on the inside. So naturally I was reluctant to run a marathon in them. I bought the Brooks Launch, in which I ran the 2011 L.A. Marathon. It poured rain and the Launch cleared the water well and also shuffled along the wet pavement nicely after I hit the wall! Slippery is good! Since then I got the NB Minimus Wellness/Life (the "walking/recovery shoe") for shorter runs up to 7 (13 on packed sand) but am not ready to try them for 26 miles at the Seattle R and R in June. Will probably use the Launch one more time! Still haven't found the perfect shoe but the Launch is a great, lighter, lower, long distance shoe. (By the way, I wear a 10 1/2 and I weighed my shoes at the post office. My Saucony Guides weighed 12.4 ounces, the Free Run Plus 9.0 ounces, the Brooks Launch 10.1 ounces.)