Earlier this year, I decided to move away from years of cushioned shoes to try something a little more daring – the lower profile Brooks Launch 3.  Having since put over 700km on them, I think it’s about time I reviewed them.

What we love about them….

These shoes are part of Brooks Energize range, with a foam boost designed to give you an energy refund as you pound the pavement, putting you more in touch with the ground than floating on cushions above it.  And they do this very well.  Right from the get-go, I was more aware of the quality of each foot strike, and with the fabulous forefoot rebound built in, I felt spring in every hard-earned step.

And lower profile does not mean any less comfort.  Comfort is king in these kicks and a clever use of mesh upper means there aren’t really any seams to bother your foot over longer distances, and your foot is well aired and kept dry. The drop from heel to toe is 10mm, just how I like it – perfect for promoting mid to forefoot landing.

What we’d change about them….

From a tech aspect, I couldn’t find a fault with these shoes.

From a purely aesthetic sense, the branding printed on the tongue did not stay put very long.  When this happened, they were just 300k old, so this should have stayed put seeing as its a $199RRP shoe.

And colours are limited – while the cool mint green, black and white combination is hard to improve on, a few more choices would be nice. We seem to be lacking here in Australia compared to what is available elsewhere.

The final word…..

At what should be the end of its life, the shoe is only now just starting to feel its age.  From racing a 5k to a long 25km Sunday run, these shoes do it all for me.  I won’t be straying from this one in a hurry and am already eyeing off the next pair…while I love the green and black, I might consider the red next time!

Train Mean | Live Clean | Run Free