Brooks running has gone through an enormous growth over the past 10 years because of its back to basics philosophy of product creation. A small range of shoes compared to other major players, allows Brooks to focus its efforts and it has paid off with a number of best in class shoes available today being a Brooks product. 

With nothing flashy, and beautifully balanced shoes, Brooks always had the reputation of making amazing stability shoes but its cushion shoes are equally quality these days. Brooks look like proper traditional shoe when you pick them up – overlays on the uppers in the right places, no really fancy materials to try to fake a look, and midsole/outsole designs that are right no point for high mileage training and racing. 

Brooks technologies are well designed and simple but combine effortlessly to deliver soft yet responsive shoes across the range, nothing to break and fall apart. 

DNA is the key technology that is hidden inside the midsoles, and is a non-Newtonian material that looks like a gel material (or simply put, a material that reacts to the forces that you apply to it – push it gently and its soft, hit it hard its more rigid) which means its adapts to the pace that you are running. Slower runs get a softer feeling, and faster runs get a firmer feeling – a win-win solution to a running technology. The DNA is encased in a MoGo midsole (CMEVA from Brooks) that is a very high quality delivering a solid platform but enough rebound to feel comfortable. One thing I love about the Brooks midsoles is that they are biodegradable – if you know anything about the shoe industry, it's very dirty, polluting so any brand doing something positive is a real bonus.

The heel to toe transition on Brooks shoes is amazing thanks to a segmented crash pad (the heel area has separate sections that compress individually) delivering a smooth landing and a supple transition from heel to toe during the gait cycle. Brooks call this a Caterpillar design, and it is a really relevant and well thought through design feature. 

The best Brooks neutral shoe this season is the Brooks Ghost

The best Brooks support shoe this season is the Brooks Adrenaline GTS

The best Brooks motion control shoe continues to be the Brooks Beast