Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18

Editor rating: 9.2 / 10

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By NicoleK

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18 Review Facts

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Brooks Running is a company that was founded in 1914 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania giving the company over 100 years of experience. The company right from the start has offered a wide range of sports apparel, unlike competitive brands that usually started in shoes and worked up. They are subsidiary of the very successful Berkshire Hathaway which is owned by mogul and businessman, Warren Buffet. The company is now employing over 1000 employees and are a household name. They created the Best Running Shoe according to Runners World and Sports Illustrated. They are a reliable company that uses innovation and design in all their models and upgrades.

This article focuses specifically on the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18. This is their 18th upgrade to this product which should indicate that the company worked out any kinks that the product may have had as well as added some upgraded features. Brooks is not necessarily known for their stylish products, more for their reliable and durable ones, but this product is quite stylish in design considering. It is sleek and narrow (usually these qualities have some sizing issues due to the narrow design). They are also offered in numerous colors and sizes. This product is also highly rated by reviewers. This review is a comprehensive one based on real reviews by consumers. We also looked at the construction of the product and the materials used to get an accurate idea of the quality of the product. So, this is our in-depth review of the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18. We hope that this helps with your next running shoe purchase.

Editor's Pros & Cons

Pros

Good level of cushioning and impact reduction
Offers better arch support than comparable products
Attractive in design
True-to-size

Cons

Some complaints about the durability of the product
Some issues with socks being pushed down by the heel of the product during runs
Less padding offered than earlier models

BREATHABILITY

This products upper offers a very large surface area of mesh. The upper is streamlined and offers a very sleek appearance to the shoe. Proper ventilation is usually best when coupled with both mesh and punctures in the back of the shoe. This is because the mesh offers a better airflow than other materials. It does make the shoe weaker in structure due to it being a broken down material however if coupled with proper overlays and stitching, the mesh is a very good ventilation alternative. With each step, the runner is able to push hot air out of the shoe while simultaneously causing cool air to enter the shoe. This will keep the runner's feet cool and dry during their runs. This product offers a very large mesh upper surface, this means that the product has maximum airflow. Additionally the upper offers proper overlays in order to add structure and support to both the material and the runner's foot. Those who wore these shoes confirmed that the shoe breathes well and that they didn't find that overheating was a cause to stop running. They found that being able to maintain a proper temperature in the shoe allowed them to run longer and faster overall, this was factored into our overall rating of this product.

COMFORT

This product model line is known for its overabundance of cushioning in the heel and toe of the product. Earlier models of this product were praised for how well they aided in impact reduction and how comfortable they are. This upgrade offers good levels of cushioning however reviewers did find that it wasn't as good as earlier models. With the shape change, it seemed to have minimized some of the features offered in this product and cushioning was one of them. Despite the decrease in cushioning this product is listed as being pretty comfortable. The upper of this product fits around the footwell due to its upgraded design. The midsole as well offers better support than previous models, allowing for a more comfortable run in the heel, arch and toe support. Another complaint, though, is that the heel seems to dig a little into some runner's Achilles heels or cause the individual's sock to slide down their foot. Even if the socks are not quite at the heel like no-show socks tend to do. All of these factors and issues were taken into consideration when rating this product.

DURABILITY

There seem to be some issues with the durability of this product. Though the outsole of this product was resilient even on gravel roads, this includes the connection between the upper and the outsole of the product, there seem to be some issues with the mesh of this product. Because the mesh is already a weaker fabric, having durable mesh is very important during runs. No matter how securely a foot fits within a shoe there will be some pressure on the toe area during runs. This is where weak fabric tends to break down first (at the toe and then at the heel). With this product, this seems to be a problem. Some reviewers said that in as little as a week they found that the mesh has already broken down and started to form a hole around the toe area on the shoe. This is a pretty big concern. This could be a manufacturers defect, however, others also confirmed that they found the same thing in longer periods of time. This should be considered before buying this product and it affected our overall rating of the product, unfortunately.

HEEL

The heel of this product is extremely supportive and firm however those who wore this product found that the heel dug into their Achilles heel (as mentioned above) as well as caused some sliding issues on runner's socks. This is very frustrating as a runner as this would cause some major discomfort and annoyance mid-run. The heel is made of quality materials and though the heel does stay in place fairly easily, the pressure on the heel could cause some blistering and calluses. One advantage to the heel of this product is the additional mesh which would add to the products overall ventilation and breathability and is a positive thing. Having additional pressure on the heel would be particularly painful and annoying to those with existing Achilles heel issues. This product is mostly reviewed as true to size as well so sizing up may not fix the issue unless potentially running in colder climates and running in thermal socks. Otherwise, this issue was not experienced by all runners but for those with existing issues, this should be considered before purchasing this product.

MIDSOLE

The midsole of this product offers a BioMoGo DNA midsole. This is supposed to add a higher level of cushioning that is also supposed to dynamically adapt to the stride of the runner. This product really emphasizes the natural and supported step of this product, including more technology (the PDRB) described below. Those that wore this product did find that the systems all worked together to offer a more natural and supportive step. And though the shoe does offer good cushioning, those who wore previous models found that they were more supported. The manufacturer changed the design of this model in order to offer a more fashionable, sleek alternative to the original product. Unfortunately, with that update, the product lost some of the cushioning that it once had as cushioning can be bulky. This is probably where reviewers were disappointed. Overall, though, this product does offer adequate cushioning and proper support that together with the other support systems offered in this shoe, work really well together.

STABILITY

This product offers a feature called PDRB which is a progressive diagonal rollbar. This is supposed to keep the runner's foot in place better while also adding proper alignment to the body for better posture when running. This could feel a little unnatural initially but overtime is supposed to help the runner balance and land their foot better in order to help keep the body aligned and to offer less impact on the body during longer runs. Running is a fantastic way to get into shape however it is extremely hard on the body due to the impact that forcefully stepping down your foot causes. This is why proper alignment and cushioning is so important in runners. Those who wore this product found that the PDRB worked very well and in line with the arch support of this product and offered an overall incredibly supported experience. This is something that is unique to Brooks and should be considered especially if running for more serious events or for people in their later years. The less wear and tear on the body the better the overall health of the runner. This should be considered when purchasing your next running shoe.

PRICE

This product sits about in the middle of the price spectrum for comparable products in today's market. This product offers good stability, good cushioning and impact reduction. The version offers an alternate upper, a sleeker and more fashionable body, and less cushioning. Those who are loyal to the Adrenaline line liked the first two improvements but didn't like that they took out some of the cushioning, saying that the product isn't as comfortable as it was before the upgrades. Those who are new to this product found the cushioning to be adequate. One major issue that directly relates to the price is the quality of the materials used on the upper. Some did say that the upper appears to be made of a cheaper material and because there were a fair amount of people that found holes forming in the toe area quite quickly, this seems to be true. If the aesthetic of the shoe is important then additional products would need to be purchased sooner and the price may not be justified. But if the runner is looking for a supportive, comfortable and sleeker runner, this product is worth the cost.

STYLE

This product has been upgraded to be a little more attractive than earlier versions. This product is offered in numerous colors, some of which are quite in line with the more fashionable products are the market today. This product is more minimalist than earlier versions of this product, offering a more monochrome alternative. It is also a little more narrow, fitting the foot a little tighter. These are not bulky, they are quite lightweight and sleek. Overall, the appearance of this product is impressive. They could almost pass as something that could be stylized with a night out outfit. Reviewers liked the new, clean appearance of the 18.

THE BOTTOM LINE

The bottom line is there is not a ton wrong with this product. Though the product does have less cushioning than previous models, there seems to be very little lost in regards to support and stability. The company seems to have really focussed on offering both a natural and corrective step to this product which is ideal for those who do not have proper form when running. This product would be a great starter runner. The major issues with this product are the weak upper mesh material that Brooks decided to use, even though the shoes are highly breathable. The other issue is the heel which seems to cause some pain (especially those with some Achilles issues) and also some drag-on socks which would be very frustrating during runs. Outside of these issues, those who wore this product praised it. It is the 18th version of the product and it seems the company is keeping up with consumer complaints while simultaneously keeping up with technological advances. The price is also not bad, sitting mid-range in price. It would work for anyone on a budget or for those with growing feet. Overall, this is a good product and worth a try.