Brooks Hyperion Elite Shoe Review

Brooks Hyperion Elite Shoe Review:

I had high hopes for the Brooks Hyperion Elite. As you can tell by the first line, the hopes weren’t exactly met. Shocking, because Brooks rarely doesn’t bring their A-game.  It isn’t that I think the Brooks Hyperion Elite is a bad shoe, but I don’t know if I believe it’s a $250 shoe. Especially when the most similar shoes to the Brooks Hyperion Elite are racing flats which generally cost around $100.

Brooks Hyperion Elite Quick Facts:

Brooks Hyperion Elite Weight: 7.3 oz

Brooks Hyperion Elite Heel to Toe Drop: 8 mm

Brooks Hyperion Elite Fit:

The upper of the Brooks Hyperion Elite is done fairly well. It’s light and breathable. The stretch-woven upper is thin with plenty of cutouts for additional breathability. The lightweight perforated laces of the Brooks Hyperion Elite stay tied.

One thing I will say about the fit of the Brooks Hyperion Elite is the heel counter is thin and sharp.  There is almost no padding at the back of the Brooks Hyperion Elite which I found cut into my ankles.  I rarely have that issue with shoes but I did have it with the Brooks Levitate 2 as well.

Typically I wear a women’s size 10-11 wide. The Brooks Hyperion Elite is unisex and a men’s size 9/womens 10.5 fit well. You can see from the photo how much room the Books Hyperion Elite has in the toebox.

Brooks Hyperion Elite Ride:

Like all of the carbon plated shoes, the Brooks Hyperion Elite ride is what people are excited about. How would it compete with other carbon plated shoes?

Brooks’ DNA ZERO midsole foam is the Brooks Hyperion Elite.  What does that mean? According to Brooks, the DNA ZERO midsole foam is their lightest yet.  With the Brooks Hyperion Elite, you have a large stack height without extra weight. The full length carbon fiber plate is sandwiched between the DNA Zero midsole foam and DNA Flash Midsole.

Like most of Brooks DNA foams, the DNA ZERO foam midsole compound adapts to your stride to provide consistent cushion without adding bulk.

And like other carbon fiber plate shoes, the foam+full length carbon fiber plate is what gives you the speed and ability to run faster. To me, this feels like a combination of old racing flats with the carbon fiber plate. It doesn’t feel like that spongy and poppy carbon fiber plated racer other brands have out yet.

If you are someone who likes and appreciates out racing flats but wants a carbon fiber plate, the Brooks Hyperion Elite is a good option. It’s extremely firm, and by far the firmest of the carbon fiber plate shoes. The Brooks Hyperion Elite is as firm on your body as a minimal racing flat. It’s missing that extra energy return you feel in most carbon plate super shoes.

The traction of the Brooks Hyperion Elite is good too. I wouldn’t worry about running on a rainy day because you aren’t going to slip. I mean Des Linden did win the 2018 Boston Marathon wearing the Brooks Hyperion Elite.

Since the Brooks Hyperion Elite is so light, I felt fast while running in it. I’ve run a few tempos and done well but I question whether the price is worth it. If it was going to last 200 miles, I could see paying $250 for essentially a glorified racing flat but it’s marketed to last between 50-100 miles.  Which if you read my weekly newsletter, you know that’s not atypical for carbon plated shoes.

Brooks Hyperion Elite Conclusion:

Since I buy the majority of my shoes, I know what I’m looking for. I rarely give shoes a “meh shoe review” but the Brooks Hyperion Elite isn’t my favorite. The two big misses for me is the paper-thin, jagged heel as well as the actual ride of the shoe.

The Brooks Hyperion Elite a good racing shoe if you like the feeling of old racing flats. If you prefer the feeling of the New Balance 1400 or old Nike LT racer, you might love the Brooks Hyperion Elite.  It’s got a similar feeling but more of a carbon fiber plate. If you’re looking for a carbon fiber plate racing shoe with more bounce, any of the other carbon plated shoes are going to give you that feeling.

I had high expectations for the Brooks Hyperion Elite because Brooks hasn’t had many misses. I’ve heard rumors Brooks is coming out with a second version in the fall. Since the big marathons aren’t happening right now, it’s worth your while waiting until September for the second version. There are better running shoes to spend $250 on or you could buy nearly 3 racing flats that feel the same proce. It’s not that the Brooks Hyperion Elite is a bad shoe, but I don’t think it’s worth $250. I’m looking forward to seeing what Brooks has out in September.  I actually have a review of the Brooks Hyperion Tempo training shoe coming out next week and I think Brooks did a great job with them.

Current Rotation:

Easy/Daily Runs: Saloman Sonic 3 Balance,  Brooks Glycerin 18,  Mizuno Rider Waveknit 3, Nike Pegasus 37, New Balance 1080 v10, Diadora Mythos Blushield Blushield Hip 5,  Asics Cumulus 21

Speed Work: New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Reebok Float Ride Run fast Pro, Nike Pegasus Turbo 2

Long Runs: Brooks Ricochet 2 Shoe Review, New Balance FuelCell Rebel, Hoka Cavu 2

Trail Running/Hiking: Saucony Peregrine 10, New Balance Hierro v5 

Races: New Balance Fuelcell 5280, Nike Next%,  Saucony Endorphin Pro, Brooks Hyperion Elite, New Balance fuelcell TC, Reebok Run fast Pro 

More carbon plated shoe reviews: Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next%, Saucony Endorphin Pro, New Balance Fuelcell TC Shoe

You Can See All Current Shoe Reviews Here.

Looking to learn more about running shoes? In my ebook I talk about why you need a good running shoe, the anatomy of a shoe, neutral vs stable, and even myths of running shoes. 

Questions for you:

Have you tried a carbon plated shoe?

Have you tried the Brooks Hyperion Elite?