Brooks Launch 11 Review | A Budget Friendly Choice

It’s not often that you find a running shoe for under $150, which means it always catches our eye. There are often drawbacks to the technology in cheaper shoes, but we wanted to see if that held true for the new Brooks Launch 11.

As someone who typically gravitates towards the Ghost, Ghost Max and Glycerin, I was excited to see what the Brooks Launch 11 had to offer. Let’s dive in and see who could benefit from the latest in the Launch family.

Who Is It Good For?

Who is Brooks Launch 11 a good fit for? Let’s break it down with some common categories:

• Wide Feet: Brooks has you covered! Go for the medium and wide option!
• Heavier Runners: The supercritical foam is unlikely to have a long lifespan.
  
• Long Runs: Might depend on what you call long, we’d say good up to 13.1 miles for those who like a less cushioned shoe.
  
• Front of the Pack: These shoes fit true to size and with the DNA Flash Foam, it’s ideal for those easy and recovery paced miles.

This will be great budget minded lightweight running shoe for the everyday 3-5 mile runner.

Brooks Launch 11 Review

As previously noted, this is my first time branching out to the Brooks Launch family. My first thought was that it’s a super lightweight shoe. At just over seven ounces, the Launch 11 is the perfect weight to keep your legs feeling light as a feather.

Another early-on observation was the extra cushioning on the inner sole, which I really liked. It felt like my foot was in the correct running position, as though it was being set up for success.

During my runs, I noticed that my form was more accurate. I tend to swing my right foot out to the side a bit to make up for some uneven strength, but I could feel my legs and feet pulling their equal weights and swinging evenly.

Was it the lighter weight or the comfy, DNA Flash Foam cushioning that is responsive and adaptive? Probably both.

The DNA Flash v2 in the forefoot helps deliver a fast, energizing experience, which tracks with my observations.

Additionally, I felt like my turnover was quicker. Not sure if that was just in my head or not, I did some more research and discovered that the RoadTack Rubber outsole of the Launch 11 provides increased traction for an efficient toe-off. Another observation confirmed!

Outsoles aren’t talked about a lot, but it really is a stand out feature of this shoe.

I did notice that my foot craved a little more cushion around mile 4, so if you’re like me and benefit from more support after a few miles, this would be a good shoe for shorter runs. Those of you who are tired of the big max cushioned trend and favor the older style of Saucony Kinvara (that Coach Amanda raves about so often), might be just fine taking this even farther!

And of course lightweight and long distance is a really nice combo when it works for you.

A few miles at goal marathon pace felt as though my feet were flying. I was met with light, airy and a quick turnover that was a welcomed surprise.

Brooks Launch 11 Specs

• Weight: 7.1 oz Women’s, 7.7 oz Men’s
• Heel drop: 8 mm
• Stack Height: 35.5mm
• Usage: Road
• Available in 5 colors (men and women’s colors differ)
• Available in medium and wide
• Available on Brooks.com for $120

I really enjoy the color options in this shoe. You can go bold for a fun race look or keep it casual for everyday wear. At $120 it really is a great price point, but might not be the shoe for everyone.

Brooks Launch 11 Feel

As most shoes do, the Launch 11 took a few miles to break in before I started to feel comfortable in them. Once I got going though, I really enjoyed the little “bounce” I felt as I was warming up. I could feel it right in the sole of the shoe and I truly felt it gave me extra push for a quicker-than-normal turnover.

I didn’t experience any blistering or rubbing and everything stayed in place with low rise socks.

I really liked the feel of the shoes during easy runs. There was a perfect amount of support and I felt like I was truly getting a quality easy run in.

I even went shopping with my kids after one easy run and kept the Launch 11s on just to see how they felt. Not only did I love the casual look, but I had some extra pep in my step thanks to the DNA Flash Foam, even with the busy Saturday crowds and long checkout lines.

Launch 11 Fit

I typically wear a 10.5 running shoe, and felt it was true to size. The midfoot area felt just tight enough to keep your foot from sliding around, but with enough give to be comfortable. I think that with time (and the DNA Flash Foam) this area will likely stretch out a bit to give the shoe a customized feel.

One feature I found extra beneficial was the breathability of the mesh toe area. For someone like myself who gets sweaty quickly, my feet say thank you.

I plan on rotating the Brooks Launch 11 in with my speed runs to really take advantage of the RoadTack Rubber outsole technology. Even after just a few short runs I could feel my form improving. I’m excited to see how this will benefit me in my future run times!

Similar Shoes to the Brooks Launch 11

All right, so you want lightweight, but you aren’t sure if this is the shoe. Here are some comparables:

• Hoka Mach 6 – Slightly softer feel
• Nike Pegasus – A solid daily trainer without tons of bells and whistles
• New Balance Rebel V4 – Lower stackheight, lightweight shoe

Ready to run? Go check it out on Brooks.com for $120

Who Tried It?

I’m Taylor, a former marketer turned stay-at-home mom of two. A casual runner with a few 10K and half-marathon races under my belt, I decided to take my running to the next level when my kids were younger as a way to challenge myself and get some quality alone-time. I’ve discovered a love of racing with charity teams and have completed two major marathons with Team ALS with hopes to contribute even more in the future!

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