Brooks Addiction GTS 15 Review

Need plenty of support in your running shoes? This week we have our Brooks Addiction GTS 15 review. The Brooks Addiction GTS 15 is a running shoe designed for the severe over-pronator. When your foot hits the floor your arch compresses to absorb the shock. It should then reshape and you should push off from under your bit toe. If your arch doesn’t reshape quick enough then this causes you to push off from the inside of your big toe. In this instance the knee rolls inwards which over stretches the muscles down the front of the shin, the Achilles and down the outside of the thigh. It also means that the joints of the ankle, knee and hip are working slightly out of alignment. As running is a repetitive motion the runner will do this a thousand times a mile. This can cause wear and tear on the joints, blisters on the inside of the feet, and soreness down the front of the shin, under the knee cap and/or down the outside of the thigh. The stability in the Brooks Addiction GTS 15 is designed to help stabilise the feet to reduce over-pronation. So, the runner can enjoy their running while they work on the root cause of their pronation (if they wish too).

The Brooks Addiction GTS 15 controls pronation in a few different ways. Firstly it is a straight lasted shoe with no medial or lateral flex. The base of the shoe is broad especially under the arch of the foot. This is so that it provides some support when the arch compresses and rolls inwards. Although there is a good level of durable cushioning the midsole isn’t overly soft. So, when the foot rolls inwards it offers support and doesn’t collapse under the force. On top of the midsole is a firm band of EVA that runs around the shoe. These guide rails are designed to guide the foot to toe off under the big toe. They don’t actively push the foot back, prop the arch of the foot up or inhibit foot movement. They only help the foot if the foot rolls against the guide rails.

The toe box has a straight big toe line and is spacious. Providing a roomy comfortable fit. Running shoes of this type used to have a lot of shaping under the arch of the foot to reduce the compression of the arch and had a firmer piece of midsole on the inside of the shoe which pushed the foot outward to reduce inward roll. Although this way of making pronation support shoes worked it stopped the foot from functioning. So, the foot didn’t get any stronger and therefore the arch didn’t start to re-shape quicker and therefore reduce the level of pronation. The current version of the Brooks Addiction GTS 15 has much less shaping in the arch and is designed to allow the feet to function inside the shoes. So, the feet get stronger the more you run. This on its own won’t prevent over-pronation but, it does stop the foot from getting weaker and the pronation from getting worse.

If you are inclined to do some exercises then you can strengthen your feet and retrain the muscles to get stronger and resist the inward roll. All hip and knee strengthening exercises would help as would any postural type training. Most runners just want to get out and run. People who are new to running also want to get out and run. If they wanted to do exercises then they would go to the gym. If this is how you feel then we would suggest doing this one exercise three times a week. We have found that it gets results but, doesn’t take long to do.
1) Stand in front of a full length mirror or one that you can see you knees in.

2) Put a thin book under the heel of your foot. The heel of your foot should be on the pages side not the spine of the book so you don’t hurt your foot.

3) Stand tall looking into the mirror. Lift the foot that isn’t stood on the book off the floor. Then bend the knee of the leg that is standing on the book. Lower the knee to a half squat position making sure that the knee moves forward so that it is inline with your foot. You should make sure you are straight and lowering yourself down when you bend the knee not forward. Runner that over-pronate will feel that their knee has a tendency to try and roll inwards rather than go forward so that it is inline with the foot. Straighten up and repeat. As your muscles get tired it will get harder to get the knee to go over the foot. I would suggest starting with 5 holding in the down position for a count of 10 and repeating three times. Add one rep each week.

Its best not to do these exercises just before you go for a run as you are working the stabilising muscles. So, you are likely to pronate more if these are tired. You may also find that your legs are stiff and your run isn’t therefore as pleasant.

The Brooks Addiction GTS 15 is designed to be and everyday training shoe. So, it is built to be durable and comfortable. There is a good level of padding in the heel, around the heel cuff and the tongue is also well padded. The fit as the heel is snug to help hold the foot onto the midsole so you benefit from the support. There is an extra lace hole so you can make the heel fit even snugger or butterfly the laces if you wish. The upper is very soft and breathable which adds to the comfort of the shoes.

Men’s and Women’s feet are a different shape and for that reason the Men’s and Women’s last shapes are also different in Brooks Running shoes. The Men’s Addiction GTS 15 has a midsole thickness of 24/12 and a 12mm heel to forefoot drop weighing in at 346 grams for a Men’s UK 8. The Women’s Brooks Addiction GTS 15 has a midsole thickness of 24/14 and a 10mm heel to forefoot drop weighing in at 315 grams for a Women’s UK 5.

The Brooks Addiction GTS 15 is available in three width Men’s and three width Women’s so you get get a perfect fitting pair. The Brooks Addiction GTS is also available in a version with leather upper for daily wear. These also come in width fittings.

In summary the Brooks Addiction GTS 15 is an everyday training shoe designed for runners who have a high level of over-pronation.

Other Considerations

Brooks Beast & Brooks Ariel: These are the big brother and sister of the Addition GTS 15. They offer as much anti-pronation support but, have a higher level of cushioning and are available in two width men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/brooks-m59/beast-t225 https://www.northernrunner.com/brooks-m59/ariel-t226

Hoka Gaviota: The level of anti-pronation support isn’t as much but, the addition of a rocker and a lower heel to forefoot drop helps improve posture. So, there is less breaking force when the foot touches the ground and therefore less over-pronation. The rocker helps to maintain a quick cadence which reduces the time the foot is on the floor. This also reduces pronation so arguably less anti-pronation support is required. Available in two width men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/hoka-m92/gaviota-5-t185