Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23 Review
This week we’ve finished up our very much anticipated Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23 review, ahead of launch day on 1st June 2023.
We will be launching the Adrenaline GTS 23 in regular and wide width on 1st June 2023 at NorthernRunner.com and letting everyone know via e-mail.
The Brooks Adrenaline GTS was introduced to the running market shortly after we opened our doors 25 years ago. In that time, it has established itself as a very popular training shoe for those runners who need some support to help reduce overpronation.
What is Overpronation?
When your foot hits the floor whilst running your arch compresses to absorb the shock. Your foot spreads out to stabilise you and by doing so you stretch out the planta fascia on the bottom of your foot. The planta fascia is like a big elastic band. It recoils, reshaping the arch and springing you into your next stride. If your arch doesn’t re-shape quickly enough, your foot will roll inwards and instead of pushing off from the end of your big toe, you’ll push off from the inside. The knee and thigh follow the foot and so the ankle, knee and hip joint are slight out of alignment and you’ll over stretch the muscles that run up the shin.
Running is very repetitive, so if you overpronate and are doing it with every stride it will lead to some aches and pains. Often this manifests as pain down the front of the shins, pain on the tendons just under the kneecaps and pain on the outside of the thigh. Plus, blisters can appear on the insides of your feet (and a few other things!).
GuideRails®
The original Brooks Adrenaline GTS had a firm piece of rubber in the midsole on the inside of the shoe. This didn’t compress and therefore reduced how much the arch would compress. This reduced the inward roll and got the runner to push off from the end of their big toe. However, as this method of reducing pronation didn’t allow the foot to function as well, the runners’ feet didn’t get stronger over time.
Brooks changed the pronation control in newer versions including the Adrenaline GTS 23 in this review to a Guide Rail. The Guide Rail is a firm piece that runs around the top of the midsole. The midsole itself is now all the same density and there is less shaping inside the arch of the shoe. This allows the foot to spread on impact and to ‘work’ inside the shoe, which means that it gets stronger the more you run. The Guide Rails only help the foot if the foot rolls against them.
Chris and Hatti at Northern Runner both use running shoes with some pronation support and have been using the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23 for the last few months. Both have covered more than 200 miles in their shoes.
As the Brooks Adrenaline GTS is such a popular shoe, Brooks have always been careful to not ‘improve’ and change too many aspects of the shoes. The main difference between the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22 and the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23 is in the midsole cushioning. The GTS 23 uses a lighter DNA LOFT v2 midsole cushioning that offers a smooth and more plush feeling material. The base of the shoes at the forefoot is a few millimetres wider. The cushioning in general feels slightly softer. These two slight differences probably account for the plusher feel to the ride. The GTS 23 has a stack height of 24mm at the heel and 12mm at the forefoot, meaning the same 12mm drop, making it designed more for the heel striker.
The sizing is the same and the Adrenaline GTS 23 is still available in three widths for men and two widths for women. The fit is a bit different. The toe box is straighter on the inside of the shoe. This means that the big toe line is straighter, which allows a more positive push off. When the toe box has a straight big toe line the other toes are freed up and can spread better on impact. This gives the runner better balance and reduces pronation. As the smaller toes can move more, this makes the toe box feel roomier. However, this won’t change the width of shoe that you need to purchase.
Brooks shoes are renowned for their out of the box comfort. The padding around the heel cup of the GTS 23 has been increased which makes them feel that little bit more comfortable.
The Brooks Adrenaline GTS is designed to be an everyday training shoe for those runners that need some pronation support. These are the shoes that you spend the most time running in. They will do everything from your easy morning runs to the long run at the weekend. Because the Adrenaline GTS 23 isn’t too softly cushioned, you could use them when picking up the pace too.
In summary, if you need some support for mild to moderate overpronation for your everyday running, this is a fantastic option and feels a little plusher than its previous version. If you were happily running in the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22 and are considering the latest version for your new shoe, it’s very likely you’ll enjoy running in the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23. They haven’t changed too much, like some brands and styles can do, but we loved them.
Other Considerations
New Balance 860v13: A similar heel to forefoot drop. The cushioning has a softer feel. Available in three width Women’s and three width Men’s. Here is a link to our review for more information: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-860v12-review/
Topo Ultrafly 4: A broad rounded toe box gives your feet more room to spread on impact. 5mm heel to forefoot will still allow a heel strike but, encourages a more midfoot landing. Here is a link to our review for more information: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-ultrafly-4-review/
Altra Provision 7: A broad rounded toe box and zero drop allow more foot function and promote a more midfoot strike. Here is a link to our review:
https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-provision-6-review/
Karhu Ikoni: A softer ride but, still not too soft so you can pick up the pace. Slightly less pronation support particularly in the forefoot. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-ikoni-2-0-review/
Brooks Launch GTS 9: If you are looking for a shoe designed to run a bit quicker but, that still has some pronation support. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-launch-gts-9-review/
Hoka Arahi 6: 5mm heel to forefoot with a rocker. The cushioning has a much softer feel. https://www.northernrunner.com/hoka-m92/arahi-t96#sort4
Comments are closed here.