Brooks Hyperion 3 Review

The Brooks Hyperion 3 is a lightweight road running shoe that is versatile enough to be used for short-distance easy running, yet is lively and fast when you pick up the pace. They are an ideal shoe for tempo runs, fartleks, or runs with pick-ups in. If you like to use one running shoe to warm up in, complete your faster intervals or repetitions, and then warm down, then the Brooks Hyperion 3 would do this job admirably.

The original Brooks Hyperion was a modern take on the old-fashioned racing flat. Although it has a curved/rocker-shaped midsole and the foam is nitrogen-infused, the ride was still firm and responsive. To runners whose everyday road running shoes are exceptionally softly cushioned, these felt a little too firm, and so Brooks increased the stack height and made the midsole softer in the Hyperion 2. The Hyperion 3 has morphed further into a racer/trainer, or fast-feeling training shoe. Runners who want shoes for road racing are now turning to carbon-plated road racing shoes that give added propulsion and make you noticeably faster. So, the market for the old-fashioned lightweight minimal racing shoe has reduced.

The upper of the Hyperion 3 has been assembled with comfort in mind. There is a stiff plastic heel cup to give a good level of support but inside the heel cup is a very plush, softly padded lining that extends around the cuff. The result is a very snug-fitting and cushioned heel. The tongue is gusseted and elastic. It is also made of a very soft material. When you put the shoe on, the upper is lightly pulled around your foot. The Hyperion 3 almost has a sock-like feel to it.

The laces thread through a tab on the tongue. This helps keep the tongue in place when running. Although the nice snug, sock-like fit of the upper is likely to prevent this from happening even without the use of the tab. The laces run at a slight angle so they follow the highest part of your foot. There is an extra lace hole that can be used to make the heel fit snugger or to butterfly lace the shoes.

I found the fit to be snug at the heel and around the first part of the midfoot. This held my foot securely in place. The fit in the forefoot is slightly looser, which allowed my feet to function. This was helped by the straight toe line. I felt that my foot was held into the midsole and guided to toe-off from under my big toe by the rocker/curve in the midsole. As the big toe is allowed to sit straight in the shoe, my other toes felt free to wiggle, which made the forefoot feel nice and roomy.

The upper is made from a double-layer jacquard. This consists of a very open mesh on the outside to increase breathability and a finer mesh on the inside. This gives a smooth, soft feel on the inside of the shoes and helps prevent grit etc. from getting into the shoes.

The midsole is made from Brooks DNA Flash v2. This is a nitrogen-infused midsole. That means that the foam has been sealed. This stops air from getting out of the foam and water and grit from getting in. The result is a midsole that has a good level of rebound and is also more durable, offering a consistency of ride in any run. As the foam doesn’t fatigue as quickly, it lasts longer over time. The foam isn’t damaged by water and grit getting into the midsole.

The Brooks Hyperion 3 has 2mm more midsole foam than the previous model. This moves the midsole foam thickness to 28mm in the heel and 20mm in the forefoot. The heel-to-forefoot drop remains 8mm. The sockliner (or insole) has also had the thickness increased by 2mm, which raises the total stack height of the Brooks Hyperion 3 to 36mm in the heel and 28mm in the forefoot. The difference in the ride of the shoe is noticeable. The Hyperion 3 has an initial soft, cushioned landing. The soft feel to the midsole remains all the way to toe-off, which feels very positive and strong.

As with all softly cushioned road running shoes, your foot sits inside the midsole of the shoe. This gives the runner a good level of stability and holds the foot in the midsole so it is guided through the gait cycle to toe-off. This helps the runner maintain a quick cadence and more upright posture. This reduces impact and increases stride length, which makes you quicker. Even though the midsole feels very soft when standing up in the Hyperion 3s, you are aware that the rocker/curve of the midsole is rolling your foot back and therefore pushing you forward. It’s almost like the shoes are saying ‘let’s go’ as you walk towards the door of the house. For this reason, you have to be very disciplined to run easy in them. The Hyperion 3 does feel cushioned enough for easy running, but I found that the slightest downhill or lack of concentration in the shoes would guide me up to a quicker pace. This is fine if you just want a fun road running shoe to blast around the block in, but if you want to run your easy runs easy to allow you to run faster on session days, then a slower shoe might be a better option. This isn’t a criticism, as modern running shoes that are designed to help you go quickly are effective. It’s hard to make one that is also good for plodding in.

Where the Brooks Hyperion 3 is versatile is as a steady run to fast interval shoe. They can do it all. I found they felt good at very quick speeds and more moderate speeds, with enough comfort and cushioning to warm up and down in the same shoe. Ideal for fartlek, tempos, pick-ups, and other forms of faster running where you put bursts into a continuous run.

The additional cushioning has increased the weight slightly. The women’s UK 5 weighs 206 grams and the men’s UK 8 weighs 243 grams, which is still very light for a versatile road running shoe.

There is no GTS/pronation support version of the Brooks Hyperion 3, as there has been with version 1 and 2. The broad base of the Hyperion 3 and the increased cadence and upright posture that the rocker promotes reduce the time the foot is in the stance phase, which helps to reduce pronation. If you do get pronation-related issues, then an off-the-shelf insole can give that extra bit of support (https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/do-i-need-orthotic-insoles-in-my-running-shoes/) or a podiatrist-supplied orthotic.

Brooks running shoes are similar in length to Saucony, 361, Topo, and Altra. If you use Hoka, New Balance, Inov-8, Karhu, or La Sportiva, then we would suggest trying half a UK size larger to get a similar length — e.g., a UK 11 in Brooks is a similar length to a UK 11.5 in Hoka.

Other Considerations

Brooks Launch 11: The Brooks Launch is now a very similar shoe to the Brooks Hyperion 3. The Launch is a bit firmer in feel and doesn’t have as much of a rocker which makes it easier to run easy in but, won’t drive you forward to the top end paces like the Hyperion 3 does. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-launch-11-review/

Topo Specter 2: A broad rounded toe box allows for more foot function. The fit is also much broader. The rocker isn’t quite a noticeable but, there is a more noticeable rebound from the PEBA foam. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-specter-2-review/

Inov-8 RoadFly: A broad rounded toe box and a very flexible shoe. This supplies a much more natural ride with no rocker to do any of the work for you. However, the low drop and increased foot function helps to promote good posture which makes them an easy shoe to run quickly in. Wide fitting. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-roadfly-review/

Altra Escalante 4: A broad rounded toe box and zero drop with no fancy foam or rocker. The Altra Escalante supplies a very natural ride that promotes foot function and good posture. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-escalante-4-review/

Karhu Fusion 4: The Karhu Fusion 4 is more of a trainer with some propulsion. This makes it better for some slower easier running and long runs. They don’t feel too sluggish on the faster stuff but, they won’t push you a long as much as the Hyperion 3. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-fusion-4-review/

New Balance Rebel v4: Similar to the Hyperion 3 these are hard to jog in and best used at quicker paces. They have a higher level of durable cushioning and so would be suitable for long runs but, they feel a little bulkier and less light and zippy in comparison to the Hyperion 3. Available in two width men’s and women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-fuelcell-rebel-v4-review/

Hoka Mach 6: The Mach 6 has a firmer more stable feel to the midsole foam which makes them feel more like a cruiser. They can be used to run easy in although they can glide you up to a faster pace. Not as zippy at faster paces best used for Tempo runs and steady running. Available in two width men’s and two width women’s. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-mach-6-review/