Brooks Hyperion & Hyperion GTS Review

This week, in combination with its launch, we have the Brooks Hyperion & Hyperion GTS review. The Brooks Hyperion/Hyperion GTS joins Brooks’ range of speed shoes as the shorter distance race or training shoe. Although it is a very different shoe, it replaces the ‘Hyperion Tempo’, which has been dropped from the range. The full range of Brook’s Hyperion shoes now consists of the Hyperion/Hyperion GTS for short races and fast training, Hyperion Max for longer fast training runs like Tempo’s or steady running and the Hyperion Elite for out and out racing of all distances, up to marathon distance.

Hyperion/Hyperion GTS vs. Hyperion Elite

The Hyperion Elite has a carbon plate within the midsole to aid in propulsion, but the Hyperion and Hyperion Max rely on the highly responsive midsole foam and the rocker shape to increase propulsion. By not having a propulsion plate in the Hyperion and Hyperion Max, it allows more foot function, which makes them more suitable for frequent training than a carbon plated shoe. Carbon plated running shoes essentially ‘replace your feet’, so they don’t function much inside the shoes and subsequently get weaker. If they are used too frequently, they can cause calf and/or feet issues. The non-plated shoes in the Hyperion range have the same rocker profile in the midsole that allows the runner to run with the same posture, get used to the shoes and work the same muscles as you would be doing in the carbon plated Hyperion Elite. On race day you can jump into the Hyperion Elite and gain the extra propulsion without any issues. This is the same concept used by other brands that make carbon plated race shoes.

All the super ‘lightspeed’ shoes with propulsion aids currently available on the market are neutral, until now. The Brooks Hyperion is available in two versions, one neutral and one with some support.

Brooks Hyperion GTS

The Brooks Hyperion GTS is a speed shoe designed for those runners that slightly over pronate. When your foot touches the floor, it compresses to absorb the shock. The arch of the foot should then reshape and you should push off from under your big toe. If you overpronate, your arch doesn’t re-shape quickly enough meaning you push off from the inside of your big toe. This causes the knee to roll inwards. As running on a flat & firm surface like a road is repetitive, the foot does the same movement every time it touches the floor. This can lead to pain down the front of the shin, below the kneecap, outside of the thigh, hips or lower back or blisters on the inside of the foot. All Brooks running shoes that are labelled GTS have a Guiderail around the top of the midsole. This is a firm piece of midsole designed to reduce any inward roll and aid the runner in pushing off from under their big toe. The knee doesn’t roll inwards and all the joints of the ankle, knee and hip are lined up.

The Brooks Hyperion weigh’s approx. 215g men’s and 193g women’s. The GTS version is slightly heavier due to the addition of the Guiderail at 230g and 207g.

The Hyperion GTS was tested by Hatti and Chris at Northern Runner. Both use the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23 as an everyday training shoe and the Brooks Launch GTS as their speed shoes. Both commented that the Hyperion GTS felt so light to them that they felt like they didn’t have any shoes on! For neutral runners used to running in shoes similar to the Hyperion, the lightness of the Hyperion won’t be as marked but, if you are used to running in an everyday training shoe that offers a good level of pronation support like the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 23, New Balance 860 or Hoka Arahi then the Brooks Hyperion GTS will feel very light indeed. As well as being much lighter than the everyday training option for the mild pronator, they also have a much thinner midsole to give more feel for the floor. The midsole foam is Nitrogen Infused DNA Flash, which is very responsive. When your foot hits the floor the foam springs back into shape and encourages you to lift your feet up quickly. The midsole also has a bit of flex that you don’t get in everyday training shoes designed to offer some pronation support. This allows the feet to function more and push you forward.

The Brooks Hyperion and Hyperion GTS also have a rocker shaped midsole. This is designed to keep the foot moving when it hits the floor. This encourages a more upright posture and a quicker cadence. This makes you lighter on your feet and therefore faster.

Essentially the Brooks Hyperion GTS feels very different to any other shoes designed to offer some pronation support. Despite the light responsive feel both Chris and Hatti felt well-supported and didn’t suffer from any pronation related niggles after faster runs, intervals and hill reps. The support and cushioning is good enough for the shoes to be used for the warm up and warm down.

The stack height of the Hyperion and Hyperion GTS is 25mm in the heel and 17mm in the forefoot. This gives a heel to forefoot drop of 8mm. It’s the same heel to forefoot drop and rocker profile throughout the Hyperion range.

Size & Fit

In our experience, the sizing of the Hyperion GTS and the Hyperion is the same as other Brooks shoes. I use a UK 11 in Brooks and find them to be one of the larger fitting shoes. The big toe line is straight to allow for a strong toe off, so less pointed than a lot of other Brooks running shoes. Allowing the big toe to sit straight in the toe box means that the small toes can wiggle which adds to the feel of extra room, even though there isn’t any more volume in the toe box. The fit at the heel, through the midfoot and in the forefoot is snugger than other Brooks shoes. This is to make sure that the foot is held in the shoes so that there is no movement even when cornering at high speed. The heel cup is stiffer to add stability and the heel notch is swallow-tailed. That means that the heel tab is curved away from the Achilles tendon to reduce the chance of any rubbing. The heel padding is light but comfortable. The tongue is very thin, soft and partially gusseted on the medial side. Together with the laces being threaded through the tongue this reduces the chances of it moving while you are running.

The outsole has a good amount of rubber coverage in the forefoot. This enhances both the grip and the durability of the Hyperion.

I have run in quite a few shoes with a rocker shape to the midsole. In my experience I would say that the rocker in the Brooks Hyperion and Hyperion GTS is quite subtle. I simply felt my foot is coming off the ground a little easier than in the previous pair of non-rocker running shoes I ran in. The day after a session of quick intervals I can feel that my glutes have worked more than normal. This is something that Chris also commented on. This would suggest that despite the rocker not feeling as aggressive as it does in other shoes it is still stimulating glutes and hamstrings to function.

The thin feel to the midsole really allows you to power along. They are comfortable and cushioned enough for warming up and down but aren’t designed to provide that ‘run forever’ feeling that you get from a thicker midsole like the Hyperion Max. This isn’t a criticism, more of an observation. Although you can run short intervals in the Hyperion Max for example, the thicker midsole takes away some of the feel for the floor, so you don’t get the same feeling of power. They don’t corner as well at speeds and you don’t run as fast. As with all running shoes, you’ll get the most out of them running in the style they were intended for.

Summary

If you are a mild pronator then chances are the Brooks Hyperion GTS will be the lightest, most nimble, fastest shoe with some support that you have seen on the market. The Brooks Hyperion is a great speed shoe, obviously in neutral.

Other Considerations

Support

If you are a mild pronator, there aren’t many options.. and that’s why the Hyperion GTS stands out! The Brooks Launch GTS would offer a racer/trainer option that is suitable for some everyday running as well as faster running. Review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-launch-gts-9-review/

Neutral

If you enjoyed the Hyperion Tempo and want a similar shoe, then the nearest shoe in the Brooks Hyperion range is now the Hyperion Max. Review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-hyperion-max-review/

Hoka Mach 5: Not quite as light and speed orientated. Sit between the Hyperion and Hyperion Max. Link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-mach-5-review/

Altra Escalante Racer: Zero drop, broad rounded toe box. Firm and responsive. Link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-escalante-racer-review-zero-drop/