Brooks Launch GTS 9 Review
The Brooks Launch GTS is a very special shoe to review. There aren’t many shoes made to run quickly in that have some over pronation support. The Brooks Launch GTS is such a shoe.
The Brooks Launch GTS was previously called the Ravenna but to make it easier to identify the shoes that offer some pronation support Brooks decided to tag all of the shoes that offer pronation support with GTS eg Adrenaline GTS, Addition GTS etc.
When the foot touches the floor the arch compresses to absorb the shock and the foot spreads out to stabilise the runner. The planta facia on the bottom of the foot is what gets stretched out like a large elastic band. This recoils and leads the runner to push off from the end of their big toe. The compressing of the arch is called pronation. Over pronation is when the foot doesn’t recoil quick enough. This leads the runner to push off from the inside of their foot/big toe. The lower leg and knee then rolls inwards. As running on a flat hard surface is repetitive if you over pronate then this will happen every time your foot hits the floor. This often leads to niggles and aches like pain on the tendon under the knee cap, pain down the front of your shin, blisters on the inside of your foot (often just behind the big toe joint and in front of the arch). To reduce how much the over pronator rolls inwards and to get them pushing off from the end of their big toe Brooks put’s guide rails into their GTS shoes. These guide rails stiffen up the inside of the shoe which reduces how much the arch compresses and makes it easier for the foot to regain its shape so you can push off from under your big toe. Crucially guide rails don’t prop the arch up. So, the foot can still function inside the shoes. This way the foot will get stronger over time which should reduce pronation. Putting arch supports into shoes which stop the arch compressing takes away the foots ability to absorb shock. Which can lead to other problems. Also as the foot isn’t able to function inside a shoe with an arch support then it doesn’t do any work and therefore gets weaker over time.
The Brook Launch 9 is available in both a GTS version with some pronation support and none GTS version. The Brooks Launch GTS 9 is for those who require some pronation support and the Brook Launch 9 is for those blessed with neutral feet that don’t need any anti pronation support.
The initial Brooks Launches where designed purely for speed. They had quite firm and responsive midsoles that felt great when running quickly but not very comfortable when running slightly slower. The Brooks Launch GTS 9 and Brooks Launch 9 has 2mm more stack height of Bio Mogo DNA than the previous version. This might not sound like a lot but it has transformed the Launch from a fast running only shoe to something that is a lot more versatile.
Brook’s most popular shoe designed for mild pronators is the Brooks Adrenaline GTS. The Brooks Launch GTS 9 is now the lighter, speedier version of this shoe. The midsole of the Launch is firmer and more responsive than the Adrenaline. The forefoot is also more flexible. The anti-pronation support level is the same as is the general shape and comfort of the shoes. The heel to forefoot drop is 10mm which suits a heel striker more than a midfoot striker. However, the flexibility of the Launch 9 does make it quite easy to land on your midfoot. The cushioning is responsive and with the flexible forefoot it does feel like it has a bit of zip. However, the cushioning is still soft enough for easy running and the shoes have no rocker or bouncy foam that will encourage you to pick up the pace and run too quickly on easier runs. I found that the limit to the cushioning was around the 2 hour marker for me. As I approached this amount of time on long road runs I was thinking that a little more underfoot might be better. This is what you would get from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS. Which has enough cushioning for these longer runs. However, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS feels a bit like a plodding shoe on shorter quicker runs. Whereas you hardly notice the Launch GTS on your feet when running quickly. The Men’s UK 8 weighs 212 grams and the Women’s 243 grams. The sizing is the same as other Brooks sizes in my experience. Brooks are generous in size in my experience compared to some. For a similar length I use a UK 11 in Brooks, UK 11.5 in New Balance, UK 11.5 in Hoka, UK 11.5 in Scott, Euro 46.5 in La Sportiva.
Similarly the Brooks Launch 9 is a neutral shoe and would be the lighter ,speedier version of the Brooks Ghost. As the Brooks Launch doesn’t have guide rails this does make the shoes slightly lighter. A Men’s UK 8 is 232 grams and a Women’s UK 5 is 201 grams.
The upper is a very light one piece polyester. The heel cup is nicely padded. Not to the same extent as a Brooks Ghost or Brooks Adrenaline but more than adequate to be comfortable. Although the added padding around the heel of the Ghost and Adrenaline add to the feeling of comfort. Like you are slipping into a soft sofa. When out on the run I don’t think this level of padding improves the comfort. The slightly less padded heel cup of the Brooks Launch is more to my liking. The heel cup is plastic so that is offers some support but not so stiff that it will cause any discomfort. It is flexible enough to pull around your heel when you lace the shoes up to give a snug feel.
There are two additional lace loop holes at the top of the laces. So, if you do need to tighten up the heel cup then you can easily butterfly the laces. It is also possible to mis lace holes out (which you might need to do if you have a high arch or high volume foot) and still have a firm fit.
The tongue is lightly padded which I found offered enough protection from the laces. The laces slot through a tab on the tongue to prevent it from slipping either side.
The toe box of the Brooks Launch is quite pointed. There is a bit less volume than there is in the Brooks Adrenaline GTS or Brooks Ghost toe box. The big toe line is straight. So, you do feel like you can effectively toe off. The snugger less volume upper does make the Launch feel more like a fast running shoe than it’s more cushioned everyday shoes.
In summary the Brooks Launch 9 or Brooks Launch 9 GTS would be the ideal shoe for a runner who is looking to do mainly short quick runs or is looking for a versatile shoe to partner with a more cushioned everyday training shoe that they would use for their longer runs. I found the Launch versatile enough for races upto 10km, intervals, hill reps, tempo runs including the warming up and down before and after these sessions. They where also comfortable for easy running although for most runners they won’t quite offer the cushioning required for long runs.
Other Considerations
If you are looking for a speedier shoe with some anti pronation support then there isn’t a lot of options (Brooks is launching the Hyperion GTS in the summer which has a nitrogen infused midsole and a rocker. So, this will offer more propulsion than the Launch but perhaps not the same versatility and comfort)
If you are a neutral runner then there are a few other shoes you may wish to consider below.
Hoka Rincon 3: A much softer feel to the cushioning a rocker and 5mm heel to forefoot drop makes the Rincon have a very different ride to the Launch. However, they are shoes designed for the same purpose. Here is our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-rincon-3-review/
361 Fierce: These have a very similar ride and heel to forefoot drop. They perhaps feel a little bit more stable because they have a broader base. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/361-fierce-2-review/
Topo Fli-Lyte 4: A much broader more rounded toe box with a firmer more responsive ride. 3mm from heel to forefoot. The ride of these will make them a shoe for faster running only for most runners. Although they do have enough underfoot to warm up and down in the shoes. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-athletic-fli-lyte-4-review/
Altra Escalante 3: A broad rounded toe box. Zero drop. These have a more natural ride. The broader base makes them feel more stable than the Launch and the cushioning is more durable which means that they offer enough cushioning for longer runs if you like a more responsive feel. Here is a link to our review: https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-escalante-3-review/
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