Brooks Men's Launch Gts 9 Sneaker

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The heel counter is well padded, yet high and rigid but this gave no problems with rubbing or slipping even from the first wear, but something to consider if you prefer a softer heel counter.

Last year Brooks consolidated their neutral and stability line-ups, changing not only the names but also the fit of their stability shoes while retaining their stability feature of GuideRails. The light-stability model went from Ravenna 11 to Launch GTS 8, taking the name “Launch” from Brooks’ neutral shoe and adding “GTS,” now meaning “Go To Support” rather than the past acronym of “Go To Shoe.” The Sole unit in the Launch 9 uses Brooks BioGoDNA midsole foam, with a 10mm drop. I generally prefer a cushioned but not squidgy running shoe, and to me this felt a great bouncy balance. Renee: Both shoes have a 10mm drop and decent outsole coverage, with the Nitro’s midsole being much more responsive. The Launch 9 is a lighter shoe, and the non GTS Launch 9 is much more nimble than the Velocity 2. My foot sat further down in the heel of the Velocity, which felt like a stability feature. I prefer the nimble, lighter ride of the Launch 9, but prefer the Velocity’s midsole for faster paces. I wore a women’s size 8 in both.

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Launch GTS 9 is a better shoe than Ravenna 11 (I didn’t run in GTS 8). Ravenna has a far better name, though, and first caught my attention with the 8. Coming from history with ASICS Kayano, the Ravenna 8’s light stability and smooth transition were very appealing. The outsole is made of Green Rubber which is a new compound composed of silica instead of petroleum rubber which is much more sustainable and better for the planet. Delivery timescales are based on working days; Public Holidays, Saturday's and Sunday's are NOT classed as working days.

JAYTON: My first time in a Brooks Launch! I’ve heard a lot of good things about this affordable workhorse, but I’d never given it a fighting chance. I’ll keep it short and sweet — there’s a lot I like about this shoe, but also a lot I’d change. Let’s hop to it. Although the midsole and outsole is the same as the previous version, I do find the Launch 10 feels different to run in. It feels a lot smoother. I am a midfoot striker and prefer a heel to forefoot drop of 6mm or lower, otherwise I find that the heel catches a bit when running down hill or the midfoot of the shoe is a bit stiff and the shoe tries to ‘pull me’ onto my heel. In the Launch 9 I could happily land on my midfoot, but I was aware of the height and it did catch every now and again. The Launch 10 has no such issues. They just feel a lot smoother. The upper also allows my foot to spread more easily too. 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. BioMoGo needs to die because it’s already dead. It just feels lifeless, and it has for the last three years. At least in shoes like the Saucony Kinvara 13 there’s a bit of comfort and pop even though it’s pretty firm.Like the GTS 8—only with an added 2 mm. of padding—the GTS 9 has a midsole made of Brooks’ eco-friendly BioMoGo DNA foam, a firm and springy foam that also breaks down 50x faster than EVA to contribute less waste (don’t worry, we’re talking after years in a landfill, not during the life of the shoe). GTS Guide Rails are not in the way of transition or over rigid/firm, a slight improvement over 8 for this neutral heel striker at slower paces Sam I’ve always had upper-fit issues with Brooks, from a too-high toe box in Ravenna 8 to a too-narrow forefoot in many Ravenna, Adrenaline, and Transcend models since. The Brooks Launch GTS 9 is a light stability traditional 10mm drop run trainer featuring GuideRails. They are foam extensions above where the midsole normally ends to help stabilize on landing and transitions with the goal of reducing knee motion, and injuries, by guiding forward in the line of travel. GTS is thus less about controlling “classic” pronation, which they certainly do to a certain extent, yet without firmer under mid foot foams or plastic pieces . The medial side GuideRail is co molded of slightly firmer foam than the midsole while the lateral rail is the same foam as the main midsole.

Sam: The midsole is Brooks usual BioGoDNA with 2mm more of it than in the Launch 8. Brooks rarely tells us what specific changes to BioMoGo DNA are and didn’t here. My sense is that the combination of 2 mm more of it and the Green Rubber outsole make for a somewhat softer more cushioned feel taking the rougher and firmer edge off the Launch 8’s feel, making the 9 a more versatile daily trainer able to handle somewhat slower and longer runs. Sam: Puma’s Nitro foam: responsive, soft, bouncier swings me towards the Velocity in this match up although if you really need some stability you might be better off in the Launch GTS or even regular. 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/Photo: Top outsole Launch 9, bottom outsole Launch 8). The pattern is slightly different than the previous version, which I’m guessing is a reason for the weight deduction. Like many of Brooks’ trainers, the outsole is a good balance of providing traction without unnecessary weight. 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.