Brooks  Hyperion Elite 6 Road-Running Shoes

Hi there runners! Happy to be reviewing the Hyperion Elite 6 (HE6). I was hoping that Run Repeat had tested them already with their awesome "cut in half" online reviews, but unfortunately, not yet, and I had a milestone event looming, so I took a gamble and purchased them. (Besides...I've wasted money on less exciting things). I headed out for an 8k test on a hilly road. Super grippy underfoot (dry road, not tested on a wet road), incredibly lightweight, excellent cushioning and phenomenal energy return. The rocker propelled me straight away and I left behind any thoughts of instability after 200m. The shoes did, however, feel best for a mid-foot landing. There was enough cushioning in the heel, but landing hard on my heels felt a bit odd with the rocker position starting about mid-heel. (Then again, I'd read that rocker-style shoes are good for heel strikers, so maybe it's a personal thing). Overall, they kept my legs feeling lively. The lockdown of the heel and the overall upper felt secure and comfortable on uphills, downhills and flats when laced-up to the last eyelets, (better than their predecessor (HE5), which felt a bit more "scratchy" and stiff in the materials). The tongue in the HE6, is also slightly longer than in the HE5 thankfully. I also ran some tight turns on a downhill, to check stability and there was a little sideways shift of my foot in the shoe, but no different to all my other shoes. There was no rubbing of the shoe anywhere on my feet, nor any thoughts of the shoes causing blisters for longer runs. The size compared well with my Brooks HE4, HE5 and Ghost shoes, i.e., true to size. Even though they're unisex sizing, I thought the toe-box would suit the majority of runners, a bit wider than a women's standard B, with some extra height, but this actually felt like a good thing for longer events. The midsole drop (7mm), felt ideal, not too steep, nor too flat. I'll be interested in the Run Repeat review when it's ready, to see how the drop and stack heights compare (lab vs brand). Brooks appear to have worked really hard to create the HE6, but if there was anything I'd change, it might be to have the rocker start just a few mm's further back in the heel. Other than that, it felt like an amazing neutral race day shoe. Best wishes to everyone for their running goals :)