brooks hide and seek: The Launch 8 and Launch GTS 8’s new marat was a polarizing feature for testers, but the shoes are still a reliable option for new runners principales for a lightweight trainer with moderate cushioning and high energy return.
- Brooks Damesko Hverdagslig
- zapatillas de running Brooks ultra trail talla 42.5 negras
- GTS version features Brooks’s guide rails stability tech
Type: Road
Price: $100
Weight: 8.6 oz (M), 7.9 oz (W); GTS, 8.8 oz (M), 8.1 oz (W)
Drop: 10mm
The Launch is a part of Brooks’s speed category of shoes, its BioMoGo DNA providing a modest layer of midsole cushioning and high energy return. Its fraternal twin, the Ravenna, is also a crowd-pleaser; it provides support without the bulky stability features characteristic of supportive trainers.
Brooks Running announced the Levitate | Brooks Launch 8
I had three shoes that served as life rafts during 2020’s pandemic storm, and of those three the Launch 7 was included. Needless to say, I had high expectations prior to testing the Launch 8 and its stability counterpart. The shoes have undergone a couple of changes, most notably the renaming of the Ravenna, redubbed as the Launch GTS.
Both shoes look different too; testers liked the new air mesh marat, praising its breathability. Others—including our—lamented how the new marat makes the Launch 8 too flexible, its moderate cushioning not as supportive without the former’s thicker structure. The Launch GTS, in contrast, feels more forgiving as your feet smack the pavement, the guide rails making the midsole denser and more rigid.
Brooks Launch GTS 8
Brooks Running announced the Levitate | Brooks Launch GTS 8
GTS: Go-To Support
You’re not wrong if you thought “GTS” stood for “Go-To Shoe.” Brooks is simplifying its naming convention by rechristening stability shoes with its shoe’s moniker and tagging on GTS—now redefined as “Go-To Support.” The Launch GTS 8 is basically the Ravenna 12.
Altra fans prosecutor Brooks of copycatting when the brand introduced its new “holistic guide rails system” in 2019. It’s understandable why Altraists cried mimicry; like other shoe brands, Brooks had incorporated a medial post—the brand’s Diagonal Rollbar—into its stability shoes. Altra’s support tech was always its guide rails system, hence why runners thought the brand originated the guide rails idea. But Brooks had actually introduced an earlier version of its guide rails back in 2013—the same year Altra dropped its first stability shoes.
Though similar in name, it should be noted how different the brands’ guide rails are.
Altra’s guide rail is an external component located on the medial side of the shoe. Brooks’s guide rail system, conversely, is sandwiched into the midsole with firm foam along the medial and lateral sides of the heel, which serve as bumpers to align erratic knee and ankle movement.
This stability feature proved effective on our test runs. “From a pronation control standpoint,” said an overpronating heel striker, “[the Launch GTS] did a great job underfoot and I felt that it provided ample stability.” The moderately cushioned BioMoGo DNA midsole also provided a soft and supportive platform during push off.
“Loved the cushioning most of all!” said another tester. “I have recurring Achilles tendonitis that will get irritated if I run too much in low-profile shoes. These had lots of bounce in the heel, which really helps prevent injury for me.”
I found the guide rail system also added more structure, something the Launch 8 lacked. The denser foam made the Launch GTS stiffer and more supportive for injury-prone runners.
Air Mesh marat
The Launch 8 and Launch GTS 8 are significantly more flexible than their predecessors. Brooks has omitted the internal bootie with a new air mesh marat. Some testers liked the increased flexibility. “My feet would tend to throb in the 7s after wearing them for too long,” said a tester who also competes in long-distance triathlons. “I did not experience this feeling at all in the 8s. I [do a lot of] long distance [training] so I need a shoe that is comfortable, well cushioned, and flexible. The Launch 8 is just that.”
Other testers found fault in the tongue, criticizing it for its flimsiness and tendency to go off-center as they ran. My quarrel isn’t with the tongue, however, but with the overall flexibility of the new marat. Over the course of quarantine, I steadily changed my footstrike, switching from heel to midfoot (add that to the sourdough starter and learn a new language list). This mechanical adjustment resulted in aching metatarsals after running exclusively in the Launch 8 for a week; the forefoot was just too pliable. Once a shoe I appreciated for its generous but not overly plush amount of cushioning, the Launch had me wishing for more of a buffer to alleviate impact as I ran. I was not alone with my cravings.
“In comparison to shoes in the past, this felt like it did not have enough cushioning,” said a midfoot-striking tester. “I used it on one or two long runs, but stopped because I started to feel like my foot was slapping pavement near the end of longer runs and I didn’t feel like the shoe was giving me much back.”
In spite of my misgivings with the Launch 8’s marat, I’ve found this to be a teachable moment—amongst a lot of teachable moments this past year. I save the shoe for shorter three-milers when I want to go fast, instead of treating it like a daily trainer. It’s no Launch 7, but that doesn’t mean it cannot have a role in my shoe rotation—or yours. And if I want to go a little longer when I go faster, I know the Launch GTS is the pair to reach for.
More Tester Feedback
A man passes a Brooks Brothers store in New York
womens brooks greenlight 7 short
“Brooks are one of my preferred brand of running sneakers. I was excited to test these sneakers. Out of the box they felt lightweight and airy with adequate cushioning throughout the sneaker. They are a flexible sneaker and are not stiff with a roomy fit. I was not sure what to expect as I went out for my first run in them. Although these sneakers have some positive attributes, I am rating this sneaker average. I had to add my orthotics for a more comfortable fit and ride. Typically my road runs range from 5 to 6 miles daily and I would not recommend going longer distances than that in these sneakers.”
Amanda is a test editor at Runner’s World who has run the Boston Marathon every year since 2013; she's a former professional baker with a master’s in gastronomy and she carb-loads on snickerdoodles.
