It’s integral to get the perfect first when buying running shoes. It seems obvious to say, but it can be harder to achieve than you think.
Many variables come into play when deciding what fit is right for your running. If you are relatively new to running then this can be even more challenging.
There are many things that you may not be aware of like, needing more room in the toe cavity, the heel must not slip in the cup, and enough room for foot swelling as the feet get hot during exercise.
All these factors come into play, and every shoe brand is different in the way the shoes fit.
In this article, we’ll aim to cover everything you need to know before buying a pair of Brooks running shoes, and whether they run small, true, or big.
Do Brooks Run Small?
This has turned out to be a very common question. If you go onto the Brooks website, they recommend sizing up from half to a full size.
If you research further, it seems to be a common trend in the running shoe world.
It’s mainly because when you run, the body pumps a lot of blood to the legs and muscles and feet swell considerably.
Therefore, it’s important to have some wiggle room in the toes, and for the shoes not to be too tight. So sizing up seems to be a common solution.
Tips Before You Buy Your Brooks
A good bit of advice for buying running shoes is to go shopping late in the day or in the evening. As the day goes on, our feet naturally swell more and more.
In the evening is when our feet are most swollen and at the most realistic size for when we’re running.
Another tip is to walk around the store as much as possible, for 10-15 minutes if possible to see how your feet respond to being in the shoe for a bit of time.
This is often time enough to feel if the arch could cause problems, or if the shoe is too narrow or tight.
Nike Vs Brooks
Nike has a reputation for coming up smaller than most other running shoe brands. They are also narrow with a small toe box.
If you are a runner with wide feet, then there is a good chance you won’t get on with Nike shoes.
Brooks are more neutral than Nike, with a standard width and average toe box, Brooks cater for a slightly wider audience in this respect.
Sizing For Brooks
The Brooks size guide will show you EU sizes as well as US sizes.
A good thing to do if you can’t head into a store and try a shoe on is to measure your feet at home and compare with the Brooks sizing guide.
Follow these steps:
Remember, if you’re a runner it’s recommended to go up half a size to give your toes enough wiggle room.
- Find a flat wall to stand against with your heels flush against the wall
- Make sure you are standing on a hard surface
- Place a sheet of A4 paper under your biggest foot
- Once positioned correctly mark with a pencil at the end of your big toe
- Measure the distance from the start of the paper to the point marked.
- Measure this distance in mm with a ruler.
- Compare this measurement with the Hokas sizing guide.
Brooks Widths Options
Brooks understands that width is one of the biggest complications in fitting a running shoe.
An old fashioned technique if a shoe was too narrow was to size up half to a whole size to attempt to give more room in the width.
This can often lead to complications after you’ve had the shoe on for a prolonged period of time. As a result, aches and pains can develop due to the fundamental lack of width.
Brooks realized this and have diversified their range and now has shoe widths to fit anyone. With options of narrow, standard, wide and extra-wide. This is an outstanding plus point for the company.
The Top Brooks Shoes
- Glycerine – This shoe is extremely lightweight. It offers great comfort and support to make the sensation of running feel effortless.
- Revel – This shoe has average support and cushion, but comes up very light on the scales.
- Beast – This shoe is versatile and bulky, with plenty of cushions to support you through all kinds of terrain and weather conditions.
- Adrenaline GTS – This shoe is a bit of a hybrid and ticks a wide range of boxes without being a specialist shoe. It’s a great all-rounder with lots of stability and flexibility.
- Launch – This shoe is exceptionally fast and light. A top pick for performance.
Brooks Guarantee
This is one of the top-selling points for Brooks. They do a great job in making customers feel comfortable and safe in purchasing.
Brooks offers a trial period for any shoe you purchase. You can take your shoes home and try them out for a period of time to see if they suit you.
Don’t worry about marks or anything like that. If within 90 days you run into issues, you can return the shoes for free. We know what you are thinking, that’s too good to be true, but it’s not!
This is the run happy guarantee! A 90-day money-back guarantee is something that will surely tempt you for a taste. What’s not to love!
Conclusion
Considering everything we have covered, Brooks shoes seem to be pretty true to size. They provide many width options which cover any type of foot.
On the Brooks website, they recommend sizing up half to a full size. Many people assumed this means Brooks runs small, but it’s not quite that simple.
It’s more because when buying a running shoe, the general rule for all brands is to size up due to the swelling that occurs when you run and to have that extra wiggle room in the toes, so they aren’t squeezed in causing discomfort after you’ve been running a while.
In the running world, Brooks seems to come up true to size.
We hope you have found all the information on Brooks sizing that you need to get the perfect fit.
For the first year, I wallowed in my feelings and gained 50 pounds as a result. The next year, with the help of a professional or two, I began working on myself and seeing changes.
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So, that is why I have created Run In The Sun. I want to make your running journey as easy as possible so that you can feel these benefits too. I promise you, it will be so worth it!
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