Revel in The Launch of the Ghost of Brooks
A Try It review of the Ghost 12, Launch 6, and Revel 3 by Brooks
Brooks keeps outdoing itself — in a lot of ways, the running company out of Washington State is a case study in real customer service and feedback. Brooks doesn’t move far on its own without getting real boots-on-the-ground reviews from its customer base. Iterations of popular running shoe silhouettes are changed slowly. Visual designs of its footwear are painstakingly taken, so as to not mess up a good thing. Technologies revealed anew are well-explained and thoroughly ruminated upon to great extents for successful results. It’s the Brooks way.
With the Brooks suite of its Ghost 12, Launch 6, and Revel 3, those methods were also not abandoned, even if they took some risks. I myself worked with all three running styles for several months (half of a year, to be exact) to get very intimate with the product and learn how my body would respond to them each. There’s a lot to enjoy, so let’s get into them.
Revel 3
The Brooks Revel 3 is maybe the most risk-laden sneaker of the three runners I worked with, which is saying a lot for a Brooks runner. The original Revel that I worked with was more of a traditional runner in its stance, support, and overall build; the R3, while seemingly mundane in this certain era of running footwear, however, is far more detached from orthodoxy than one might figure, but the devil is in the details.
Brooks continued its use of Fit Knit and evolved it into what’s being called “Flat Knit” in the R3’s mesh upper, itself a literally synthetic knit mesh meant house your feet comfortably with a bit of stretch flexibility and enough support to allow you the ability to do a lot in the shoe — I should say here that the R3 is Brooks’ venture in running-based cross-training/athleisure footwear, meant to be worn casually (and stylishly) as equally as you might wear it for runs. Certain colorways are more vibrant than others, but the point is that you’ll wear these for practically any and everything (if you can get away with it). The R3 also uses Brooks’ tried-and-true proprietary BioMoGo DNA foam cushioning, which is to Brooks like Air is to Nike. It always works well, but this is where the changes in the Revel line are most noticeable.
The DNA in the R3 is tuned very soft, and the shoe itself sits very low to the ground for an all-around runner. It’s springy and energetic in a way that’s sort of hard to convey in words alone. The support is lighter than a usual Brooks runner and it sits pretty neutral. The shoe itself also is short on its length from heel to toe — unusual for a Brooks shoe, and I think done on purpose to provide wearers more of a unique 1:1 fit (something that the stretchy Flat Knit upper allows with no discomfort). If you like a snugger fit in your shoes in the toebox, go true to size on the R3, but you want a truer toebox that has room, order up a half-size (I would’ve preferred a half-size up from my usual size 10, personally). The loft of the Flat Knit upper is tactile and stands off of the foot, and that impresses me with every wear.
As far as performance, I need support in the arch and midfoot, and the R3 is lighter on the support there for what I need. It’s not a bad feel by any means, but the R3 for me is best for sprint workouts or for adulting, where I’m not load my body on the full surface of my feet. I’m heavy for my height and built bulky for a runner, but runners that are lighter could maybe use the R3 for more running situations outside of sprinting and running errands around town.
What I Like:
- lightweight and very airy/breathable
- fast-feeling silhouette (with considerable toespring in the forefoot)
- very comfortable Fit Knit build
- plush feel underfoot
- the stretchy, soft laces
What I Would Change:
- more arch support would be helpful
- a slightly longer toebox should be noted for those wanting a more traditional fit
- DNA Loft in the Revel would make the series truly a luxurious-feeling lifestyle shoe
- leather versions of the Revel would also make it more a true lifestyle performance style for fashionable consumers
Launch 6
The Brooks Launch 6 is actually the revival of a series that was considered a fan favorite and modern legendary line of Brooks’ customer base — discontinued years ago, after some very civil protesting by loyal customers of the Launch line after it was mothballed, the company brought it back in the Launch 6, and it’s fairly easy to understand why.
The L6 is neutral, but very stable. The implementation of the DNA in this shoe is very firm; it gives, but under harder pressure, so automatically it’s going to age a little slower in its cushioning, which itself is a good thing. The Engineered Air Mesh used in the upper is thin, pliable, and comfortable in its applique. The interior is thin, but is finished well, and there’s plenty of room in the toebox for your toes to splay. The setup of the laces and the eyestay is really great, too, and I credit Brooks for always getting that right in their shoes.
Design-wise, the L6 is sharp. The lines on the upper are distinctive and unique to Brooks’ classic designs. The sculpting of the midsole is very intelligent and attractive as well; I say intelligent, because the heel is molded to act as a pseudo-external heel counter and it loads weight at the rearfoot almost with the feel of a dual-density cushioning. It’s different, but it’s good.
The L6 is a very fast shoe, and it’s light on the accoutrements, but it’s very specifically performance-driven. That said, by comparison to the Revel 3, certain colorways could easily be lifestyle-friendly, but Brooks would need to invest in the L6 having black midsoles for it to really crossover. In addition, the L6 is very versatile — need more support or softer cushioning? get a beefier insole. It’s a very competently-made runner that allows for those kinds of haptic modifications. It’s versatile enough to be an racer or running trainer, and can work especially well for sprint workouts; I actually enjoyed the L6 because it really does well for cross-training in the gym, as its lateral stability, low sole chassis, and light weight made it especially ideal for both strength and cardio training (if you partake in strength training and running, and you need something that will perform at a high level in both, consider the L6 strongly).
What I Like:
- stability is nearly unmatched
- neutrality and overall support is very strong
- midsole base is wide, but nimble
- upper is minimal (a one-piece Engineered Air Mesh upper!), but strong and comfy
- stylish
What I Would Change:
- more colorways with dark midsoles would allow for more lifestyle wear
- a thicker midsole wouldn’t hurt
Ghost 12
The Brooks Ghost 12 — in my humble, professional opinion, this is one of the greatest running shoes ever produced. It’s just a Brooks brand great, it’s a great amongst the all-time runners. The cushioning is plush and supportive, the upper is light, secure, and protective, and the all-around wear of the G12 is just so pleasant to experience.
This iteration of the Ghost series is all about the small things, like most Brooks styles. It’s not about making big, sweeping changes, but about taking small steps in improvements in incremental updates to key areas. The upper has a combination of Brooks’ Engineered Mesh and Fit Knit that has been combined into an new technology feature for Brooks, known as 3D Fit Print, for strong breathability, movement flexibility, and key support in specific zones of the upper part of the foot. The combination of BioMoGo DNA with the DNA Loft foams in the midsole creates a pillow-soft feel underfoot for impact protection and snappy movement. The inner lining of the G12 is supreme with puffy, contoured fill for an abrasive-less experience during wear (and really, the vast majority of Brooks’ products have excellent inner linings).
In wearing the G12, transition is very, very smooth and it can take a real pounding on the ground without putting your body in jeopardy like some shoes may allow. The stability of the G12 is supreme, but not hard, which is a balance that is not often seen in footwear; usually it’s an either/or scenario — you either have to do with hard stability or softness with an allowance structural instability underfoot. The sculpting and mass of the BioGoMo/Loft DNA combination midsole really does an excellent job of supporting the feet and knees; I feel so strong and balanced in the G12, but still experience a luxurious and plush feeling that remains pretty constant in the shoes.
I really enjoy the visual design of the G12 — it may have the same kind of lifestyle appeal, if not more, as the Revel 3. The iridescence of the above silo in particularly is interesting and attractive, and it is unusual of a Brooks sneaker, but still refreshing to see. The 3D Fit Print gives the G12 another dimension of aesthetic appeal, while still allowing for layers to be thin and highly functional for wearers’ comfort.
There’s just a lot to love, and a lot of love put into the sneaker. The G12 is an all-timer, even by Brooks standards.
What I Like:
- pretty everything
What I Would Change:
- I would be curious to see what full-length DNA Loft would do for this shoe, but that’s not a major ask
Special thanks to Brooks.
All photography and associated production, direction & composition by Sandy Dover.
All rights reserved — © Sandy Dover, 2020.
Disclaimer and Editor’s Note: The product shown was sent and received for professional review, and the aforementioned thoughts and opinions of the work above are my own. Any posts of the work above are not sponsored.
