Customer Reviews Brooks Beast™ '06

Review of brooks beast-sept 2008 - I bought this shoe because Saucony does not make a black running shoe in black. The shoe overall is okay, but the arch support does not feel suitable for excessive over-pronators. The look is great, but the Saucony Grid Stabil-6 has far superior arch support.

Brooks Beast - This is a very good shoe for walking. I walk 2 mi. a day and so far so good. I'm a little disappointed that the cushioning. Was hoping for a little more. Overall, I give it 4 stars. This is my first venture away from New Balance. The 4E that I got with the Brooks was pretty true to width. May buy them again.

I work in a very busy hospital Emergency Room, and after 12 hours I am still ready to keep going thanks to these shoes. I just wish they came in an all black version.

Comfy & a tad heavy - Comfortable shoe with little break-in required. I'm a walker, and these are my first Brooks shoes. They handle my orthotics well, and are pretty good on their own for arch support. They feel heavier than my trusty NB 843's (sadly, no longer available), and they really are about 14% heavier. Size 14 Beast weighs in at 570 g; the NB 843 is right at 500. Not a big deal now, but on a marathon walk I'm wondering if it would be. Anyway, so far, so good.

Brooks Beast - The Brooks Beast is an exceptional shoe. I have low arches so it still isn't as comfortable as I expected. I put in my orthotics and it’s a lot better. I would recommend buying them a size bigger because they run about a full size smaller than marked.

Great shoe - Brooks was always my shoe of choice. It has a very sturdy base that keeps my pronation problem in check. It looks great. The fit felt slightly short for my foot, but was okay for my type of use.

Heavy beginner - I haven't had a chance to put these to a true test, but it is quite obvious the stability is excellent without sacrificing cushioning. I'm a pretty heavy guy just starting an exercise program and was looking for some good runners/walkers... I think I found them. Only complaint is that they feel a little snug, but I think that may turn out to be a plus once I really get moving.

Great fit with orthotics - I pronate severely and have to wear orthotics. This is one of two athletic shoes I have found through the years that provides the room, support, and comfort for my orthotics. However, these shoes by themselves would not give me the support I need for my pronation.

Wide Runner for Walking - Good quality running shoe that is extra wide recommended by my podiatrist. Also needed that extra space for extra insert orthotics. Felt thinner and lighter then previous "Beasts". Zappos got me the shoe faster than the local store.

Brooks Beast™ They looked like a huge shoe and made my feet look bigger than they actually are. My orthotics did not fit well in these and they were too small so I had to return them.

Very nice looking shoe... ...With incredibly good support and comfort. I have 20 pairs of shoes in my closets, all 11.5 or 12, but had to go to 13 for this one to fit.

Review from a tough-to-fit foot - I have a very narrow heel and always have a hard time finding a comfortable running shoe. In addition, I am a larger than average runner (220 lbs) and I pronate. For the past 10 years I would only buy New Balance because they are available in multiple widths and the have extra shock absorption. I had read reviews on the Brooks Beast but never found it in stores and was reluctant to try it. I like it a lot, although my heel does slip a little more than in the New Balance. Not enough to bother me on a 10k, which is about as far as I normally run. I even find that toward the end of my run the shoe feels a little better - probably because your feet swell a little while running. I usually wear a 10.5 D in the New Balance, but in the Brooks I needed an 11 D. Lots of cushioning and shock absorption make this shoe a good option for bigger guys who like to run but are tough on shoes.

Not the best shoe for serious over pronators - After reading all of the excellent reviews on this shoe, I decided to give it a shot. My previous shoe was the New Balance 1122 which is ugly as sin. I have a strong tendency to over-pronate, and I need a stable shoe with a very strong instep. The instep of the Brooks shoe wasn't strong enough for my pronation even with Powerstep inserts. Incidentally, I weigh about 190lbs in case that is a relevant data point. After a few miles, the Brooks left me with ligament pain just below my calf -- something that I have experienced in the past with shoes that don't provide enough instep support. In all fairness, I can't give a bad overall rating since this probably just wasn't the right shoe for me. It did have a lot of cushion which is one thing that the NB somewhat lacks, the construction light, and the fabric breathed very well; however, without a firmer arch support I just can't run in the shoe. I'm going back to my ugly yet comfortable and effective New Balance 1122's.

Good shoe - Not the greatest looking shoe, but very comfy with good support.

Bad Change! I have had no less than 25 pair of Brooks Beast shoes to date, but this new model is a disappointment!!! The width at the ball of the foot has narrowed, making the shoe very uncomfortable! The next width would be too wide, so I guess I'll have to switch brands. UGH!

Good shoe, but not for low volume feet. I'm a big guy, used to be a bigger guy. My old shoe was the Saucony Stabil. I can't seem to find it in my size anywhere, so I tried the Beast. I have very low volume feet. Whenever I buy a pair of Chacos, I have to send them to the factory to have the straps shortened. That was my problem with the Beast. When I laced tight enough to hold my foot in place, it felt like my foot was being choked. If I didn't lace tight though, my foot flopped around inside the shoe and was even less comfortable… even with several lacing tricks, insoles, and different socks, I was never able to make this shoe work for me.

Overrated - After running in Asics 2110s for a few months I developed very painful medial shin splints as a result of over-pronation. I decided to rest for a few weeks and then switch to the Brooks Beast in hopes of correcting the problem. After 20 miles in the Beast, my shin splints returned - albeit not as severely - and large, painful blisters appeared on the medial portions of both of my heels. The inner parts of my big toes also became sore from rubbing, although this pain subsided as the shoes stretched out. There is no question that the Beast offers superior motion control to the 2110s and I credit them with reducing the pain in my shins marginally, but in my case they did so at the cost of introducing new, unwanted pressure points on the inner parts of my feet. Furthermore, the comparison between the Beast and the 2110 is admittedly unfair, as the latter are not intended principally for motion control (the Asics Gel-Evolution or equivalent would be the most obvious alternative). As my pair of Brooks Beast shoes are no longer in resalable condition, I am now faced with the choice of building up calluses on my heels so that I can continue to wear them or tossing the Beasts into the trash and buying a different pair. This isn’t a choice I would wish on other distance runners. For a shoe that retails for this amount of money and weighs in at a portly 14.5 oz, we should expect more.

Not a good encore - I have worn these for the past three years and having nothing but praise until now. The shoe now feels about a half size smaller, the cushion is less and the color choice is horrible. I wish they would have left it alone. The new version of The Beast is very disappointing.

Too much arch support - This is definitely a well-constructed shoe that looks great. Unfortunately, there was too much pressure in the arch area, and they started to hurt after 10-15 minutes of running or walking. The cushioning was exceptional.

If you really have flat feet, you won't like these shoes - I really think these are great looking shoes, and are very well made. However, the arch support in them is too much - I have pretty flat feet. I might be able to get by with a wider version - I'm not sure. Anyway, if you have flat feet I don't recommend this shoe (at least not in a standard width).

No way - The shoe lasted one week before I returned them. My left heel would not lock into place well and the top padding started to peel away. NO WAY will I stay with Brooks.

My Worst Nightmare - I just ran the Detroit marathon in these shoes two days ago. I have such horrible blisters that I am still unable to walk. Two days off work so far. The inside seams are made in an unbelievable way to put so much pressures in a narrow spot, poison to the flat feet. I wish I could upload some pictures of my feet here. Never again will I buy Brooks!