Customer Reviews Brooks Ariel®

I was hesitant to purchase these shoes as the price was pretty high. But I have no regrets. I love the wider toe area, and comfortable insoles. I do wish there were more choices of colors.

I have arthritis in the top bones of my feet + bunions. Because of this, I need a shoe that holds my foot firmly in place & is not flexible. In the past, I have always worm Brooks Addiction sneakers, but the design of the new Addiction 11's has changed so much that I can no longer wear them. The Brooks Ariel is the closet to the Addiction 10's in comfort & style. Hated paying this much for them, but comfort is the bottom line.

Thanks to Zappos I've tried several premium sneakers and these are (in my opinion) the best for overall for comfort, arch support and bunion friendly. Worth the money, my last pair are still going strong after a year. My suggestions for Brooks is to offer them in more colors, perhaps a grey or navy instead of the silver body color, which screams "sneaker". I'm getting this year's pair in Ombre blue, a new color which looks nice online. Also the laces are white, and way too long, would like Brooks to offer laces the same color as the body of the shoe and fix the lace length.

I have a high arch and this shoe really works. I previously wore the Brooks DYAD Z, which I liked, but my left toe wore a hole in the upper part. So far not hole and it fits great. I do love this shoe.

I've never had a pair of sneakers fit so perfect for my feet. The support for my overpronated feet is excellent.

I have been wearing this style of Brooks Ariel for 15 years. It was originally called "The Beast" and the name has changed twice. The key to this shoe is stability. I have flat, wide feet that tend to over pronate. Before being fit in this shoe, I had knee pain, hip pain and occasionally lower back pain. I walk/jog on average 20-25 miles per week for the last 2.5 years and these shoes have been nothing short of amazing for fit, support & comfort. I go through 2-3 pair a year and they are well worth the money. I always purchase a size up to have more room in toe box. I am 5'4" and weigh 165 lbs and wear a size 8 in most shoes/boots. I wish this shoe would come in more colors. I think Brooks only releases updates once a year in one or two colors. Otherwise this shoe is great!

Incedibly comfortable shoe. Very little break-in time needed.

I have worn the Ariel for *years* now. I have a wide (2E!), flat foot and need as much stability as possible. This shoe provides that, along with excellent comfort. They also last well...I can get a year's wear (I walk every morning plus wear them for dog training / shows) out of them and they still look pretty good. If Brooks ever stops making the Ariel I will have to hunt someone down and pinch their head off! That said, these are not very pretty shoes...not much variety in color and typical athletic shoe appearance. Other than that, these shoes absolutely ROCK!

I've been looking for new walking shoes for months, and finally found these. I have arthritis in my feet, and these are well cushioned and have a toe box that does not annoy my pain points. I did have to switch to a wide to get it, but they still work well on my mostly narrow feet.

It's the only running shoe I buy! Great if you have a significant pronate. I also have a small heal but wider foot (compared to the heal) by the toes. The shoe fits me very well.Very nice arch support as well. For running, I wear a full size larger than my normal size to give room for my foot to swell with exercise and heat. The shoe is true to size.

This is my third pair of Ariels by Brooks. I am on my feet all day at work and these are the best! The first two developed holes in the mesh due to my bunions. So this time I ordered the extra wide size. However, I had to go down a 1/2 size as the 8 1/2 extra wide was too big/long. So the 8 extra wide is perfect and Zappos made the exchange so easy and quick.

These sneakers not only look good, but they feel so comfortable on my feet. I didn't need to use my orthotics, because there is so much arch support. I found this shoe when I visited The Good Feet Store. They were demonstrating their orthotics with this shoe. I usually wear a size 7 1/2, and that's exactly the size that was the perfect fit for me. I wish I could wear them all day, all the time. They are fantastic!

I bought these for my wife. It is her 3rd pair. My wife competes in triathlons and was starting to have knee problems when she ran. The doctor recommended that they video her while she ran to see if they could figure out why. After the video some physical therapy and these shoes she hasn't had any knee problems since.

The new Ariel is so pretty compared to past versions! Other than that, it feels the same as all other Brooks Ariels I have purchased in the past. I'll never understand shoe sizing. I'm an 8.5 in dress shoes, and a 10 in running shoes.

I have been buying this style for years. This is the best show to correct for pronation. The woven toe box is roomy enough for my bunions and my hammertoe. This style has been so successful for me that I shopped the style features for a tennis shoe also. I wear these for all workout exercises and for running.

I have very flat feet, basically no arches. Even the podiatrists comment on how flat my poor feet are. I need a lot of arch support and this does it for me. I have worn the Brooks Ariel for around 10 years. They are expensive but worth it. I normally wear an 11 shoe, in anything but these. I wore an 11½ in these for years until they narrowed the toe box a few yrs ago and I had to go to a 12! I wanted to order the new style but saw the comments on a wider toebox, and did not know whether to order an 11 or 11½ or maybe I still need 12? I stuck with the old style. I know 12 works in it. My only complaint is that they do not change the colors very often, and when they do and the previous color is gone, you do not have a choice at all. These are still awesome shoes for the flat footed folks.

Excellent shoes. These were recommended by my podiatrist - they help my feet but also my knees! I've bought a pair for my sister and one for my sister in law. They are they best. They do run small so you may want 1/2 size larger. I ordered a wide - as I do with all of my shoes. Perfect.

Love the Ariel, but tired of no color choices. I have to change mine every 3-4 months and tired of same color...why are the Ariels the only Blaze colored shoe?

I have been wearing these shoes for four years. I use them for daily hour long walks and then recycle them for everyday use. They are absolutely great. They have a roomy toe-box.

These are the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. I have bad feet -- multiple surgeries -- and I can walk for hours in the Ariel. I climbed Mt. Vesuvius in these!

Love these tennis shoes for my wide, flat feet. The arch is very supportive and the shoes are very comfortable. This is my fourth pair.

I have been looking for a new running shoe for almost a year. I used to use New Balance, but they quit making the one I liked so I went on a year long hunt for the perfect shoe. Thanks to Zappos free shipping and returns, I was able to do that. I love this shoe and I would recommend it to anyone who likes support, but not a heavy shoe. It comes in various widths which is great for me because I like them wide enough for my orthotics and wide enough to allow for my feet to swell on a long run on a hot sunny California day. I'll probably buy a couple more pair right away just in case Brooks makes changes to these shoes. I like them just the way they are. I'm 5'2 and weigh 130slb and run about 30 miles a day. I have mild pronation and tend to get foot injuries. This is why I spend time and money on a great pair of choose. I definitely recommend these shoes.

These Brooks shoes are the ONLY shoes that I wear for distance walking and at the gym. They have helped to keep my plantar fasciitis under control so that I can stay active. I was happy to see a new color in this shoe! The shoes are expensive but well worth the cost to keep me moving I highly recommend this fabulous stability shoe.

This is my 6th or 7th pair of Brooks Ariel's. They were recommended by my doctor to support my high arch and relieve my plantar fasciitis. I love these shoes! I have a hard time budgeting the price; however, can you really put a price on not having foot pain? I wear them every day as a lunch lady, for daily walks and for some running. It also comes in wide widths!

This is an excellent shoe. I have started walking for exercise again, and this is the only shoe that holds up. It is so easy to get this shoe from you instead of a store. Love the shoe! I did buy another pair of Brooks with this shoe in a pretty color of blue. Yes!