Customer Reviews Brooks Green Silence

I love minimalist running shoes, and found the Green Silence model when my weekly mileage got high enough to need something with more cushion than my beloved Vibrams. These fit the bill perfectly, and have proven exceptionally durable and comfortable. I would highly recommend these for anyone with a mid/forefoot strike, and especially for the barefoot/minimalist runner who wants to be able to do significant mileage on paved surfaces.

I'm training for a marathon and have tried several different minimalist options. I put these one after having to return my Saucony Kinvara's (too narrow in the forefoot) and have completed my last 3 weeks of long runs which include 12, 14, and 18 milers as well as all of the short runs & feel great in them! No hot spots, great minimalist feel, very light, & roomy enough for me in the forefoot. Can't wait to run the full 26.2 in them!

...Bought these as a mid-level support shoe for training for my first marathon... I chose them based on the reviews of other distance runners (half and full marathoners) and I was absolutely satisfied. They weigh next to nothing, have had no hotspots for blisters, and provide the perfect amount of cushion without overdoing it. My first marathon is in a month and I'm going to try to wear these for the whole thing.

I have these shoes in the discontinued red/yellow/black and love them. It is so hard to find men's sizes in bright colors. These are super lightweight and very breathable. I like the lacing system. The arch support feels like it is negative since it is so flat. Even with my custom orthotics my arches feel unsupported. But I get lots of compliments, even from teenagers who cannot believe that I am that cool.

I love these shoes! They have a great looking design, and are truly silent when walking. They are recycled, and vegan!

I bought this shoe for my 14 year old son. It was recommended as a light weight shoe with excellent support (unlike many light weights, apparently). It is the coolest looking shoe! The asymmetric top is very interesting. He gets a lot of comments from passersby.

This shoe is surprisingly light weight and feels different in a good way. The colors are great. I hope there are more bright colors to come. I bought two pairs; one for me and one for my partner. I am going for two more, I think.

These are one of the lightest shoes I've ever owned. They are very comfortable and breathable. Can be worn with or without socks. Cushion is good and if you want more, just put an extra insole in it. Great shoe to relax in, travel or running.

High quality, very light shoes. They are far better than my old (probably 10 years!) running shoes. I wear these for both running as well as mountain biking. I bought a pair for my wife as well, and when I wear these out I would likely buy a pair of the same.

I tried many minimal road runners from the Minimus Trail/Road to Saucony Kinvaras. I was looking for a transitional shoe (transition to less structure) geared for pavement running. The Brooks Green Silence is that shoe. It has no arch support, which I love because there's nothing there to irritate the bottom of my foot (most arches hit me in the wrong place). I wear them sans socks and have been working them into my weekly miles at roughly 20% intervals. There have been no problems with blistering or rubbing. the lacing system is not a problem either. This is my first pair of Brooks shoes and I'd happily buy another. I'm still doing my long runs with my old Asics 2140s, but am excited to one day do 10 miles with these.

Bottom line: The shoe is incredibly light, fits like a sock and has good forefoot and heel cushioning, yet is still remarkable. I would add an insole either for cushioning or pronation. For slight arch support use Spenco full length arch cushions or Spenco Polysorb Proforms. The shoe has an 8mm heel-to-toe drop and is a great transition shoe for those wanting to get away from heel striking.

I recently started running again with the "Chi Running" technique. I wanted a lighter shoe for this mid-foot strike running style. These shoes fit very well (though smaller than marked). They are so light they feel like a pair of Tai Chi shoes while giving excellent support.

This is a very light shoe, making my other walking and running shoes feel like lead weights.

Took an interest in these shoes to help transition over to a more minimalist running style, and they have not disappointed. In addition to their eco-friendly construction and light weight, design features like the one-sided tongue and asymmetrical lacing are really nice touches. I would've given the Green Silence 5 stars across the board, but in my case, I'll rate them a 4 for comfort since I did develop a couple of small blisters on the tops of the little toes while running in them without socks. I've since used a thin pair of socks and problem solved. Maybe I just need to man up and toughen up the feet, but these shoes are otherwise simply awesome.

I bought a pair from a local running store downtown. First run was a 10k with significant hills. Ran a 46 flat, shoes felt so light through the whole race. Was so happy with them that I bought two additional pair here. Only knock is that they're not the most durable shoes I've ever owned.

I walk at least two hours per day, to and from work, as well as running at the gym. These shoes have improved my walking & running experience exponentially. They're so lightweight yet surprisingly durable, wrapping around your foot like a glove, helped along by the very cool one-sided tongue. I have wide, flat feet and I do notice a very slight roll inward, especially toward the toes, but nothing bad enough to take away from the overall comfort and support. On a similar note, when I first got them the toe box felt a bit narrow for my toes, but within a day it had adjusted around my foot perfectly. Warning about the upper: if you're running outdoors, any moisture or cold is going to get to you, for sure. The mesh is great but thin. As others have mentioned, it does run small. I normally wear between a 9.5-10.5 and I ordered an 11 which fits nice and snugly. So: incredible running shoes, reliable walking shoes (in dry, reasonable weather), very cool looking, and oh so very responsibly made.

I love these shoes. I haven't been so excited about a pair of shoes. Maybe ever. They are so light and comfortable. Everywhere I go, strangers and friends alike keep asking where they can get a pair.

I have been shopping for minimalist shoes lately and have tried the following: Pearl Izumi Peak XC, Zoot Sports Ultra Kalani (too tight and I did not like the barefoot liner I could not wear socks with this shoe), Brooks Green Silence, Inov-8 F-Lite 230 (least amount of cushion) Nike Free Run+ (bottom of the list), and Saucony ProGrid Kinvara. I wear size 11-dress shoe, size 11-1/2 in Nike, Asics, etc. neutral running shoes, the Pearl Izumi and the Nike Free I have had to move to a size 12. I have a fairly normal arch and medium width, these shoes are sized short, my toes touch the end of the shoe. I have not received the size 12 Pearl Izumi and will write another review after running in a size 12, but as of now the Saucony Kinvara or Brooks Green Silence are definite favorites. The Brooks more of a racing flat (light weight, decent cushion) very fast and the Saucony has more cushion, both at 8 ounces each. It is amazing the engineering that goes into these shoes to use lightweight material to achieve the best cushion to weight ratio. I was skeptical and concerned about using minimalist shoes because of surgery to repair a small tear on my medial meniscus. I chose to try these instead of barefoot; I need some kind of cushion. If you are careful and pay attention to your foot strike, so far I think these shoes all provide enough cushion and support even as I rehab my knee. I tried my Nike Vomeros the other day and they felt like boots every strike at 12 ounces each I did not think it would make that much difference. There are other features and differences between these styles I recommend reading about them and giving one of the above pair a try. I am a lightweight runner and try to have a very light foot strike, if you like to pound the pavement you probably will not like these shoes. Stay with your Asics Gel style shoes.

These are the most comfortable shoes that I have found, period. I bought them half size up to get the proper toe clearance room for running. And with that one accommodation, right out of the box they work perfectly. These are definitely a minimalist shoe. But unlike the Nike's and others that I have tried and tried, these work like a shoe should, without overdoing it in any way. I can feel that my feet work a bit harder in them than they would in a typical running shoe. But it is good work. The sole is firm, which I like, but these shoes leave the rest of the work to your feet. The Silence do not feel at all squishy, which is what has turned me off on several other brands of minimalist shoes. My feet feel completely natural and neutral in these. On the run these shoes provide plenty of protection and structure without getting in the way of my feet doing what are naturally best at. They give me plenty of what I am looking for without putting my feet in any kind of position that feels over-cushioned or unnaturally positioned. As a result, these are the best all-around kicks that I have ever found, period. The eco-friendly story that they tell is like icing on the cake. I would have to work into these for longer runs, although I saw numerous half marathoners using them at an event this past weekend. I love them on the treadmill, and for my shorter training runs on pavement. My feet are loving them, and I find that I have no trouble settling into a nice comfortable mid-foot strike and smooth turnover. When I am not running, I love the way these shoes give my feet a strength workout just wearing them around during the day. My only word of caution if you are planning on getting these shoes for winter training, they breathe extraordinarily well. You could easily end up with cold toes out in the elements. On the treadmill, where sweat comes with the territory, their breathability is perhaps their best feature. Well done, Brooks!

I've only put about 15 miles on these shoes, but so far they are amazing. The fit is perfect - just like a glove. I usually wear wright socks with them but the other day I forgot a pair and did 4 miles sockless - escaped with only a small hot spot on my left heel, but other than that it was fantastic. I bought this as a transition shoe to move to a lighter weight, more minimalist platform, and so far the transition has been great. I will be buying more of these in the future!

The Brooks Green Silence is an extraordinary, ultralight racing flat made from recycled and environmentally friendly materials. I admit I was skeptical of a shoe that had a spongy, biodegradable sole made party of recycled car tires, or a shoe put together with recycled fibers and water-based adhesives. But the Green Silence is as durable as any other running shoe, albeit ultralight (just 6.9 ounces per foot!). Runners are discovering that the Green Silence is not only great for the 5K, but has the durability to run a full marathon. These shoes give an almost barefoot experience, while providing just enough cushioning and support to run all day. They are like super comfortable running slippers. And the well placed rubber pads on the sole give these shoes race car grip. They just might make you faster. And they are an outstanding training shoe as well. They are practically collapsible for light and easy packing. Take them to your hotel gym. Take them to run around in parks around the world. I even have a pair in my car as super soft driving shoes. The Green Silence is simply amazing.

Function over form. These shoes are super lightweight and I have enjoyed them for running. Let's be honest, though, these are about as ugly as shoes get.

A friendly transition to more minimalist type running. Very comfortable and brought on many positive comments. Hard to treat as a running shoe and not wear them all the time.

I really like the style of this shoe, and I love that they're eco-friendly. Beyond this, I'm not crazy about this shoe. I found the midsole to be terribly mushy, which seemed to cause instability in my ankles and knees. As well -- and this was my fault -- the fit wasn't quite right, so no matter how tightly I laced these guys, I still had a ton of foot movement (sliding) inside of the shoe. Of course, this led to some painful hot spots. If you're looking for shoe that feels stable under foot, look elsewhere. If you just want a stylish flat to kick around in, do it.