Customer Reviews Brooks Ariel 14

Don't believe the negative hype! I've worn this shoe for 14 years now. I got them when trying to get back in shape after my son was born so that's how I remember. I have flat feet, wear a size 8 and walk / jog 5-6 days a week. This shoe is great for the over-pronator with no arch and problematic toes. I have repaired bunions and hammertoes. The 2014 design is an improvement. Although the toe box is more slender, it still fits me well. I like that the tongue is attached because the shoe feels more supportive through the arch area. The shoe is still cushioned well and fits snugly on my heel and around my ankle. I love the new color which is darker that it has been in a long time. The reflective detail is more prominent and well positioned. I go through 3-4 pairs of this shoe annually and they are worth the money. I do size up one size because that's how I normally buy running/trail shoes.

The redesign of this shoe has not done it any favors. It feels much narrower, especially in the toe box. Because of my flat feet wear out shoes, this narrower to box is Bad. It's resulting in much more contact between the side of my foot/toes with the outer edge of the shoe. It's causing the shoe to deform and become less comfortable far more quickly than usual. I am hard on shoes, but this is ridiculous. The earlier versions of Ariel lasted for months without these problems. The Ariel 14 is starting to have these problems a couple of weeks in. This shoe, plus finding orthotics that actually work, were life changers for me. Ariel was the perfect shoe for my particular foot issues. No more. It's a sad state of affairs. Why did they mess with perfection?

I have slightly narrower than medium width feet and these feel a little snug in the toe area. The wide width is way too wide for me. The Ariel'14 would be perfect except for that. Unfortunately, all the shoes I tried are that way. I decided to keep the Ariel'14 medium.

Great support and cushioning in these shoes. But you definitely need to order a full size larger. I tried a half size larger, but had to return for the full size larger. I have very narrow feet, so the full size larger is a bit wide in the toe box, but it's not something I'm not used to dealing with. Great shoes that help with my pronation. Highly recommend!

I've been wearing the Ariel 12s for several years. I had several foot operations and the Ariels really saved my feet. They definitely redesigned the shoe. It's smaller than the 12 which is okay for me. The 12 was a little too big for me so I wore a 2nd insert. They left off the 2nd shoelace loop on the tongue. I miss that loop. It really helps to keep the tongue in place. I guess they did it for cost. I like a snug fit for the ankle so I lace the last hole. The last holes on these are way back. Which makes the shoelaces shorter and hard to lace. I usually knot the laces because new ones tend to not stay laced. I can't with these. The cushioning is excellent. I hardly feel the floor when walking. So some changes work for me, some don't. But overall these are really well made, great sneakers. Because I only wear sneakers, I'm ordering a 2nd pair tonight. I gave 4 stars for style because their color combinations are really bad. They need more and better colors.

I've worn Ariels for many years. I agree 100% with other reviewers that the Ariel 14 is much different than prior models. I have always worn a 9B in Ariels. I couldn't even get that size/width on my feet, it is so much narrower than before. I called Brooks. They said that the D width is 4 mm. wider than the B width and the EE width is 4 mm. wider than the D width. Like another reviewer, I exchanged my "B"'s for the "EE" - problem solved, although the heel is a bit looser than I'd like. Having seen the reviews on the new Ariel I had tried several other brands and none can compare to the Ariels. I'm grateful for the other reviewers suggestion to increase the width as this really solved the problem. The Brooks representative also made the same suggestion. A new Ariel will be coming out in 2016 but not until the end of the year.

These are great if your feet tend to slope in and you have low arches. I normally wear an 8 1/2 in shoes and I got this in a 9 and it fits perfectly.

I ordered a full size larger than my normal size; make sure you do the same, and it will fit very well. The cushioning on this shoe is amazing! It is so comfortable to run in. Excellent arch support. This is the most comfortable athletic shoe I have ever worn. It was well worth the extra money and am so pleased.

I always bought the Brooks Ariel, but this new 2014 version is definitely much narrower. If you used to buy the regular and it was a perfect fit, then you might need the wide width now. This was a Christmas gift from my hubby this time around and I was sad to see they didn't fit as well. I've decided to keep them anyway because I will just widen them naturally, but they are a bit tight. Next time I will order the wide width version. I still gave a great rating because this is an awesome show. Great for people with all kinds of foot problems. I have flat feet, tend to over-pronate and have knee and hip pain. This sneaker helps in ALL those areas. I have not found anything better!!!

I just got my new pair of Brooks Ariel's and unfortunately they will have to go back. I ordered my usual size, but they are very tight. Run smaller than usual.

I'm glad I took the time to read the reviews of the revamped version of this shoe. I owned the previous Ariel and had no problems at all. Even my custom orthotics fit well and work fine. But this version of Ariel is smaller & tighter in the toe-box area. I did the smart thing, ordering a medium & wide width to try them both. I ended up keeping the Wide. Orthotic works well in it as before. Furthermore, it has some sort of band of support around the instep area...I'm thinking it's for more pronation support. It seemed to help me but I wish Brooks would leave well enough alone. Anyway, the shoe works well for me, a severe over-pronator who had ankle surgery to correct one ankle last year. Hope this helps you out!

Good running shoe, but more narrow than the previous version. And I'm not sure what Brooks did to the cushion in this shoe, but it lasted only have a long. I got over 200 miles out of the Ariel 13. After 75 miles on this shoe, I'm looking for another pair. Sadly, unless they go back to the original cushioning, I'm done running in this shoe. And it was the only one with the cushioning and stability that let me run without pain.

Brooks has totally changed this shoe design. The toe box is too narrow and I don't think the quality is a good as their prior shoes.

I have extremely flat feet and severe over pronation. Normally I wear New Balance (running, everyday)or men's Nikes (for basketball). But I had heard that Brooks was another good brand for active people with feet like mine. They have very good support, good cushioning, and arch support. The toe box is god awful. I got wide and they are way too tight in the toe area, yet slip slightly off my heel. I like them, for the support, but not the overall fit. I will probably go back to New Balance or try another brand next time.

I am disappointed! Why of why do manufactures change a design that has worked for years? I have always purchased two Ariels in two different widths; W for thick socks and walking and a M for "dress" sneakers. Time to replace the W ones and dang, same width as the former M. Also the tongue for some odd reason is attached and you cannot pull it open very wide; makes them hard to put on. I also think the depth is less. I wear an arch insert and they feel tighter on the top of my foot. But once you wiggle into them they still have the support I need. Just wish they would have left the design alone. The new design does not come out until August of 2016. I have worn Ariels for years, they are the only athletic shoes that really gave me the support that I need. Zappos, of course, provided the same exceptional customer service that they have for years.

Not what they used to be! Brooks Ariel has been a mainstay of my wardrobe since a broken foot, ankle, and achilles tendon surgery. However, this newest model, is much stripped down: the padding on the sole is only about 50% of what is used to be, the tongue is shorter, and the heels are wider. This will be the last pair I purchase unless they return to their previous quality.

Brooks Ariel has always been my favorite shoe, til now! They changed the toe box and stitched the tongue to the inside of the shoe, ugh! I am a B width, ended up exchanging for EE and it still felt snug. New design will not be out 'til 2016, very disappointed!

The Ariel 14 does not fit like it's earlier versions at all. The toe bed is not as roomy as before and the width is much narrower. I tried two sizes before deciding this style would no longer work for me and my custom orthopedic inserts. I had worn Ariel shoes for two years prior and was very disappointed in the changes. I did however love the new color options.

I love Brooks Ariel shoes. I have rheumatoid arthritis & Brooks are one of the few athletic shoes that I have found to have the support & comfort I need. I can walk in these shoes all day. I highly recommend these shoes.

I've been struggling with plantar fasciitis for over a year and so far these shoes are the best I've found! I'm very happy with them!

This shoe has been perfect for my severe over pronation and flat,flexible arches. Not sure why athletic shoes must be purchased 1-1.5 sizes larger than other shoes, but I do know that this Brooks shoe is the most comfortable shoe I own and cradles my feet for a full day of activity. Hope it never changes. It also accomodates orthotic inserts.

I wish I had found these shoes sooner! I have nerve damage in one foot causing me to need a wide toe box as I cannot tolerate constriction in that area. My feet are not actually wide. After I read some reviews I came to believe that this shoe must run narrow in the toe box so I ordered an Extra Wide and these are the perfect shoes for my pain. This is the MOST supportive shoe I have found yet and the thickness on the bottom does not bother me aesthetically as in, I do not think it looks to orthopedic.

I love these shoes. I bought them in a N width and they were too tight, I sent back and received the WIDE size and they are super comfortable. I ran in them for the first time this weekend and they were great. I think Brooks fits a wider foot very well. The laces stay tied, a very important factor for me. The arches feel supportive, but I don't have any issues with my arches. They are also quite breathable. Which is a benefit in the summer, we shall see if this is good in the colder months. I love the style, but I know that is personal preference.

This is my first pair of this shoe. What others describe as constricting seems really supportive to me. The arch support is strong. After two days of wearing these the pain I've had in my foot for months is gone. I really like them and I think I'll be buying this shoe for years to come.

These are the only shoes my daughter will wear to work out- they are not stunning but they provide a lot of support and they are not ugly either! If you need foot support to work out and don't want a really ugly old lady shoe, this is it!