Customer Reviews Brooks Dyad 9

I am happy with the shoe. I am mildly flat footed and pronate at the ankles. I like that this shoe gives support but the arch isn’t too high. Like others say, the toe is a bit narrow but I stretched it out by placing something in the toe for the first 24 hours. It did the trick for me.

I’ve been a low-mileage runner for 30+ years (~20 miles per week) and I’ve got narrow bony feet, a very high arch, and pronation. I’d worn ASICS GEL-Kayano for more than 20 years (stability shoe for pronation), until I broke my ankle in August 2017 while running, and I started the slow process of working through recovery & rehab. My ortho recently prescribed some pretty significant orthotics to address my foot and ankle issues, at which point I was forced to find a “neutral” shoe that would accommodate my orthotics and still be comfortable to wear while walking (and hopefully, eventually running again). I researched recommended neutral shoes that would take orthotics (either because the shoes were designed specifically for this purpose, or the shoe’s upper was “tall-enough” to fit the added thickness of the orthotic), and the 3 shoes I ended up testing myself were the Brooks Dyad 9, the Saucony Echelon 6, and the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 20. I immediately discounted the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 20 when I could barely fit my foot into the shoe after inserting the orthotic (and a larger size wouldn’t have helped – the shoe was simply too “low-profile” to accommodate the thickness of the orthotic). The Saucony Echelon 6 was the “cushiest” of the shoes, and it accommodated my orthotics perfectly – I liked the flexibility and feel of the sole, even though it was much stiffer than the ASICS GEL-Kayano that I was used to. But the shoe’s heel cup was much too wide for my narrow, bony foot (even when I laced the shoe to create a “lace lock” at the top eyelets). The toe box ended feeling to “spacious” for my foot geometry as well – fine for casual wear, but definitely not the fit that I wanted for exercise. The Brooks Dyad 9 ended up being the best-fitting shoe of the 3 I tried, even though the sole felt quite a bit stiffer and harder than the Saucony Echelon 6. But the shoe itself is generally very comfortable, and I’ve been wearing it for 6 weeks now, walking at a brisk pace for 3 miles a day, with no issues at all – the shoe seems to work great with my new orthotics, and I would definitely purchase the Brooks Dyad 9 again for fitness walking. I don’t think it has enough sole cushioning for me to run in – but I’m not cleared to run yet anyhow, so I’ll cross this bridge when I come to it. (I’ve received another recommendation for the New Balance 1080 as a potential “cushier” neutral running shoe that works well with orthotics – will likely try this shoe when I’m ready for it.)

The Dyads just didn't feel right in the arch. It was a little much for my sinking feet. I don't care for the black color with the very bright accent. I have worn Brooks for years starting with the Ariel. Now the Ariel has too high an arch for me and is a really heavy shoe. However, it has incredible supporty.

This is my second pair if Brooks Dyads, and I am very satisfied with this shoe. I underpronate, and the Dyad is a good shoe for this problem. I wish the food bed was softer because I am on my feet all day everyday, but when I need new athletic shoes, the Dyad is my go-to shoe.

My go to running shoe. I was actually fit into this shoe in a running store though - they determine what you need based on how you run on a treadmill on site. I would definitely recommend doing that because it may determine the type of shoe and support that will work best for your body! These shoes run small so I'm a larger size than in any other shoe. Company is known for running narrow so be aware!

Nice looking shoe but not wide enough. I wear 11 W in everything and these were just too tight. I’ve never worn Brooks before so cannot compare.

Although the last two pairs of Brooks fit well, the new ones are too narrow, even in extra wide. I am so disappointed. Why is Brooks doing this?

Top of heel does not have support and folds easily when you are putting the shoes on; lace up was not easy.

I am 74 years old with feet that match an older person -- lots of problems. I wore Brooks Ariel (great support) for years. Sadly it no longer works for me. Neither does the Dyad. I need much more cushioning under the ball of my foot.

I should have heeded the other reviews that noted the narrowing of the toe box for this shoe. I wanted to use it for walking and it just ran too tight in the forefoot.

The heel support is good, but I found that the sole support did not hold up well. I am a nurse and am on my feet all day. I wear orthotics and they fit well in the shoe but the front support under the toes and pad of the feet broke down after about 6 months. The fit was true to size.

Short and Narrow. I have this same shoe in the same size. 9.5 w. The shoe I have felt very roomy when I bought it. This one feels small. sending back for the bigger size.

This is an awful shoe. I wore it for two weeks to work and my feet hurt terribly. Please to back to the fit of the Dyad 8.

The Dyad 8 fit well. The Dyad 9 fits my orthotics but when walking they don't function as well, and I can't wear them. The heel seems to sit lower and something about the Dyad 9 is causing some pronation in the heel that other neutral sneakers don't cause. Please go back to the Dyad 8 features.

I have been wearing Dyads for years. I wear a neutral shoe with an orthotic. I usually wear a wide width shoe. When the Dyad 8 came out with a narrower toe box, I switched to the WW. The Dyad 9 is impossible for me to walk in. The shoe felt great out of the box. As soon as i took these shoes out for a walk, my feet began to hurt. The new DNA sole on these shoes is so inflexible and my foot had to work so hard to bend as i walked that i was in pain after the first few yards. i tried to break them in by taking short walks. So far this has not worked and I can hardly walk in them. After 3 weeks, I will never put them on again. This is awful for a shoe this expensive. I do not recommend these shoes.