Customer Reviews Brooks Beast '20

I have had other pairs of the Beast shoe and have not had the issues that I am having with this pair. The toe guard on both shoes keep bending in which then rubs on my toe. I am disappointed with the lack of durability in these shoes and honestly this may be my last pair.

Yes, the Beast over the last few generations sucks. It got worse over several iterations, but the latest models have none of what I started buying the Beast for at least 20 years ago. It was the best anti-pronation shoe anywhere, and now it feels just like any other. I wear older models that I still have, despite their being worn, and I can walk briskly up very steep hills, run or walk through the woods, etc. without any knee pain of feeling of instability whatsoever. The newer models, of which I have the last few generations, feel squishy, allow my feet to roll unlike past models, and really should not be called by the same name. Not sure what options there are in other shoes, but I have finally concluded after a painless walk in an older model after continuous pain in my feet and knees over the last few days, that this ain't it.

Why did you change these shoes so much? I had the 14 and 18. They were so better. Not enough support in the 20's. I will not purchase again.

Why did you change these shoes so much? I had the 14 and 18. They were so better. Not enough support in the 20?s. I will not purchase again.

This is my first time buying Brooks based on many recommendations, and the Beast 20 was good for the first few weeks, but now the shoes I bought in July are already coming apart and uncomfortable. Very disappointing.

I purchased The Beast about 4 months ago. Love the feel. Wonderful for relief of my arch pain. Wear them daily. Unfortunately, I absolutley hate the mesh tops. My big toe on each foot started breaking through about a month ago, and now, is totally broken through on each. I'm too embarassed to wear them in public, so need to toss them.

The shoe itself: I was initially drawn to the Beast model back in 2014 because of its structure, support, and weight (15.2 oz. for one size 11.0 Beast shoe). It was the four-wheel drive s.u.v. of sneakers for which I had been seeking to alleviate my plantar fasciitis. Alas, the Beast model over generations 2016, 2018, and 2020 has become lighter, less structured, less supportive, and more streamlined. One Beast 20 shoe now weighs in at an unbeastlike 11.7 oz. I do not know the thinking behind the significant changes to the Beast model, but I miss the old versions, which I found to be both unique and functional. I recognize that the Beast 20 is Brooks? maximum stability shoe, but it has transformed over time from 4x s.u.v. to luxury sports coupe, and is now virtually indistinguishable from many other models in the Brooks line. The soft, fabric upper wraps the foot like a sock, and if walking/running sock is what you are after, the Beast 20 is the perfect shoe for you. Do not get me wrong: The Beast 20 is a great shoe for one new to the Brooks line, but sadly a disappoint to those long familiar with the Beast. Laces: One of the best features of Brooks shoes when I first came to the brand was its laces. Thick, cushioned, stylish, and functional. And by functional I refer to the 54? length that adorned my first pair of Beast shoes (Beast 14), affording easy use of the heel-lock feature. And now over time that ?best" feature is gone as well. First it was the length?shortened from 54? to 48", which no longer accommodated the heel-lock feature. It took 54? laces to use the heel-lock feature in my Beast 18, and to my surprise even 54? laces would not accommodate the heel-lock in my newly-purchased Beast 20. And that is because the eyelets in the Beast 20 are spaced approximately 1/4? wider than the eyelets in the Beast 18. And now I find that it takes 60? laces in order to use the heel-lock feature in my Beast 20, and then just barely. The approximate 50?-length laces that came with my Beast 20 are, for lack of a better word, silly. Not only is the length insufficient, but also gone is Brooks? trademark thick, cushioned, and stylish laces, replaced by run-of-the mill flat laces. I have had to go after-market to buy laces for my last two generations of the Beast model, and those after-market laces do not come close in style and quality to the laces that Brooks used to offer. Bottom line: Brooks should consider renaming this model "Beauty," as it certainly is no longer a "Beast."

The shoe itself: I was initially attracted to the Beast model back in 2014 because of its bulk and weight (15.2 oz. for one size 11.0 Beast shoe). It was the four-wheel drive of sneakers for which I had been lookinga great complement to my luxury sport coupe ASICS Gel Kayano. Alas, the Beast model over generations 2016, 2018, and 2020 has become lighter, less bulky, and more streamlined, and is now virtually indistinguishable from the Gel Kayano. One Beast 20 shoe weighs in at an unbeastlike 11.7 oz. I habitually purchase new pairs of both Beast and Gel Kayano every two years, but Brooks has over time lessened my reasoning behind purchasing both models. I do not know the thinking behind the significant changes to the Beast model, but I miss the old versions, which I found to be both unique and functional. Now the Beast has become virtually indistinguishable from comparable models in many other brands. Laces: One of the best features of Brooks shoes when I first came to the brand was its laces. Thick, cushioned, stylish, and functional. And by functional I refer to the 54" length that adorned my first pair of Beast shoes, affording easy use of the heel-lock feature. And now over time that "best" feature is gone as well. First it was the lengthshortened from 54" to 48", which no longer accommodated the heel-lock feature. It took 54" laces to accommodate the heel-lock feature in my Beast 18, and to my surprise even 54" laces would not accommodate the heel-lock in my newly-purchased Beast 20. Did you know that the eyelets in the Beast 20 are spaced approximately 1/4" wider than the eyelets in the Beast 18? And now I find that it takes 60" laces in order to use the heel-lock feature in my Beast 20, and just barely. The approximate 50"-length laces that came with my Beast 20 are (excuse my rudeness) a joke. Not only is the length insufficient, but gone now is Brooks' trademark thick, cushioned, and stylish laces, replaced by run-of-the mill flat laces. I understand and appreciate Brooks' desire to keep its costs down in order to maintain its retail price for its shoes, but I, for one, would gladly pay the small increase in retail price for those phenomenal laces that Brooks used to have, and of length sufficient to easily accommodate the heel-lock feature. I have had to go after-market to buy laces for my last two generations of the Beast model, something that I do not have to do with my Gel Kayano. Even my after-market 60" laces do not come close to the laces that Brooks used to offer, and that combined with lack of desired bulk/support is causing me to look elsewhere for that four-wheel drive sneaker that I want and need. Brooks should consider renaming this model to "Beauty," as it certainly is no longer a "Beast."

the support for the inside heel of the left show has begun to collapse. very disappointing.

Not as comfortable as the other 8 pairs of beasts I have had started having sore feets soon as I started wearing them I loved all the other pairs I had

I Like the style of the shoe, but other than that, I notice a significant difference in support between the 20s vs 18s. I deliberately buy Beast given its industry leading arch support. Unfortunately the support is noticeable and am back to buying custom orthotics. Which means, there is no point in buying Beast shoes. Just get the adrenaline. Brooks has Reverse engineered this model to the point of irrelevancy. Seems like they caved to the "heavy look" complaints from previous models.

I wear a 4E and so the revision to the fit of the Beast 20 from past models didn't work with my feet so regretfully I returned this pair. Beast 14, 16 and 18 have been excellent shoes for me however,

They?re not what I expected.