Customer Reviews Brooks Ariel '20

Not a good fit for me. Hard to keep my balance and gate in this shoe. Will donate it to Goodwill

I have been wearing Ariels (8.5, 2EE) for many years. The BEST model was the Ariel 18, they were supportive, cushioned, and stable. I have 6 pair, one I wear for my at home exercise videos, one pair are my "indoor shoes", and four pair that I still rotate every day for walking. I recently purchased the Ariel '20, and was extremely disappointed. The cushioning, stability and support don't come close to the Ariel '18. The back of the shoe at the heel always folds down when I put my foot in. I hope you can rework the next model. I can't find other shoes that meet my needs.

I have worn Brooks Ariels for years since they were called the beast and it is one of the few shoes I can wear after two ankle surgeries. The 20s have changed so much and are not a good running shoe. The heels break down quickly to the point it required a shoehorn in order to get them on so they wouldn't collapse. Bring back the older models or I will have to switch. I buy 4 pair a year but these are terrible. Time to find an alternative

I have worn Brooks Ariels for years since they were called the beast and it is one of the few shoes I can wear after two ankle surgeries. The 20s have changed so much and are not a good running shoe. The heels break down quickly to the point it required a shoehorn in order to get them on so they wouldn?t collapse. Bring back the older models or I will have to switch. I buy 4 pair a year but these are terrible. Time to find an alternative

Recently picked up a pair of Ariel 20's after years of 16's and 18's. I do not like the 20's. The volume is smaller such that there isn't much room in the heel for orthotics and a foot, where the earlier models had plenty of room. And, I'm not sure just what else was changed, but after 10-15 minutes of wearing them in the house, my feet AND knees started hurting quite a bit. I can only hope that whatever changes were made to make the 20's will re reversed back to the 18's in future models. I do not recommend the 20's for anyone who liked the 16's and 18's.

Recently picked up a pair of Ariel 20's after years of 16's and 18's. I do not like the 20's. The volume is smaller such that there isn't much room in the heel for orthotics and a foot, where the earlier models had plenty of room. And, I'm not sure just what else was changed, but after 10-15 minutes of wearing them in the house, my feet AND knees started hurting quite a bit. I can only hope that whatever changes were made to make the 20's will re reversed back to the 18's in future models. I do not recommend the 20's for anyone who liked the 16's and 18's.

I?ve worn Ariels since they were called Brooks beast for women. It was so nice to go in every few months and just pick up my new pair without even trying them on. When the 16s came out though they changed so much I had to buy up all the 14s in my size I could everywhere to hold me over. I?m out now and the 18 and 20 are still not working for me. The 20s that I have the heel is not narrow enough so it slips. I have the laces so high and tight it hurts. The shoes also wear our so quick too. Please bring back the sturdy structure and solid performance of the 14 and before!!!!

No longer the Ariel shoes of the past. Lacking in support. Too flimsy. I've had 3 pairs of Ariels, but this new model is not the same. Had to return.

I bought these shoes after a lot of review to use for longish (10-15 miles) distance walking. I tried them once and set them aside for the winter, and because my footpads were so sore after wearing. Now that the weather has changed, I bought some better quality socks and tried again. After 11 miles, I have the absolute worst blisters of my life on the insides of both heels. I am so disappointed given the positive reviews, my own research, and the expense of the shoe. Now I'm back to the drawing board unfortunately.

Purchased 3-22-21. This is my second pair of the Brooks Ariel 20 and both started to show wear and tear within a month. Poor quality. Would not recommend for the price.

Giving the Ariel 1 star, because it's wide and short on my foot. But I'm sure it's a rocking sneaker on the right foot. I've been trying new Brooks styles with a view towards getting re-inspired to get out and about. Need to stick to Ghost and Launch. Not having much luck with my other tries...Ariel's are wide and short on my Brooks size 9 foot. Hits my big toe, and I cannot see myself working around it. :(

I've been wearing Ariels for years. For someone who has an overpronate issue with one foot, the '20 is very ineffective in supporting that foot. The bottom is too soft and doesn't hold the foot like all the previous models. The '20 actually hurt my foot more. Now I am scrambling to find a sneaker that works for me.

Received new shoes, ordered the same size as my Ariel '18 which I loved. Can hardly get these on. They are at least a size too small!! Called customer service. They could have cared less. Told me I should have read the customer reviews. So disappointed in Brooks. .... Website says it will take 3 weeks to process a return. Angry and frustrated.

What did you do Brooks? Why change a perfect shoe? I have been buying the Ariel's religiously for the past 5 years as recommended by my physical therapist. They are/were the only shoes I could workout in without my knees hurting. I owned two pairs of the 18's because I LOVED them that much!! The 18's were solid and sturdy. They had the patented 'flextra' on the bottom and you could tell the density of the sole was carefully mapped out to provide ultimate support. They had that plastic looking portion under your arch for even more support. They were perfect and completely worth the price. This shoe...the 20 is beyond disappointing. First off, it's ugly. It looks and feels cheap. The material Brooks used for the sole of this shoe dents easily and I can tell it's cheaper quality than previous models. The foam is WAY softer, not as durable. The tongue on the shoe hits at an awkward place on the ankle and is uncomfortable. The laces are way too long, and again, I can tell, they are not as high quality as their predecessor the 18's. Honestly, all you have to do is look at the bottom of a 16 or 18 and compare it to the 20. The decrease in value and quality are very apparent and extremely visible. I never write reviews, but as a loyal customer who literally relies on your product to workout I feel so upset and pretty betrayed. With the 20's it really feels like you were trying to cut corners with cost of production and took out many of the specs of this shoe that made it unique, useful and worth the price-tag. I know you come out with a new model every two years, can you please just change it back to the 16 and/or 18 version? You're getting this feedback consistently enough (from looking through the other reviews for this version of the shoe) you should listen to your customers. We're not happy with what you've done to the Ariel! Change it back!

What did you do Brooks? Why change a perfect shoe? I have been buying the Ariel's religiously for the past 5 years as recommended by my physical therapist. They are/were the only shoes I could workout in without my knees hurting. I owned two pairs of the 18's because I LOVED them that much!! The 18's were solid and sturdy. They had the patented 'flextra' on the bottom and you could tell the density of the sole was carefully mapped out to provide ultimate support. They had that plastic looking portion under your arch for even more support. They were perfect and completely worth the price. This shoe...the 20 is beyond disappointing. First off, it's ugly. It looks and feels cheap. The material Brooks used for the sole of this shoe dents easily and I can tell it's cheaper quality than previous models. The foam is WAY softer, not as durable. The tongue on the shoe hits at an awkward place on the ankle and is uncomfortable. The laces are way too long, and again, I can tell, they are not as high quality as their predecessor the 18's. Honestly, all you have to do is look at the bottom of a 16 or 18 and compare it to the 20. The decrease in value and quality are very apparent and extremely visible. I never write reviews, but as a loyal customer who literally relies on your product to workout I feel so upset and pretty betrayed. With the 20's it really feels like you were trying to cut corners with cost of production and took out many of the specs of this shoe that made it unique, useful and worth the price-tag. I know you come out with a new model every two years, can you please just change it back to the 16 and/or 18 version? You're getting this feedback consistently enough (from looking through the other reviews for this version of the shoe) you should listen to your customers. We're not happy with what you've done to the Ariel! Change it back!