The Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 is striking and looks like a super shoe in a way that no Brooks road or marathon racer has before. It looks aggressive and fast. So we’re off to a great start.
But does the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 deliver the performance we expect from a race day shoe? That’s exactly what I’m here to discover. This is our detailed performance review.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4
Release Date: February 1, 2024
Price: $250
Weight: 7.2 oz.
Drop: 8mm
Sizing: True to size
- Rundown: The Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 is striking. It’s aggressive and fast but not in a super squishy marshmallow way.
What Changed?
The Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 gets an upgraded midsole with DNA Flash v2, the second iteration of Brooks highest end foam. And while this nitrogen-infused foam is a clear upgrade over DNA Flash v1, it’s still on the firmer side for super shoes. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
I’ve talked with plenty of runners over the years who don’t like their race day shoes to be excessively soft. They want something lightweight and bouncy that aids in recovery but don’t like the feeling of sinking into the foam with every step. To them, it feels like losing momentum. The Hyperion Elite 4 is the kind of shoe that will appeal directly to that type of runner.
I like that Brooks has their own take on super shoes and isn’t trying to be like other brands. I’ve heard Brooks pros Des Linden, Josh Kerr, and CJ Albertson rave about this shoe. CJ Albertson even uses it for all his runs! I agree with them that it’s the best race day shoe Brooks has ever created.
The bounce is elite and the RapidRoll Rocker feels smooth and encourages speedy transition through the footstrike. It’s a shoe that works with me to harness the (lackluster) speed in my legs.
My favorite feature is the updated upper. It feels more like a track spike upper than a road racing shoe upper. It feels like it’s barely there, provides a ton of airflow, and smartly placed overlays on bottom of the medial and lateral sides keep the foot secure and on the footbed without sacrificing too much weight.
The SpeedVault Race+ Plate is also new and is billed as Brooks most advanced carbon plate ever. It’s customized to each shoe size to “provide optimized stiffness for every runner.”
Did I notice a big difference between this and other carbon plates? No. It wasn’t overly stiff and seemed to work with my foot quite well (where some plates seem to fight me). So while it’s a change, it’s not a game changer.
Pros
- Highly breathable track spike-esque upper
- Lightweight feel on foot
- Bounce from the DNA Flash v2 and SpeedVault Race+ Plate
- Aesthetics
- Stability
- RapidRoll Rocker promotes big toe engagement on toe off
Cons
- Slippery insole that needs to be broken in
- Placement of size tag within shoe
- Not much squish
Is the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 wide foot friendly?
Yes, like most Brooks shoes, the Hyperion Elite 4 is accommodating throughout the shoe. Narrow footers will get some scrunching in the toe box but due to the soft knit build it won’t cause hotspots. Wide footers will better fill out the shoe and won’t have to deal with the slippery top layer of the insole. They won’t slide around inside the shoe and should have sufficient room for toe splay up front.
The Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 fits true to size lengthwise.
Is the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 worth $250?
The Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 is worth the typical going rate for a marathon racer, the now normal $250. It delivers the weight, bounce, and performance to justify the price.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 Summary
The Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 is Brooks best marathon racing shoe to date and will be added to our list of Best Brooks Running shoes. The Hyperion Elite 4 looks absolutely gorgeous, is highly stable, light, and breathable. It’s also rather bouncy and responsive but may be slightly firm if you prefer a super squishy race day feel.
Along with being accommodating when many racing shoes are not, the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 delivers the type of performance that makes a race day shoe something special. Whether or not it’s for you depends on how you like midsole foams to feel underfoot on race day.
How does the Author Run?
Drew Whitcomb (age 42, 6’6″ 195lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.
Disclosure
While Brooks did send a pair of the Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 to facilitate this review, they had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and have not attempted to influence it.
