Brooks Men's Launch Gts 9 Sneaker

Product Information

It’s not the most exciting foam out and didn’t feel like it was a game-changer for my running, but it’s difficult to find fault so far, it simply gets the job done. The flat laces stayed in place well during runs and workouts despite being on the shorter side. They also have the added feature of two extra eyelets at the top to adjust the fit accordingly around the top of the foot and heel, although this makes the laces abit too short and difficult to tie.

The Launch 8 and Launch GTS 8 are significantly more flexible than their predecessors. Brooks has omitted the internal bootie with a new air mesh upper. Some testers liked the increased flexibility. “My feet would tend to throb in the 7s after wearing them for too long,” said a tester who also competes in long-distance triathlons. “I did not experience this feeling at all in the 8s. I [do a lot of] long distance [training] so I need a shoe that is comfortable, well cushioned, and flexible. The Launch 8 is just that.” The bottom line is this upper is actually very elaborate in construction, very supportive and comfortable but I am not sure particularly breathable as while thin, overall the mesh is dense with no light showing through as seen in the picture above. Launch GTS 9 weighs only 8 oz. in women’s size 9.5 which matches the weight of the ASICS Gel DS Trainer 26 and Magic Speed as well as the adidas Adizero Pro, all fast shoes I’ve appreciated in the past two years. Mike P (GTS) The new Green rubber works well for the Launch and has a sustainability benefit.. It’s full coverage, but well segmented so it doesn’t restrict flexibility. It also feels soft, which is a good match to the feel of the midsole. Nothing hard or slappy. It works. Last year Brooks consolidated their neutral and stability line-ups, changing not only the names but also the fit of their stability shoes while retaining their stability feature of GuideRails. The light-stability model went from Ravenna 11 to Launch GTS 8, taking the name “Launch” from Brooks’ neutral shoe and adding “GTS,” now meaning “Go To Support” rather than the past acronym of “Go To Shoe.”Worth noting, sizing was the same as the previous model and I felt my size 8 fit just as it did previously.

I usually run, and prefer, neutral shoes and not stability or pronation control shoes. I tend to heel strike at slower paces. The GTS system in the Launch 8 was quite clearly felt. Not a problem per say but there. It was clearly an improvement over earlier shoes with the tech as the GuideRails were co molded or of the same foam as in the 9 and not glued in (and stiff as a result) as in early GTS shoes, an approach along with Nike’s Infinity Run rails I really didn’t like. My sample pair was a half size up from my normal US 8.5 and fits very well but it is long so in a future pair I would go true to size. There is plenty of toe box room, well held with just two small overlays near lace up. The toe bumper below the denser front orange weave is quite firm more vertical than the weave would indicate over the toes and clearly has a plastic stiffener of some kind.Sam: The Launch is a traditional 10mm drop daily run trainer that has been a long time favorite on the lighter, less cushioned, more agile end of the category. With the 8 we saw Brooks add a second Launch version with GuideRails GTS (Go-To-Support) thus replacing the Ravenna as the light stability trainer in the line up.