Trainers are supposed to be renewed every 300 to 400 miles. Since January to the end of September 2020, Strava tells me I’ve run 431km. And that’s for the runs I remembered to record (I wish I’d had my Withings Steel HR Sport as that automatically tracks things like runs and rides when you forget!) Running experts will wince to know that I’ve been running in the same trainers, since 2010 and that also includes running the London marathon (in 2011). So you can imagine my feet’s sigh of relief when I received the Brooks Levitate 4! I cannot even begin to imagine the number of miles I’d run in my trusty (old) Brooks trainers, but it was time for a new pair.
When I first opened the Brooks Levitate 4 shoe box, I felt like there should be a small choir signalling the occasion with an ‘ahhhhhhh’. I definitely imagined it in my head. It’s been SO long since I had trainers and these were so pretty! Mine were ‘colour 671’, which is a blend of rose and wine colours.
It was a bit of a fight putting them on to start with as there is no tongue – or rather, it’s part of the shoe. As I’ve got fairly wide feet, it was a little snug but not uncomfortable. The first thing which struck me was how light they felt. And springy! This is down to their DNA AMP midsole technology. For a couple of days I wore them round the house, just to make sure they weren’t going to cause me any issues once out. What amazes me about running shoes is the technology behind them. Even the sole is specially designed with an arrow-point pattern on the outsole which lets your foot transition from heel to toe quickly.
Going on my first run was a joy and it made my old Brooks feel rather clunky and loose in comparison. I must have looked a little odd as I was bouncing all over the place, often trying to avoid any puddles or mud which would dirty make my fresh new trainers. My 5km passed by uneventfully and it was such a relief that I didn’t have any rubbing or issues with them.
Final Thoughts
The Brooks Levitate 4 were super comfy once I wore the right socks with them (i.e. actual running socks rather than normal shocks with the top folded over my heel – I know, I know, I need to run in ‘proper’ socks…). They’re amazingly light and comfortable to run in and we’ve enjoyed a good 25km in total so far. The soles seem a thinner than my previous Brooks but I had been consciously trying to run with more of a mid-foot strike rather than a heel strike, so I didn’t experience any discomfort which might have been down to that. I wonder how long I’ll end up wearing these for!
Brooks Levitate 4 are £140 and come in several different colour ways. You can purchase them from the brooksrunning.com website.
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