Brooks Pure Flow

My latest toy. A green Brooks Pure Flow. My third Brook shoe. The Brook Flow is touted to be Brook's Minimalist shoe. It boast a totally a brand new design from traditional trainer and come with a 4mm heel to toe drop to qualify for its minimalist title and weigh only about 250 gm just a little teeny weeny bit heavier than the Saucony Kinvara.

Design This is the side view. Not too bad looking except for the grey sole. I thought black would have look better though.

The upper is made of the usual nylon material. It looks waterproof enough although I have not been able to put it to the test so far. What is unique about the upper is that 1) it comes with a what Brooks called a Nav band and 4 eyelets for the laces. Having read in some reviews that the Nav band may cause the shoe to be too tight, I was a bit concern that I may have to cut it away. But fortunately, the fitting was a tad on the loose side and this is not helped by the minimum eyelets. I had to pull the lace real tight to get a good fit. 

The Nav Band

I think the Nav Band serves no real purpose and in certain case can be more a minus than a plus.

Cushioning The ride in the shoe was soft. Very soft. After being used to the reduced cushioning of the Kinvara and the Terra Plana, it was a bit weird to run in a pair of cushioned shoes. The cushioning comes mainly from the BoMoGo DNA midsole. It is a bit too much cushioning for me. I likened it to running on a pillow. Nice for those who likes the cushioning but disturbing for me as I could not feel the ground.

Ground Feel. The sole is made of what Brooks call Brown Rubber. It promises flexibility, responsiveness and durability. There is a 4mm heel to toe drop but due to the cushioning and the thick outsole, there isn't much ground feel. On my first run, I did a short 3km interval and was very distracted when I could not get the rebound from the ground.

T

Right smack in the middle of the arch is this bright yellow bulge. Initially it made wearing the shoe very uncomfortable as the bulge is slightly higher and one can feel it with every movement. However, as I worn it over a few runs, I soon got used to it. And the purpose of this bulge? Apparently it forces the wearer to land on the mid foot instead of the heel. 

Another thing about the shoe is the Ideal Heel. The curve of the heel again forces the runner to land on the mid foot. Perhaps, due to these 2 innovations, Brooks dare to call the Pure series of shoes "minimalist" shoes

Brooks has also added a sort of split toe into the sole. Again I has no idea what it serves. It is too stiff to allow for the big toe to flex, too shallow to house the toe properly. Maybe like the Nav Band it is just another "differentiate itself from the competitors" features.

Flexibility. Despite the bulge and the thick sole, the shoe is quite flexible. I can bend it at will and this helps tremendously in the mid foot running.

Conclusion. The shoe is light at about 250 gm. But still slightly heavier than the Kinvara, its closest equivalent. It is too much cushioning for those used to real minimalist or barefoot. Brooks can call it what it wants, but this is no minimalist shoe.I would rather think of it as a transitional shoe much like the Newton. Good for those converting from heel strike to mid foot and not for those going shod less. 

Date of Purchase: 7 April 2012

Cost: $110

Purchased from: KPI Warehouse Sale

Worn in races:

Nil

Retired: 13 July 2013
Mileage 703 km