When Brooks released the original Launch in 2009, it was onto something big, but the project was placed on the back burner during the minimalist frenzy. Six years later the lightweight, deep-cush formula that made the original a cult favorite is ($100).
Tempo-day light on the turnover, with a thickly cushioned but springy and responsive midsole, the updated edition was one of the most versatile shoes in our test—praised by mild heel strikers and midfooters alike, those with wide and narrow feet, with high arches and low. Brooks’s biodegradable BioMoGo DNA midsole had excellent resiliency and bounce both in low temperatures and as the odometer ticked higher.
If nothing else, the sunset of minimalism whetted our appetites for exactly this shoe. Welcome back. 9.8 oz; 10 mm drop;
Speed: 5
Responsiveness: 4.5