Reader review
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Sep 13, 2014
35 mpw training for a half marathon
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Brooks Launch 1
Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.1 oz · 10mm drop · 27/17mm stack
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Launch 2 replaced it
How it ranks
The Brooks Launch 1 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and value are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 55 runner reviews and 11 other rated shoes in the Launch product line.
Exceptional
98/100
Overall
98
Comfort
99
Value
98
Cushioning
88
Durability
85
Appearance
69
Confidence
99
Confidence
How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.
Confidence
99/100
What runners say
“Has enough cushion to keep your feet happy during a long run, but is flexible and light enough to be used for fast workouts on the track.”
“Enough cushioning for marathon training and races but not too clunky for tempo's and speed work.”
“Just straight EVA. Makes for a smooth ride and natural feeling transition.”
“It is so comfortable and supportive despite being light.”
“Over time it feels somewhat unstable in the heel, leading to some ankle soreness.”
“It is light enough for relatively fast training but solid for long training runs also.”
“The cushioning is pretty much shot at ~300 miles.”
“Relatively light, good cushioning, fits my foot well, and I don't notice it that much when I run.”
“One is 2 years old and still going strong after maybe 1,000 miles.”
“It's the first shoe I have repeatedly purchased since the old DS trainer.”
Prefer this shoe over another
48% 14/29
Where to buy
No offers available
Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.
Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.
Pros
- Reviewers use it for easy runs, tempos and marathons alike.
- At 9.1 oz, runners find it light with usable cushioning.
- Reviewers buy the same shoe again and again, one on a thirteenth pair and another through ten.
Cons
- Several runners say the cushioning flattens around 300 miles.
- Two reviewers replaced pairs because the upper wore through, one of them at over 1,100 miles.
- Two reviewers say the heel grows unstable over time, one of them getting ankle soreness from it at around 700 miles.
Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale
Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.
Confidence
50
60
70
80
90
100
25
50
75
100
Better Shoes Rating
Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Brooks Launch
Each dot is one version of the Launch, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.
Rating
40
60
80
100
98
2009
70
2015
98
2017
86
2017
93
2017
96
2018
85
2019
86
2020
71
2022
99
2023
90
2024
85
2026
Release year
-
2026 · 1 review
85 Good
58 Confidence
-
2024 · 1 review
90 Very good
75 Confidence
-
2023 · 12 reviews
99 Exceptional
95 Confidence
-
2022 · 20 reviews
71 Decent
86 Confidence
-
2020 · 3 reviews
86 Good
70 Confidence
-
2019 · 3 reviews
85 Good
77 Confidence
-
2018 · 29 reviews
96 Excellent
95 Confidence
-
2017 · 37 reviews
93 Excellent
96 Confidence
-
2017 · 24 reviews
86 Good
92 Confidence
-
2017 · 11 reviews
98 Exceptional
94 Confidence
-
2015 · 25 reviews
70 Decent
93 Confidence
-
Launch 1 This shoe
2009 · 55 reviews
98 Exceptional
99 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 9.1 oz
- Release
- 2009
- MSRP
- $100
- Stack Height
- 27mm heel - 17mm toe
- Drop Height
- 10mm
Runner reviews
Reader review
4/5
Overall
not the sexiest shoe I own, but currently taking me through the long miles of a training cycle
p-stu · Sep 12, 2014
55 mpw training for a marathon
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 2/5
- Value
- 5/5
Reader review
4/5
Overall
ra1st · Sep 11, 2014
55 mpw training for a marathon
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 3/5
- Value
- 3/5
Reader review
4/5
Overall
Overall, good shoe but the cushioning wears out faster than I would like.
Anonymous runner · Sep 10, 2014
75 mpw training for a half marathon
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 4/5
Reader review
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Sep 9, 2014
60 mpw training for a half marathon
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 3/5
- Value
- 3/5
Alternatives
Other shoes worth considering.
More from Brooks
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
Current shoe
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Best value
Newest
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Lowest price
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Best overall
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Best cushioning
Shoe properties
Type
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
9.1 oz M
—
8.5 oz M
Lightest
Stack
27/17mm
—
40/35mm
Drop
1mm
—
5mm
Release
2009
2026
Newest
2023 Q1
MSRP
$100
$120
$145
Best price
—
$118.95
Lowest price
$149.99
Ratings
Overall
Exceptional (98)
Good (85)
Exceptional (99)
Best overall
Comfort
Exceptional (99)
Very good (90)
Exceptional (99)
Cushioning
Good (88)
Good (80)
Exceptional (99)
Best cushioning
Durability
Good (85)
Decent (79)
Very good (92)
Best durability
Appearance
Below average (69)
Decent (73)
Very good (91)
Best appearance
Value
Exceptional (98)
Best value
Exceptional (98)
Good (88)
Brooks Launch 1 In Context
More on the Brooks Launch
- Brooks Launch 12
- Brooks Launch 11
- Brooks Launch 10
- Brooks Launch 9
- Brooks Launch 8
- Brooks Launch 7
- Brooks Launch 2 next version
Reviewers Also Ran In
- Brooks Ghost 6 2 runners
- Mizuno Wave Precision 7 2 runners
- ASICS DS Trainer 17 1 runner