WOMENS LAUNCH 4
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Aug 11, 2019
30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Lunar Glide+ 5
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Brooks Launch 4
Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.2 oz · 10mm drop
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Launch 3 replaced it
How it ranks
The Brooks Launch 4 ranks among the stronger daily trainers in our data. Value and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Durability scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 24 runner reviews and 11 other rated shoes in the Launch product line.
Good
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
92/100
What runners say
“This is the greatest out of the box feel I've ever experienced. It feels like I've already put 100 miles on the shoe when I first lace up a new pair.”
“The only downsides to the shoes are that they wear quickly. I busted out the sides of them after 400ish miles.”
“My only problem is the upper mesh rips in every version I've owned right where the toe box meets the mesh.”
“I have owned them for a little over a year now and put 20-30 miles a week on them and they're just now starting to be kick around shoes.”
“They're light weight and very responsive. They're supportive enough for long runs, yet light enough for reps on the track as well.”
“I have comfortably run up to 16 miles in this shoe with no blisters or chafing of any kind.”
“They don't do well in wet conditions. Prepare to have wet feet if it is raining.”
“With its low-profile heel-toe ratio and being relatively lightweight it makes for a solid daily trainer even for the most skeptical of minimalist runners.”
“It also works well with and without orthotics, which is a hard thing to find.”
“Only down side is these shoes only last me about 250-300 miles.”
Prefer this shoe over another
42% 13/31
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, long runs, tempos and track reps.
- It weighs 9.2 oz, and reviewers report it comfortable straight out of the box.
- It lists at $100, below the $150 median for daily trainers on sale, and six reviewers single out the price.
Cons
- Three reviewers report the upper mesh splitting where it meets the toe box.
- Reported lifespan runs from 180 to 500 miles across nine reviewers who give a figure.
- One of twenty-four reviewers so far says it handles wet conditions poorly.
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.
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.
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
-
Launch 4 This shoe
2017 · 24 reviews
86 Good
92 Confidence
-
2017 · 11 reviews
98 Exceptional
94 Confidence
-
2015 · 25 reviews
70 Decent
93 Confidence
-
2009 · 55 reviews
98 Exceptional
99 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 9.2 oz
- Release
- 2017 Q3
- MSRP
- $100
- Drop Height
- 10mm
Runner reviews
Brooks Launch 4 Review - Not Bad
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 21, 2019
25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 18
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 4/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Reader review
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2019
40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Reader review
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Dec 3, 2018
15 mpw training for a half marathon
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 2/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 5/5
Reader review
4/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Dec 3, 2018
15 mpw
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 2/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 5/5
Alternatives
Other shoes worth considering.
More from Brooks
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
Brooks Launch 4 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 3 next version
- Brooks Launch 2 previous version
Reviewers Also Ran In
- Brooks Launch 3 6 runners
- Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 34 2 runners
- Nike Air Pegasus+ 28 1 runner