Reader review
4/5
Overall
Og.guaranteed · Jun 14, 2026
50 mpw 2,000 miles in this shoe training for a marathon would buy again
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 3/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 3/5
- Value
- 5/5
Brooks Launch 9
Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 8.2 oz · 10mm drop · 36/26mm stack
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Launch 10 replaced it
How it ranks
The Brooks Launch 9 ranks below most daily trainers in our data. Value and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. Cushioning scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 20 runner reviews and 11 other rated shoes in the Launch product line.
Decent
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
86/100
What runners say
“It felt very hard and worn out (ready for replacement) from the very first wear.”
“I wish they were zero or near zero drop.”
“They are more durable than the zeros out there.”
“It can handle any pace well.”
“I like a lightweight, minimal-ish running shoe, but the Launch 9 disappointed.”
“Great durable, no-nonsense trainer.”
“Nice and soft shoes for runs and it's light.”
Prefer this shoe over another
17% 1/6
Where to buy
No offers available
Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.
Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.
Pros
- Value draws 4.6 out of 5, the highest mark of any dimension, and one reviewer has been through six pairs.
- Light at 8.2 oz in the men's build and 7.1 oz in the women's, on a 36mm heel stack.
Cons
- Cushioning draws 4.0 out of 5 across twenty reviewers, the lowest mark of any dimension, and one reviewer says it felt hard and worn out from the first wear.
- The Launch 8 before it scores 87 and the Launch 10 after it 99, against its 71.
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
-
Launch 9 This shoe
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
-
2009 · 55 reviews
98 Exceptional
99 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 8.2 oz
- Release
- 2022 Q1
- MSRP
- $110
- Stack Height
- 36mm heel - 26mm toe
- Drop Height
- 10mm
Runner reviews
Great value shoe for someone with big flat feet
5/5
Overall
I bought this shoe looking for a neutral fit because I have no arch and have not been disappointed. Nice and soft shoes for runs and it's light
Grant R · Nov 23, 2023
20 mpw
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 4/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 5/5
Wide feet, they work but options are limited
4/5
Overall
I wish they were zero or near zero drop. But they come in wide and they are more durable than the zeros out there.
Che · Jun 20, 2023
30 mpw training for 5K and 10K
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 4/5
- Durability
- 2/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Disappointed with new versions of the Launch
2/5
Overall
I loved the original version of the Brooks Launch and continued wearing it until recently. I like a lightweight, minimal-ish running shoe, but the Launch 9 disappointed. It felt very hard and worn out (ready for replacement) from the very first wear. I switched to wearing the Brooks Hyperion tempo for moderate to faster runs and rotating more cushioned shoes for my easy runs.
Anonymous runner · Jun 15, 2023
- Comfort
- 2/5
- Cushioning
- 2/5
- Durability
- 2/5
- Appearance
- 3/5
- Value
- 4/5
Reader review
5/5
Overall
Jeff Gardner · Jun 11, 2023
45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 2/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 3/5
Alternatives
Other shoes worth considering.
More from Brooks
Compared to other shoes
See how this shoe compares to others like it.
Brooks Launch 9 In Context
More on the Brooks Launch
- Brooks Launch 12
- Brooks Launch 11
- Brooks Launch 10 next version
- Brooks Launch 8 previous version
- Brooks Launch 7
- Brooks Launch 6
Reviewers Also Ran In
- Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 39 1 runner