Brooks Levitate 2

Name: Brooks Levitate 2
Brand: Brooks
Rating: 4.7 (23 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 11.2 oz · 8mm drop · 26/18mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Levitate 3 replaced it

How it ranks

The Brooks Levitate 2 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 23 runner reviews and 3 other rated shoes in the Levitate product line.

Excellent

96/100

Overall

Excellent 96

Comfort

Exceptional 98

Cushioning

Excellent 97

Durability

Excellent 96

Appearance

Very good 91

Value

Below average 69

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.

See the product line's history

Confidence

93/100

High 93

What runners say

“Rubber outsole, especially in the back, wore out and started burning through the AMP foam quicker than any shoe ever owned”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Ride ISO 2

“Springy feel, lightweight, responsive”

5/5 Full review 26 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18

“Only got through 150-200 miles before the integrity of the shoe was compromised”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Ride ISO 2

“Solid. Almost bulky. And yet I loved it from the minute I slipped it on”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Freedom ISO 2

“Felt warm, and in downpours the shoes felt like cement blocks”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon

“My foot doesn't move at all”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 9

“Responsive and a nice ride but not too soft”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 23

“Lasted over 300 miles without any type of structural damage”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for middle distance came from the HOKA Arahi 2

“Bottom of the shoe seems to wear through rather quickly”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for middle distance came from the HOKA Arahi 2

“Tread is not great and can be slippery”

5/5 Full review 26 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18

Prefer this shoe over another

60% 15/25

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Runners report heavy cushioning that keeps legs fresh on long, easy miles.
Reviewers find the knit upper comfortable and secure without break-in.
Reviewers report 450 to 600 miles from a pair.

Cons

Several reviewers call it heavy at 11.2 oz and clunky at faster paces.
Three runners find traction slippery on wet roads and dirt.
Two reviewers have the outsole wear through fast, one at 150 to 200 miles.

Levitate 2 rates 96. This shoe has high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Brooks Levitate

Each dot is one version of the Levitate, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

59 2017 96 2018 81 2019 82 2022

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Levitate 6

2022 · 5 reviews

82 Good

40 Confidence
Levitate 3

2019 · 1 review

81 Good

32 Confidence
Levitate 2 This shoe

2018 · 23 reviews

96 Excellent

93 Confidence
Levitate

2017 · 20 reviews

59 Bottom-tier

92 Confidence

Reader Ratings

23 ratings

5/5 16

4/5 7

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 11.2 oz
Release: 2018 Q2
MSRP: $150
Stack Height: 26mm heel - 18mm toe
Drop Height: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Great lightweight trainer with decent support and durability

5/5

Overall

I'm a high mileage runner who normally trains in an adrenaline. The Adrenaline is a GREAT shoe, but trying the Levitate 2 was a great change to my training shoes. The Levitate is about the same weight, but the feel is much lighter. It has some cushion with the DNA AMP technology, and its forgiving. I've run some miles on the road and the trails and it's held up great for all different terrain. Running around 70 miles a week, it doesn't take long for shoes to break down, but these have been holding up great. Overall a great shoe that lasts and has the comfort to keep me going!

caffeine26.2 · Oct 1, 2018

70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

A True Energizer

5/5

Overall

From rotating through several brands and versions of shoes, my local running store advised me to try the Brooks Levitate 2 to provide a blister-free experience. I was amazed at the difference the shoes made in a weeks time. All my blisters and black toenails were almost gone! It is hard to manage these issues when running 70 miles a week, but with the help of the Brooks Levitate 2, it has made my running experience enjoyable again. When I run, I get an instant boost from the DNA technology to be more efficient with my turnover. I would definitely recommend this for any serious runner who needs that extreme oomph during those long mileage days!

Anonymous runner · Aug 19, 2018

70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 10

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

Blocky solid all purpose trainer

5/5

Overall

I was surprised when I picked this one out. The Run 816 salesguy, who had sold me my last shoe - Saucony Freedom ISO - said "this is Brooks' answer to the Freedom," which is funny because the Freedom was sort of Saucony's answer to adidas Boost. Anyway, I was surprised because the thing is ... solid. Almost bulky. And yet I loved it from the minute I slipped it on. I had recently switched to stock orthotics (Kneed2Run) and those slipped into the Levitate just fine. I've run mostly roads, some turf and gravel, and the combo of shoe and orthotic has been optimal. The last of my rookie aches, on my L piriformis and R patellar tendon, disappeared during the time I have run in the shoe. I can't heap all the credit on the shoe but it certainly didn't hurt. The wear after nearly 600 miles is about what I would expect. After I move to a new trainer and give these a wash the Levitate will be a great fashion shoe -- nice subdued black and silver look.

KCgeezer · Jul 24, 2018

35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Freedom ISO 2