Brooks PureFlow 2

Name: Brooks PureFlow 2
Brand: Brooks
Rating: 4.2 (39 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 7.2 oz · 4mm drop · 22/18mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Pure Flow 4 replaced it

How it ranks

The Brooks PureFlow 2 trails most daily trainers in our data. Cushioning and value are its strongest sub-ratings. The rating rests on 39 runner reviews and 5 other rated shoes in the PureFlow product line.

Bottom-tier

49/100

Overall

Bottom-tier 49

Cushioning

Below average 65

Value

Below average 61

Durability

Bottom-tier 54

Appearance

Bottom-tier 50

Comfort

Bottom-tier 50

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

95/100

Very high 95

What runners say

“Comfy toe box, small drop, no pinch-points”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“Upper allows toe-box movement for foot swelling on long runs”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a marathon

“Shin splints went away after switching to these”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“Low heel-to-toe drop puts slight strain on achilles”

4/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a marathon

“Only lasts about 300 miles”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon

“Fits like a glove, holds foot in all the right spots”

4/5 Full review 40 mpw training for ultramarathons

“Well cushioned; wide forefoot with snug ankle and heel”

4/5 Full review 42 mpw training for a half marathon

“Not good on trails; rocks jam into foam and spike forefoot”

4/5 Full review 60 mpw 782 miles in this shoe training for a half marathon

“Low heel-to-toe drop and spacious toe box”

4/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon

“Lots of forefoot cushioning, durable, big toe box”

5/5 Full review 80 mpw training for a half marathon

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

At 7.2 oz it is well under the 8.9 oz median for daily trainers on sale, and reviewers use it for tempo and long runs.
Three reviewers praise the wide forefoot and the fit through the heel, though one finds the forefoot too narrow.
Three reviewers describe a smooth, flexible ride with cushioning under the forefoot.

Cons

Reviewers rate durability 3.9 out of 5, and three say it breaks down by about 300 miles.
Nine of thirty-eight reviewers who answered report an injury, and two link Achilles trouble to coming off a higher drop.
Three reviewers dislike the lacing, calling the laces short or the system awkward.

PureFlow 2 rates 49. This shoe has very high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Brooks PureFlow

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

Rating

40 60 80 100

49 2014 64 2014 58 2015 56 2017 61 2017 49 2018

Release year

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

PureFlow 7

2018 · 9 reviews

49 Bottom-tier

89 Confidence
PureFlow 6

2017 · 4 reviews

61 Below average

75 Confidence
Pureflow 5

2017 · 2 reviews

56 Bottom-tier

65 Confidence
Pure Flow 4

2015 · 11 reviews

58 Bottom-tier

89 Confidence
Pure Flow 3

2014 · 45 reviews

64 Below average

94 Confidence
PureFlow 2 This shoe

2014 · 39 reviews

49 Bottom-tier

95 Confidence

Reader Ratings

39 ratings

5/5 13

4/5 22

3/5 2

2/5 2

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 7.2 oz
Release: 2014
MSRP: $100
Stack Height: 22mm heel - 18mm toe
Drop Height: 4mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Reader review

5/5

Overall

Been running in the pureflows for 3 years, almost my whole college career! Great all around shoe, lots of cushioning up front, 4m drop, durable, big toe box, distinctive look. Haven't tried the 3s yet, nervous they're going to feel different. I like the virratas a lot too but they are way less durable and I wouldn't want to do too much mileage in zero drop.

cstad · Aug 27, 2014

80 mpw training for a half marathon

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

Reader review

3/5

Overall

Shoe tends to be less neutral than the previously worn Brooks Cadence. Feels like it's making me over-pronate, therefore not as comfortable over long distances. Felt fine the first few miles. Now I don't look forward to wearing them. Oh well.

highland83 · Aug 27, 2014

35 mpw training for ultramarathons

Comfort: 3/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 3/5

Reader review

5/5

Overall

I LOVE this shoe. I was looking for a minimalish (but not too much) lightweight every-day training shoe, and this one fits the bill: comfy toe box, small toe-heel drop, very comfortable, no weird pinch-points, makes me feel fast on fast days, Perfect for lighter, neutral runners. My only complaint is that it only lasts 300 miles or so, but I've never complained. Best shoe I've ever been in.

Anonymous runner · Aug 27, 2014

50 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 3/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

4/5

Overall

I've run in the Brooks Flows and the Brooks Flow 2 for the past 3 years. I find the shoes light yet still cushioned to be comfortable. I appreciate the low heel to toe drop and the space in the toe box. The shoes wear out quickly, so they're $90-$100 dollar sticker price is a lot for a pair of shoes that start to very noticeably break down at 300 miles. (I don't mind that they wear down quickly--they're light and not built-up--but I wish the price was less to account for their short lives.) Overall, these are great training shoes (not horrible for longer races either, if you don't have your flats), they're lightweight but still very comfortable and cushioned. I wear them a lot on trails and on the road. That said, the Brooks Flow 3 is nothing like the 2 -- it's narrow around the toes, the back of the shoe goes up too high at the heel, and it pinches my midfoot. Really painful--the only shoe I've ever worn that I physically could not run in.

nalacat · Aug 27, 2014

70 mpw training for a half marathon