Levitate 1's better than 2's
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Aug 12, 2019
80 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Levitate 2
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Brooks Levitate
Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 10.5 oz · 8mm drop
Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Levitate 2 replaced it
How it ranks
The Brooks Levitate trails most daily trainers in our data. Durability and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 20 runner reviews and 5 other rated shoes in the Levitate product line.
Below average
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 is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.
Confidence
95 Very high
Based on
The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.
- Brand rating
- Our ratings
- External ratings
What runners say
“Cushioning lasts and feels good throughout; over 350 miles with barely any wear”
“Top-notch comfort, no itching or rubbing, foot slips in like a glove”
“Cushioned enough for easy runs; phenomenal response when pounding pavement”
“Heavier shoe (11 oz) but doesn't feel heavy when running”
“Don't have to exert as much energy to hit target times”
“Got over 700k miles—a lot of mileage”
“Runs small—wore 11 vs. 11.5 in Nike”
“Much more durable than Ghosts, which kept ripping”
“Had to go up a half size vs. Ghosts”
“Responsive—the more you pick up pace, the more responsive it is”
“TPU is springy but firm; takes time to break in”
“Ankle lip creases causing a lot of pain”
“Incredibly slippery on wet surfaces”
“Clunky, heavy, and unresponsive”
“Super bottom-heavy with that new thick midsole”
“Pretty rigid; sometimes causes plantar fascia issues”
“Weight becomes significant on long runs”
“Incredibly comfortable with a smooth ride”
“Cushioning and energy return is unreal”
“Very responsive, but too heavy”
“First reaction: they're freaking heavy”
“Outsole is slippery”
Prefer this shoe over another
42% 10/24
Where to buy
No offers available
Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.
Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.
Pros
- Cushioning averages 4.6 out of 5 across the eighteen reviewers who rated it, and durability 4.5 across all twenty.
- Several reviewers describe a springy ride with noticeable energy return that rewards picking up the pace.
- Three reviewers report the cushioning still feeling good past 350 to 400 miles.
Cons
- Averaging 10.5 oz across the men's and women's builds, it is heavier than the 8.9 oz median for daily trainers for sale, and many reviewers call it heavy, several of them finding it awkward for speed work or very long runs.
- Three reviewers find the outsole slippery on wet surfaces.
- Value averages 3.8 out of 5, the lowest of its dimensions, and several reviewers call it pricey at $150.
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.
Better Shoes Rating
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.
Release year
-
2022 · 5 reviews
84 Good
78 Confidence
-
2021 · 0 reviews
78 Decent
74 Confidence
-
2020 · 0 reviews
74 Decent
65 Confidence
-
2019 · 1 review
79 Decent
73 Confidence
-
2018 · 23 reviews
87 Good
95 Confidence
-
Levitate This shoe
2017 · 20 reviews
62 Below average
95 Confidence
Specs & fit
Sizing and ride details at a glance.
- Weight
- 10.5 oz
- Men's / women's
- Men's 11.3 oz · Women's 9.7 oz
- Release
- 2017 Q3
- MSRP
- $150
- Drop
- 8mm
Runner reviews
My favorite shoe
5/5
Overall
goosemaster3000 · Jul 4, 2019
65 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Vomero 12
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 4/5
Heavy but underrated
4/5
Overall
Dubyah · Feb 6, 2019
35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Cumulus 18
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 4/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 4/5
- Value
- 5/5
Best Long Run Shoe
5/5
Overall
Wolfman365 · Jul 4, 2018
100 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 7
- Comfort
- 4/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 5/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- Value
- 5/5
Brooks Levitate Review
5/5
Overall
Anonymous runner · Jul 2, 2018
80 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Transcend
- Comfort
- 5/5
- Cushioning
- 5/5
- Durability
- 3/5
- Appearance
- 5/5
- 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 Levitate In Context
More on the Brooks Levitate
- Brooks Levitate 6
- Brooks Levitate 5
- Brooks Levitate 4
- Brooks Levitate 3
- Brooks Levitate 2 next version
Reviewers Also Ran In
- Brooks Ghost 9 2 runners
- Brooks Transcend 1 runner
- Brooks Launch 2 1 runner