Brooks Levitate 2

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

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 10.6 oz · 26/18mm stack · 8mm drop

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 is based on 23 runner reviews and 5 other rated shoes in the Levitate product line.

Good

Overall

Good 87

Comfort

Excellent 95

Cushioning

Very good 90

Durability

Good 89

Appearance

Good 85

Value

Decent 70

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.

See the product line's history

Confidence

95 Very high

Very high 95

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.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

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

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

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

“Springy feel, lightweight, responsive”

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

“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

“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

“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

“Held up great for all different terrain”

5/5 Full review 70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 18

“A bit clunky for faster paced running”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Glycerin 16

“Very smooth heel to toe transition”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Glycerin 16

“Good amount of traction but a little bit slippery on trail runs”

4/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 17

“Wiggle room in the toe box”

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

“Have lost their "spring"”

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

“Combo of shoe and orthotic has been optimal”

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

“Deceivingly stable”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Glycerin 16

“Stick to a lighter less cushioned shoe for speedwork”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 35

“Not the most nimble for track workouts”

4/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 11

“Silver sole is very unattractive”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon

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 Oct 22.

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 87. This shoe has very high confidence. 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

62 2017 87 2018 79 2019 74 2020 78 2021 84 2022

Release year

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

Levitate 6

2022 · 5 reviews

84 Good

78 Confidence
Levitate 5

2021 · 0 reviews

78 Decent

74 Confidence
Levitate 4

2020 · 0 reviews

74 Decent

65 Confidence
Levitate 3

2019 · 1 review

79 Decent

73 Confidence
Levitate 2 This shoe

2018 · 23 reviews

87 Good

95 Confidence
Levitate

2017 · 20 reviews

62 Below average

95 Confidence

Runner 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: 10.6 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 11.2 oz · Women's 9.9 oz
Release: 2018 Q2
MSRP: $150
Stack: 26/18mm
Drop: 8mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

5/5

Overall

This is my second pair of Levitate 2s. I used to wear the Pegasus (for about 10 years) but no longer buy anything Nike. The Levitate has far exceeded my expectations and is so much more comfortable than the Pegasus. The silver sole is very unattractive, however.

Anonymous runner · Jan 28, 2020

20 mpw training for a half marathon

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

Brooks Levitate 2: Space age cushioning for the long run

5/5

Overall

The brooks levitate 2 Has a very comfortable upper. The midsole is very “space-age” with the silver color and has tremendous cushioning. The shoe is great for long runs but, is a bit clunky for faster paced running. The shoe is also deceivingly stable. The outsole wears very well. The shoe has a very smooth heel to toe transition. Overall, a very good long run shoe.

duaneomat · Jan 26, 2020

20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Glycerin 16

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

Fits like a glove

5/5

Overall

The knitted upper is super comfy and the cushion in the back part of the heel is too, while keep the fit snug but not constricted. I find them responsive and a nice ride but not too soft. And the colours (purple and bright pink) are cool!

Anonymous runner · Jan 21, 2020

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 23

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

Brooks Levitate 2

5/5

Overall

I am currently on my 2nd pair of Brooks Levitate 2. Initially, I was a little concerned the shoe would feel heavy. I admit during my summer runs they felt a bit warm and I got caught in two downpours in which the shoes felt like cement blocks. BUT, as I noted above, I am on my second pair. I feel they are durable, the cushioning is fantastic and I am happy to say I do feel like my legs feel good even on my longer mileage runs. I am currently training for a marathon with these with my longest run so far at 14 miles. I have not run a marathon in them yet. I like the knit upper and haven't had any problems with the heel. One thing that I did notice with rain or some slick condition, traction could be a bit better. I wore my first pair to 450 miles and they still felt good. I have just over 300 on my current pair. I usually wear a size 8 in my running shoes and this is the size I have in the Levitate 2.

Anonymous runner · Jan 11, 2020

40 mpw training for a half marathon

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

Doesn't Hold Up

4/5

Overall

The rubber outsole, especially in the back, wore out and started burning through the AMP foam quicker than any shoe I've ever owned. Maybe only got through 150 - 200 miles before I felt the integrity of the shoe was compromised.

Anonymous runner · Dec 29, 2019

70 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Ride ISO 2