Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB Introduction
Should you can’t beat them, be a part of them. For years, Brooks resisted incorporating PEBA (polyether block amide) foam into their working shoe midsoles. Whereas most opponents had been fast to undertake PEBA know-how, Brooks remained dedicated to their conventional, supercritical EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) midsoles.
This stubbornness resulted in Brooks lagging behind its opponents within the quickly evolving market of high-performance racers, each by way of technological efficiency and general gross sales.
When I reviewed the Hyperion Elite 4 final 12 months, it felt like extra of a coaching shoe than a racer. It had a flat journey with out a lot vitality return. It didn’t present a excessive stage of pace help like the opposite flagship racers and I by no means used it for any races. This was particularly disappointing as a result of its higher was unimaginable: gentle, breathable and cozy.
The Hyperion Elite 4 PB is the primary Brooks working shoe to get a PEBA-based midsole. DNA Gold is marketed to be 100% PEBA. In keeping with their stats, it’s 11% lighter and has 14% extra vitality return than DNA Flash v2.
The Brooks elite athletes have been utilizing the Hyperion Elite 4 PB because the Olympic Trials final 12 months. All of us thought they had been nonetheless utilizing the EVA model of the Hyperion Elite 4. It is because with out having it in your toes or in your arms, it’s not possible to inform the distinction. It has precisely the identical design because the Hyperion Elite 4.
The Hyperion Elite 4 PB weighs 7.2 oz (205 g) for a males’s US9. This can be a substantial weight discount of 0.6 oz (17 g) in comparison with the EVA model, the Hyperion Elite 4. It nonetheless has the identical 40 mm/32 mm stack peak and $250 value.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB First Impressions
My first run was a 33 kilometre steady-paced run. I used to be relieved that the Hyperion Elite 4 PB delivered the efficiency I anticipated from a high-performance racing shoe.
Whereas the higher maintained the consolation and match of its predecessor, the journey felt utterly reworked. The midsole exhibited a vigorous responsiveness that made it easy to extend my pace.
Nonetheless, I didn’t understand a pronounced forefoot rocker to advertise a smoother transition and sooner toe-off. Regardless of this, the general really feel of the shoe instilled confidence that it was appropriate for racing.
The racer that it jogged my memory of most was the ASICS Metaspeed Sky Paris. Each have comparatively agency rides in comparison with the competitors however the Elite 4 PB has a barely softer journey than the Sky Paris. Each of them don’t have distinguished rockers.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB Higher
The knit higher of the Elite PB is probably the most breathable and well-ventilated of any working shoe in the marketplace. The holes within the knit are phenomenally giant they usually prolong all the best way to the rear of the higher.
The tongue is semi-gusseted on one aspect, and it has a lace loop in the course of the tongue, so it stays in place throughout runs. It has notched laces (first seen on the Nike Alphafly) that grip fantastically properly.
There’s a strip of padding on the within of the collar and heel tab to supply consolation and to make sure that your heel is locked in. It’s a remarkably comfy higher design and I skilled no irritation throughout runs.
The Elite 4 PB has a real to dimension, comfortable, racing match nonetheless, it’s designed for runners with slim toes because it has a slim forefoot and toe-box. Runners with huge toes may be capable of get away with going up a half dimension.
The Elite 4 PB lacks reflective components, a design alternative that underscores its supposed use for aggressive racing reasonably than on a regular basis coaching runs in low-light situations.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB Sole Unit
The earlier model didn’t really feel like a $250 tremendous shoe however the Hyperion Elite 4 PB positively does and it feels simply as quick as different flagship, long-distance racers. It now not has a flat journey because of its new DNA Gold midsole foam which feels much more springy.
I raced a 10K in it and though it wasn’t my absolute quickest time, the shoe’s design and know-how undeniably contributed to a pace enhance. The Elite 4 PB’s light-weight building, stiff carbon plate, and vitality return properties all labored collectively to supply stage of pace help. Primarily based on this 10K race, I wouldn’t hesitate to make use of it once more for future races.
Coming in at 7.2 oz (205 g), the Elite 4 PB is now a aggressive weight. It’s roughly in the identical vary because the Alphafly 3, Adios Professional 4 and Endorphin Elite 2. I can positively really feel the burden distinction on foot and the Elite 4 PB feels extra nimble than its predecessor.
The Elite 4 PB additionally has much more long-distance consolation. The longest run I did in it was a 40 km regular effort run. It felt comfy all through the complete run and and I used to be pleasantly shocked by the minimal influence on my legs- they felt nice the subsequent day.
The Elite 4 PB is a flexible working shoe that excels at marathon tempo however comfortably accommodates a spread of slower speeds as properly. This adaptability is because of a number of key options, together with a secure journey, a midsole with ample cushioning, and a geometry that’s designed for consolation, with out an aggressive rocker. These components work collectively to supply a clean and supportive expertise for a wide range of runners, from elites to mid packers.
The one factor that’s lacking within the Elite 4 PB is a distinguished forefoot rocker. Which means that you gained’t expertise an intense forward-tipping sensation as you transition from midfoot to forefoot. This design noticeably impacts the shoe’s efficiency throughout toe-off.
In comparison with footwear just like the Hoka Rocket X 2 or the Saucony Endorphin Elite, which incorporate a extra pronounced forefoot rocker, the Elite 4 PB doesn’t ship the identical stage of “punch”.
I used to be amazed with how sturdy the outsole and midsole of final 12 months’s Elite 4 had been. The uncovered EVA foam was extremely resilient and proof against scratches or chips. This made it glorious for rigorous coaching in addition to racing.
I can verify that the Elite 4 PB’s outsole just isn’t fairly as robust because the Elite 4 however continues to be extra sturdy than different racers just like the Vaporfly 3, Cloudboom Strike, and Metaspeed Paris sequence. Traction is sweet in moist situations as I didn’t expertise any slipping points.
Brooks Hyperion Elite 4 PB Conclusions
Brooks has lastly jumped on the PEBA bandwagon and the result’s a long-distance racer that may now compete with the opposite manufacturers. We ought to be seeing much more Brooks racers on the beginning line of marathons.
Whereas the Hyperion Elite 4 PB is undoubtedly a aggressive racing shoe, its design feels considerably outdated. It ought to have been launched final 12 months as an alternative of the Hyperion Elite 4.
Brooks has already offered a preview of the Hyperion Elite 5, and most runners will want to attend for this newer model, which boasts a recent and modern design.
If you’d like an entire Brooks solely rotation, now you can use Brooks footwear for all of your coaching and racing wants. Beforehand, Brooks had good trainers however lacked a robust presence within the racing division.
The Hyperion Elite 4 PB fills that hole and is the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle.
