Test run a comfort crafted Chariot.
This ad features the Brooks Chariot CC(presumably standing for Comfort Control), an early motion control shoe, and successor to the original Brooks Chariot.
A lot of people ran in these shoes when they were around, if you remember these be sure to drop a message in our comments below.
Run with the speed of Lyte.
Weighing in at a “skimpy” 9.9 ounces, it’s the Asics Gel-Lyte. 9.9 ounces may not seem light by today’s standards, but at the time it was a very light shoe. Check out the ad for more.
This was a pretty popular lightweight trainer at the time, so if you remember wearing these, let us hear your stories.
Great for the road. Even better for your wallet. The Adidas Boston had a long and successful history in the running community. This ad features an early (possibly the first?) Adidas Boston.
The Boston was a soft, neutral shoe with a big following. Unfortunately, the popularity of the Boston has all but disappeared and Adidas may not even be making the Boston anymore (correct us if we’re wrong!). Please leave a comment if you enjoyed the ad.
There is some interest in the differences between Brooks old technology, Hydroflow, and their new technology, DNA. Hydroflow has been in Brooks line for over 20 years and was a very successful cushioning supplement in their shoes. DNA is trickling down their shoe line one shoe at a time and about half of their shoes have the new cushioning supplement as of this posting.
Hydroflow is a silicone fluid encased by a chambered plastic shell. The system works by allowing fluid to pass freely between an inner and outer chamber, as shown by the following diagram and real Hydroflow heel unit.
When pressure is applied to the center chamber (the center of the heel) the fluid flows from the inner chamber to the outer chamber forming a cup shape around the heel. Brooks was really ahead of their time when this debuted. Some of Brooks shoes also have a forefoot Hydroflow unit which functions in the same manner, although shaped differently.
Brooks newest technology is DNA, a non-Newtonian substance. Non-Newtonian substances react differently than typical substances in the way that they react to pressure. Here’s a little orientation to better explain the material.
To get a better idea of how this fits into the shoe, take a look at the following pictures. The first is a picture of full-length DNA in the Brooks Beast next to a heel unit, the second is a close-up of a single DNA heel unit.
Not all of the DNA shoes currently have the full-length DNA like the Beast. Some of the shoes such as the Adrenaline GTS 11 have separated heel and forefoot DNA.
These two cushioning systems are both great, but from what we have seen from our customers the DNA is a big improvement. The Beast and the Ariel have both been performing very well due to the addition of full-length DNA. Although Hydroflow was a very good system, it was time for Brooks to take a step forward with their technology, and is one of the reasons that they have surpassed Asics in the running specialty market.
For a size comparison, check out the following picture.
There is not a lot of difference in the size of the two heel units, but where the most difference is shown is when the Hydroflow unit is placed atop the full-length DNA, as shown.
That’s a huge difference in under the foot protection. DNA is really a cool feature, especially in it’s full-length configuration. I can’t wait to see this in their other shoes!
The cushioning materials discussed in this article are supplementary, the main cushioning material in nearly all running shoes is made of EVA or similar materials. EVA is the usually-white material that your feet ride on. These supplementary cushioning devices are embedded in the EVA to give it that little extra bit of bounce, but the bulk of your cushioning almost always comes from the “normal” midsole materials like EVA. Basically this means that you shouldn’t buy a shoe based on what the little pod is inside, buy the shoe because it fits and is the right shoe for your gait!
I hope this article helped you out with your questions related to Brooks’ new technologies, and thank you for reading. Let us know what you thought and please leave a comment!
There is more information on which shoes have DNA, and in what configuration. See the following picture:
Full-length DNA (the best) is available in the Glycerin 9, Trance 11 and Beast/Ariel.
Anatomical DNA is available in the Ghost 4, Defyance 5, Ravenna 3, Adrenaline GTS 12, Addiction 10, Cascadia 7, Adrenaline ASR 8, Ghost GTX, and Adrenaline ASR GTX.
Circular DNA (which isn’t that interesting) is available in the Vapor 10.
Additionally, the kids Adrenaline has DNA in the heel only.
Presumably this will also carry forward on future models.
Road Hawks stabilized flight.
This is a retro ad for the Turntec Road Hawk, highlighting it’s Anatomical Cradle ZO1 and the ZO2 insole.
Unfortunately Turntec is a running relic of yesteryear, as the running shoes are no longer manufactured to our knowledge. If you have any information about the Turntec shoe company or just enjoy the ad, be sure to leave a comment!
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Never buy another pair of dumb running shoes.
Here’s another Brooks Hydroflow ad, this one from June 1989. We aren’t quite sure which model of shoe it is featured in this ad, so if you know, please leave a comment.
It’s interesting that tests performed at Michigan State University tested Hydroflow and determined it to be 59% better than air, and 63% better than gel! If you enjoyed this ad, leave a comment below!
Here is a cool little vintage ad from clear back in ’77. This ad features the New Balance 320, 305, Trackster III, 220, and Competition.
It’s interesting to see that New Balance was very conscious of their sizing, accommodating as many sizes and widths as they could. New Balance is still well known for their wide selection of sizes, carrying shoes from AAAA to EEEEEE (and maybe more!).
The Saucony Hurricane is still available today, but it sure has come a long way since 1997. Saucony used the slogan “Loyal To The Sport” for many years, indicating their support of the running community. Click the picture for a larger size.
“Don’t Stop Training!” Those are words to run by, if I’ve ever heard them.
Here is a cool ad about Hydroflow featuring Bill Rodgers. Brooks is just beginning to replace Hydroflow with their DNA cushioning system. Hydroflow has been in service for over 20 years!
Plus, check out those Chariots! Those are the predecessor to Brooks current best selling shoe, the Addiction! Don’t forget to leave a comment!
