Review of Brooks Men's Trance 11 Running Shoe

Customer Ratings:

Brooks is an excellent high-end shoe brand. I purchased this footwear from RNJ where they have an extensive fitting process. An employee helped me try on numerous shoes. After I wore each pair, she would ask me to jog around the store. She quickly discovered that I had an over-pronation. She suggested that I test a few stability-oriented shoes in order to prevent further damage to my legs. After she brought out several models, I narrowed down my choices to 2 Brooks Shoes. They were the most comfortable for me. One was the Trance 11 and the other one was ranked RNJ's highest stability shoe. Although they were both comfortable and had similar pricing, I decided to purchase the Trance 11 because the other one was too heavy. I planned on using the shoe for long distance training and competition. The Trance 11 satisfies both needs because it was lighter and also made for those with over pronators.

Pros:

1. The shoe offers maximum support. After running in my old New Balance Shoes for a year, I found that these provided much more support and thus reduced pain within your knees and hips during and after running.

2. The shoe looks decent. Unlike many running shoes, this one has a stylish appearance. I bought the yellow one, which in my opinion looks better than the other colors. The shoe is not bulky like many other maximum support shoes.

3.The shoe is very breathable. It has cleverly designed pores located on the tongue of your shoe. This allows sun light to enter the shoe and eliminate bacteria when you are not wearing it and sweat to escape when you are. The fibrous material at the back of the shoe is also capable of performing the same action.

4. The shoe had DNA technology. Although I am not too familiar with this technology, from what I understand, I believe that it adapts the shoe's sole to fit your foot properly. I believe it works well, because I didn't have to break in these shoes like many others of this caliber. It truly captures Brook's quality.

5. After running with these shoes on a trail for several miles, I am impressed with traction the shoe offers. Even so, it is certainly not a substitute for racing spikes. I plan on using it to compete because I am unwilling to make the extra investment into spikes. Also, these shoes will provide more than enough traction to participate properly in competitions.

Even though there are many pros, there are a few cons, which is why I gave this shoe a three star rating.

Cons:

1. The price is high. Although salesmen would justify the purchase of this expensive shoe because it prevents foot injuries that would require additional expenses, it is not a small amount to pay for a running shoe given that running shoes are supposed to be replaced often. I would never have even looked the shoe if I had to buy it at $140; at RNJ, they gave a 15% discount.

2. The shoe is a bit heavy. Although some people are used to it, heavy shoes can hinder one's ability to run a mile or longer. If the average person takes 2100 steps to run one mile, just one ounce of apparel means that that person will be lifting more than 130 pounds through the mile. The weight of the shoe is a very important aspect to its success.

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UPDATE AFTER RUNNING FOR TWO WEEKS:

The shoes are sturdy and haven't shown any major signs of use. They also did not need to be broken in. The laces are especially well built. I also thought the caterpillar treads worked reasonably well on wet ground. I still believe that the shoes are very good quality and would recommend them for everyone that has a large budget and will use them from long distance running.

UPDATE AFTER RUNNING SEASON:

The sole of the shoe began to part from the body of the shoe. This left the DNA technology exposed. I contacted a Brooks employee. After sending him pictures of my shoe, which was in excellent condition other than this defect, he shipped me a brand new pair of shoes. He allowed me to keep my old shoe. It is customer service like this that allows Brooks to retain so many customers.

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I have own other top of the line shoes in the past and have been pretty happy with them. These shoes are the best so far. I am 6'3 225 lbs and suffer from plantar fasciitis. I have no foot pain with these and my knees seem to like them as well. The only negative is that the heel tends to slip a little bit, but it's not a big deal.

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Purchased trance 11 after a good experience with trance 9. Was fitted at a running store for both products. I average 25 miles a week when not training for a half marathon. The trance 9 lasted about 6 months before they lost support. I was told at the store they were only 300 mile shoes. That is about all I got out of them. I went back to the running store thinking i would buy a different brand. After running in several different models the trance 11 won out. I was told the shoes were 500 milers. I have been running on these shoes for a year, including running and training for a half marathon. I felt fatique in one the arch of one foot last night while running 4 miles. This is the first pain or ached i have felt in these shoes. I guess its time to replace them. I have well over 1000 miles in these shoes. I am buying another pair of trance 11 if I can find them in my size.

NOTE:I am a 42 yr old, 74" male and weigh 205 lbs. I am sure weight plays a factor in the longevity of this shoe as with any shoe. I only wear my running shoes for running.

Honest reviews on Brooks Men's Trance 11 Running Shoe

After years of wearing New Balance 991's and their subsequent iterations my husband began to experience numbing of his toes and foot pain. Nothing seemed to alleviate the problem until he tried the Brooks Trance 11 Running Shoe. Because he wears these shoes as his primary footwear, it was important that the relief lasted throughout the entire day and was not limited to the time he spent exercising on the elliptical. I am pleased to say these shoes were so satisfactory that his feet are now pain-free.

Unlike Brooks Women's Running Shoes which seem to run a half-size small, the Brooks Men's Trance 11 Running Shoe seems to run true-to-size. An 11D fit my husband in these shoes in the same way his SAS work shoes fit. The interior length of an 11D, from center front to center back, is approximately 11 5/8"; the approximate width at the center of the arch is 3". For individuals who wear running shoes as street shoes, the black/anthracite/pavement combination is very attractive and much less flashy than other color combinations..

As a longtime wearer of Brooks Running Shoes, I was pleased that their men's shoes have proven to be as high in comfort and quality as their women's shoes. The Brooks Men's Trance 11 Running Shoe is more expensive than some other brands, but the fit and quality construction are worth every penny. As these are becoming very difficult to find, one often must engage in repeated visits to various web sites to obtain more popular sizes. I was fortunate to find 11D's at one of the trading post web sites, but I did have to visit regularly to get that size for an very nice discounted price.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Brooks Men's Trance 11 Running Shoe

I run 5 miles per day, 5 days per week. I go through shoes every 9 to 12 months. I had the Trance 10's before the 11's and was very happy with their performance, that's why I decided to stick with Brooks and try the Trance 11's. I purchased them here on Amazon. As you can see from the video, the mesh on the 11's was falling apart after only 3 months. I have already had to replace them. I've never had a pair of running shoes fail me so quickly. I don't know if I had a faulty pair, or if this problem is with all 11's. Other than this serious problem, the shoes were great. But for $140, shoes should last more than 3 months.