I loved the Brooks Racer ST 5 (REVIEW). I set my still standing half marathon PR of 1:11:11 during my first foray into that event in the ST 5 (and had a nice first 5k split of 15:50. Not great pacing). Despite being 8.6 ounces and boosting a 12-14mm drop, that shoe had the amazing combination of keeping your legs protected but being able to go fast. Prior to using those as distance racers, I had been training full time in lighter shoes. Yet there was something slightly magic about them. The fit was just right and the sole begged to go fast. I ran my pair into the ground, retired them and excitedly waited for the Racer ST 6. And I waited... and waited. All along I hoped that the updates would involve lower that weight just a bit (to compete with similar weights of the Adios, Fastwitch, Streak and other marathon racers), lower the drop just a little (not too much) and smooth out the upper. FINALLY word arrived of the update, a new shoe named the Brooks Asteria. I honestly was a little put off by the name change but my love for the ST 5 finally got the better of me and I got my hands on a pair. Are they everything I hoped? Yes and more. Why? Let's talk about it.
Stats (per Running Warehouse)
Weight: 8.1oz (men's size 9)
Stack Height: 27mm (heel), 17mm (forefoot)
Drop: 10mm
Support Level: Light/Mild Stability
Classification: Stability Racer
Sole/Ride
Brooks has
finally updated both soles of the Asteria and Hyperion (previously ST 5 and T7
Racers) to BioMoGo DNA. This means that thanks to the Non-Newtonian
integrated midsole material, when you place less force into the sole, it
softens up and when you run fast and put a great deal of force through it, the
midsole firms up. This was extremely evident the second I stepped into
the shoe. I was initially nervous that the firm ST 5 ride was gone.
Then I did a fast stride and that worry completely disappeared. Due
to the great combination of cushioning at slow speeds and responsiveness at
higher speeds, the Asteria is a great shoe if you are looking for a marathon
racer, workout shoe or lightweight trainer. I would be comfortable
warming up, cooling down and doing workouts in this shoe comfortably. The
forefoot and heel have similar cushioning levels, which makes the ride
extremely consistent through the gait cycle.
The ride is
definitely smoother thanks to a now 10mm drop (although it feels slightly lower
due to the nice beveled heel) and the full ground contact outsole. Both
these aspects add to the nice stable feel, along with the new interesting placement
of duel density foam. Unlike the majority of US stability shoes that have
posting or firmer midsole material on the medial (inner) side of the shoe to
"stop" pronation (hahahaha. Seriously though what posting
supposed to do is slow down the rate of pronation. More on this later),
the Brooks Asteria has second density foam that wraps around the heel with a
larger section on the medial side but some on the lateral side. This is
interesting enough that I am dedicating my "Thoughts as a DPT"
section to it, so check that out.
Similar to
the Hyperion, the Asteria also has so-called "Propulsion Pods" in the
forefoot. Do they work? I have to say that the forefoot area of
both shoes feel more lively than previous versions (T7 Racer and Racer ST5).
I notice more that the anterior (front) portion of the foot feels both
slightly more forgiving and more responsive upon toe-off. So for now I
have to say yes. I just hope they are set up to propel you forwards and
not upwards. That however will depend on your mechanics, which if appropriate,
should have enough hip extension and ankle dorsiflexion in terminal stance to
set up for your calves to propel you forward. If you do not have enough
of either, that's whether that excessive vertical oscillation comes from (also
know as bouncing). Those two are related too. If you lack range of
motion in either hip extension (tight or restricted psoas/hip flexors) or ankle
dorsiflexion (tight calves/talocrural joint) it will effect the other and you
will not get that leg driving backwards.
Upper/Fit
The upper
has improved an incredible amount. Gone is the slightly scratchy upper
with the slight taper at the toes. Now the Asteria has one of the most
comfortable uppers I have experienced. I would even try running sockless
in these as the inner aspect of the upper in the heel feels amazing against the
skin. The midfoot forward does have a mesh that is not quite as soft as
the posterior section, but with socks molds very nicely to the foot. The
fit is not super wide, more average to a slight racing fit. So those with
slighty wide, medium and slightly narrow feet should feel fairly comfortable
using this as an uptempo, workout or racing shoe. The toebox is much more
square than previous and fits very well. Again it is not a sloppy fit,
rather one that fits very nicely to the fit. I attribute this to the new
3D printing and would describe it as a performance fit but not a snug racing
flat fit.
Now back to
the amazing heel portion of the upper. Brooks has put BioMoGo DNA in the
upper! Yes. The same great cushioning material is now in the upper.
Never have I had such a great secure fit on the heel and have it be so
incredibly comfortable. If nothing else, try these just to experience
that luxurious upper.
Thoughts as a DPT
This is the
perfect time to talk about that interesting posting. The majority of
stability running shoes have posting, support or secondary foam (usually the
same things but not always) on the medial side of the sole in an attempt to slow
down pronation. Pronation being the inward role of the foot upon initial
contact or landing. 99% of people I have seen pronate to some degree
because that's a normal method of shock absorption. If you have very good
strength of the intrinsic foot muscles, posterior tibialis, anterior tibialis,
peroneus longus and more, you can control that motion and appropriately absorb
loading forces. During terminal stance or toe-off, that is when
supination is supposed to occur because that motion helps stabilize the foot
(via locking the joints) so the calf muscles can push off against a stable
base. Those are optimal mechanics. Supination at initial contact is
not a good thing. That would be rolling your foot outward UPON LANDING.
If the sole of your foot points inward BEFORE you land, that's normal
(that's more inversion than supination). That sets you up with more real
estate to pronate. Supination at initial contact, or rolling outward,
means your foot stiffens up thanks to that joint locking mechanism, and thus
you cannot shock absorb at the foot during loading response or landing.
So you will take those forces up somewhere else... more than likely at
your knee joint. Additionally, the lateral ligaments of your ankle are
not nearly as broad and strong as the medial ligaments (hence why lateral ankle
sprains are so much more common). The Deltoid ligament on the inside of
your foot is extremely broad, tough and is meant to handle loading via
pronation (although excessive pronation can slowly stretch that out. To
sprain that thing though takes a TON of force, so don't worry too much).
So you better hope you don't supinate upon initial contact as that is
definitely NOT a badge of honor. These motions all happen at specific
times for specific reasons.
Back to the
Asteria. The fact that it has both medial and lateral posting at the heel
means this will be one of the few shoes that can handle both mild pronation and
if you are one of the rare unfortunate individuals who have this, mild
supination. I have only ever seen this design on some racing flats in
Japan that I drooled over looking through Rakuten (Japanese Amazon). I
would assume that the medial and lateral posting is Brook's attempt to really
stabilize the heel in general upon landing. For those that land farther
forward you most likely won't feel this while running, but when running slowly
or walking it is an interesting sensation. Again with any amount of
stability, the idea is to SLOW down pronation or accessory foot motions, not stop
it. To stop those motions you would either have to cast the foot or the
posting would have to be completely rigid and non-pliable. I can tell you
that would not be ideal for running and my pediatric patients with rigid
orthoses (not orthotics) find them very uncomfortable initially because they
attempt to completely stop motion. And when you stop motion at one joint,
it gets taken up somewhere else (which may overuse that other joint without
proper preparation and strengthening). The second density foam is firmer
than the rest of the material in the shoe, with the attempt of guiding the
foot's motions forward, rather than forcing them. When you try to force
the foot to do things during high impact and highly repetitive activities where
really weakness is the only issue, that becomes a problem. This is the
reason I LOVE mild stability shoes and wish there were more of them.
Really most of us just need some slight guidance and to continue working
on our foot strength and stability. Very few individuals need something
like the Brooks Beast... yet I see that shoe frequently on people of all ages.
This type of stability definitely makes the Asteria an even more unique shoe. I must again state that the support is mild and not overbearing. So even those that have neutral mechanics may want to try this shoe if you find you fatigue late during workouts, long runs or long races.
This type of stability definitely makes the Asteria an even more unique shoe. I must again state that the support is mild and not overbearing. So even those that have neutral mechanics may want to try this shoe if you find you fatigue late during workouts, long runs or long races.
The Brooks Asteria is a great all around shoe. Although it is supposed to be in a similar class to the Asics DS Racer and Saucony Fastwitch, it is more similar and a great competitor to the Adios Boost 3 and New Balance 1400v4 with the addition of mild heel posting that increases the stability a little along with a full ground contact outsole. This is a shoe I would not hesitate to use for races up to the marathon, almost any workout and would even consider using it as a lightweight trainer. The upper is EXTREMELY comfortable, particularly in the heel region with BioMoGo there. The upgraded sole with BioMoGo and forefoot propulsion pods increases both cushioning and responsiveness, making this shoe even more versatile than the Racer ST 5. If you are in need of mild stability and are looking for a lightweight trainer or long distance racer, I cannot recommend this shoe enough. Or if you are one of the rare people that supinate upon initial contact and land heel first, check these out. I am incredibly impressed with the work Brooks put into this update and look forward to being continually impressed with future generations.
Thanks for reading and don't forget to Tack On!
-Dr. Matthew Klein, DPT
Disclaimer: These shoes were a personal purchase from Running Warehouse. I did run briefly on the road to test the shoes out but no more than what I would do testing shoes at a local running retail store. Due to financial reasons I will likely have to return these to Running Warehouse until I am able to start my job as a physical therapy licensed applicant in September of 2016 (I am taking my boards in October of 2016). If I do win a race that has free shoes as first prize, these will definitely be on the top of my list to purchase.
As always, the views presented on this blog belong to myself or the selected few who contribute to these posts. My blog should not and does not serve as a replacement for seeking professional medical care. If you are currently injured or concerned about an injury, please see your local running physical therapist or medical professional.