Brooks Revel 7 Review
By Bach Pham
Brooks Revel 7Price: $100 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 9.1oz, 257 g (men's size 9), 8.0 oz, 226 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 22mm heel, 12mm forefoot
Drop: 10mm
Shoe Purpose: Daily usage
Pros: Affordable, good walking and standing option
Cons: Midsole ride doesn't have much engagement for a wide range of running use
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Brooks Revel 7 is a budget running model in the Brooks lineup. It is one of the most commonly found models in select sporting goods stores at a low price point, making it a popular shoe for new runners to check out. It features Brooks DNA foam (EVA) in a far lower stack height than most shoes today. The Revel 7 new feature is a mild upper update in the heel collar over the previous version. With a no-frills package, the shoe is best for runners who like being low to the ground and for easy running and even moreso walking and all-around daily use.
SIMILAR SHOES: Brooks Launch (Launch has more flexible forefoot), Brooks Trace (Trace has higher drop)
PAST MODEL: Brooks Revel 6
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Bach: The Brooks Revel 7 has been a well-fitting shoe for me and my typically standard size fit. It has just enough volume and space around the toebox to be comfortable and a relaxed midfoot that locks down well. There's some padding in the heel that gently pads the heel without causing slippage. The shoe has a slight rigid heel collar and more flexible top half. Runners with heel issues may be fine, but should try it on to see. The tongue is very lightly padded and comfortable, providing no issues when laced down tightly as far as pressure goes. The insole is removable. This would be an okay shoe for an orthotic due to its neutral and mild manner nature. The shoe is very breathable and has been great for all-day use in humid weather. My only real downside has been the laces which are on the budget side here with a kind of bungie lace that sometimes feels like it takes a little effort to pull tightly. Otherwise, the Revel 7 is a very simple, standard fitting shoe. There does not seem to be a wide-fitting model of the Revel online. Those with broader feet will want to try the shoe in-store as it may be a snug fit.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Bach well:
Nike Pegasus 40, Saucony Guide 17, Mizuno Wave Inspire 19, Saucony
Endorphin Speed 4, Nike Structure 25
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Asics Kayano 30, Puma Electrify Nitro, Brooks Hyperion, Hoka Clifton 9 GTX
Shoes that have fit large: Hoka Gaviota 5, Reebok Floatride Energy X
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: No
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: A little clunky
Recommended for Haglunds: Maybe
Recommended for Sockless: Not bad
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
Bach: The Brooks Revel 7 doesn't have any changes in the midsole from its predecessor, but during my testing felt less springy and responsive. This year's model feels best at very slow, easy paces for logging daily miles. Picking up the pace, the shoe doesn't feel like it was giving enough comfort to do more than strides. The shoe features their DNA foam, a standard EVA. I'm typically a fan of lower stack height shoes, but felt like the DNA foam was not quite giving enough protection for longer miles. I found slow runs under 45 minutes to be best suited for the Revel.
Where the Revel does excel is daily use. The shoe provides a sleek, comfortable ride for walking and standing. Those who are looking for a less bulky model that's versatile for styling may be interested in the no-frills Brooks Revel compared to the higher stack shoes that stand out today. I have used the Revel for most activities and found it to be very suitable in that regard. The relaxed fit makes the shoe comfortable for all-day use. The outsole is very durable and does well in wet weather. The lower stacked midsole likely will have a shorter lifespan and will go well before the midsole does for most runners.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Bach: The Brooks Revel 7 is a neutral shoe. The firmer sole, full length outsole (which adds rigidity underfoot), and lower stack height does help make it a bit more stable than other trainers in the market. However, the slightly narrow midfoot and lack of overall stability elements make the shoe fairly neutral as a whole. (We talk a lot about stable elements for neutral shoes in our recent podcast!)
Culture Corner: Do Budget Shoes Need to Go? A Sustainable Question
By Bach Pham
Walk into an sporting good or casual shoe store and you'll see a host of running shoes in the budget category of anywhere from as low as $40 to the Revel's price point of around $100. If we are being serious here, most are shoes we at Doctors of Running would not recommend to people who want to serious embark on a running journey. Most have foams that are too firm - beyond the firmness of soles that people enjoy when they say they like a firmer ride - or lack quality cushioning for longer efforts. A running shoe should really hit the comfort scale for a new runner, and most of these shoes don't do that outside of casual walking use.
This begs the question of whether brands should even be making these at all? We are talking about serious waste for shoes that are being unused. I wonder if it would be better if brands would ever consider just cutting their budget production and scale up productions of their everyday trainer options and provided more sale options over time to help accommodate runners on a budget? Every runner or newcomer to the sport deserves a good, quality pair of shoes. Alternatively, what can brands do to consolidate and deliver a truly good budget shoe that actually is protective enough to help someone enter the sport? It does not have to do everything a Saucony Ride model would do for instance, but it would help runners have just enough support and protection underfoot to log easy day miles and build their base. We've had some great models like the Dynablast and even past Revels. It would be great to see brands put more energy into this category to help support runners on their journey and cut out some of these products that ultimately are doing more harm than good both for the runner's sake and environmentally.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Bach: My most direct recommendation is to work on tuning the DNA foam to be a little bit more cushioned and responsive. I like that the shoe itself is low stack by today's standard. It's becoming harder to find that and the Revel certainly has its place. I think for it to be a more comfortable running shoe for newer and even veteran runners, it needs to have a bit more cushion to sustain longer efforts. A couple more millimeters may help alleviate that some if they continue with the DNA foam without making it high stack, or adding 2mm to the forefoot and dropping it to 8mm to add some more forefoot cushioning.
I do think it's unique that Brooks offers an array of options at the $100 for those who want a high drop (Trace) or flexible (Launch) or more springy/stiffened (Revel) ride.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Bach: This Brooks Revel 7 is best for newer runners who want an affordable running shoe that they can use for everything from walking to daily errands on top of a few miles a week. Runners who like to do slow running may also find this a suitable option as there are less and less low stacked shoes in the market. In its current form, I would recommend checking out the Revel 6 first if it is available for a discount as the changes aren't pronounced enough to fully update to the 7. More seasoned runners should check out the rest of the Brooks line for a more high mileage trainer.
GRADES
Bach
Fit: A- (Fairly well-fitting shoe with no frills)
Performance: C+/B- (Limited use as a running shoe knocks performance. Those who want a combination light running and errand shoe will fine more use here)
Stability: B- (A neutral trainer over all with no stability traits)
Value: B (Good price point, even better on sale, but for its use vs. value it will vary for people's goals and be less for those wanting a pure running shoe)
Personal: B- (I really like it for just daily use, but in terms of a running shoe there's almost a whole market of shoes I would defer to first)
Overall Design: B-
SHOP | SUPPORT DORBrooks Revel 7Price: $100 at Brooks Running
Shop Men | Shop Women
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FURTHER READING
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A highly rockered favorite for many returns.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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