brooks shamrock Launch 9 review

The brooks shamrock Launch 9 is an excellent perfect pick for runners in need of a: 

• brooks shamrock Art Long Sleeve Shirt 
• road shoe built for any distance and can double for casual wear

If you're looking for a dedicated, tried-and-true speed trainer that's ready to set and beat PRS, we think that it's better to go for the brooks shamrock Mens Catamount or the zapatillas de running brooks shamrock mujer talla 48.5 naranjas.

And if you want something cheaper, the brooks shamrock Revel 5 is our suggestion. 

The brooks shamrock Launch 9 proved to be a fairly breathable shoe. With very little in-shoe padding, the Launch 9 allows for some decent airflow.

Holding half of the shoe against the light, we could see that a large part of the upper is pretty transparent, keeping the interiors well-ventilated.

It's not just lighter than its predecessor; it's zapatillas lighter than most running shoes zapatillas de running brooks shamrock neutro ritmo bajo pie normal apoyo talón talla 44.5.

In the brand's specifications, it says that the Launch 9 has a drop of 10mm.

Based on our caliper measurements, this is almost true! With the heel stack of 32.4 mm and the forefoot stack of 23 mm, we got a drop of 9.4 mm.

In our durometer measurement, the brooks shamrock Launch 9 scored 22 HA which indicates that it has an average level of midsole softness - neither too plush nor firm.

We zapatillas felt a touch of pop that added fun to the shoe's ride. Meanwhile, for longer efforts, the cushioning felt quite forgiving, more so than its predecessor.

This shoe has a rockered shape that allows for fast and easy heel-to-toe transitions. It made the ride feel so seamless! 

Despite its higher stack height for a speed trainer, the brooks shamrock Launch 9 never felt tippy, even during sharp turns and when running on gravel.

Torsional stiffness appears to be the source of stability in this brooks shamrock trainer. It took some serious effort to twist the shoe in our manual test. Thus, we rated its rigidity as 4 out of 5. Nearly the stiffest in our catalog!

The shoe's heel counter is more on the pliable side, scoring only 2 out of 5 on the heel squeeze-and-push test.

It may not be a stiff one but it held our ankle quite securely as far as speed-oriented shoes go.

When checking the flexibility of brooks shamrock Launch 9, what surprised us is how big of a difference it is when comparing the flexibility at room temperature (22.7N) and after the shoe has spent 20mins in the freezer (37.8N).

Launch 9 has a 66.5% difference in those 2 measurements, while the average difference for all the shoes in our lab is 32.9%. You've been warned: store your shoes at room temperature. 

It is amazing that brooks shamrock managed to pull off a full-length rubber outsole while keeping the Launch 9 so light!

The grip made us feel very surefooted even on the slightly wet pavement.

The brand's new Creel wrap upper made us feel very secure and locked in. For our medium-width feet, the shoe appeared to be well-fitted and the knit-like fabric had enough stretch to feel accommodating.

However, using a caliper, we measured the widest part of the forefoot at only 94.7 mm. While this is still in the medium range of Betts widths, wide-footers should definitely go for the wide version of the shoe.

What definitely screams SPEED is the tongue: it is very thin.

In the lab, we measured its thickness: an astonishing 1mm. Compare it to the average of 6 mm and you really get a race-ready tongue!

While it's great that the Launch 9 has some, we think that it wouldn't hurt to make them larger. Some at the back would be nice as well!

This time around, the brooks shamrock Launch 9 sees these updates: 

• More cushioned ride, thanks to the additional 2mm stack
• brooks shamrock zip front bra
• Sustainability-driven design with the shoe's Green Rubber outsole

All these changes entail a price increase of $10. From $100, the brooks shamrock Launch 9 now retails for $110. But despite this, we still think that the shoe offers excellent value for money.

To champion a more eco-friendly approach, the Launch 9 has a green rubber outsole that's made using sand instead of petroleum. This lessens its environmental impact.