Brooks Transcend 7, Men’s Running Shoes

Product Information

You might want to size up before making a commitment and heading out for your first run in the Glycerin. The shoe felt quite snug, with separate tester evaluations reporting slightly crammed toes, chafing by the Achilles, and a midfoot that was too narrow, causing pins and needles. After my first run, I re-weighed the shoe, to make sure it really was as heavy as I’d initially found it (it is), since the ride is much lighter than ASICS Gel-Fortitude (which was .3 oz. lighter), New Balance 1260 v6, and adidas Supernova ST, the latter two of similar weight. Brooks has been around for over 100 years, but its story as a running company began in 1974, when the brand released its first running shoe, the Villanova. The shoe was a revelation: It was the first to use ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam padding, which was lighter and softer than other midsole materials used at the time. The Villanova set a new standard for running shoes–EVA is still widely used in running midsoles today. Like I said earlier, this is a lot of shoe, and that is a positive or a negative depending on who you ask. Now let’s get into the good, the bad, and the meh of the Transcend 7, shall we?

To me, the Transcend 7 feels more cushioned than the Glycerin. My theory is that the Guiderails place your foot in a way that’s easier to hit the ‘sweet spot’ of the shoe. Does science support that? Who knows. First walking around in Transcend 6 felt almost like flopping on those old waterbeds: Ooh, soft—but watch out for the wood frame! Like I found in the Glycerin 18, the cushioning is hella comfortable, just harder to find my natural stride in, even with the guiderails showing my feet where to go. Unlike traditional support tech, like a medial post, which adds a layer of firm foam within the midsole, GuideRails cradle your feet from the sides, so they don’t interfere with your stride if you don’t overpronate.

User reviews of Brooks Transcend 7

They do what they are supposed to do: provide support and a lot of cush. The Transcend 7 utilizes Brooks’ unique Guiderail system, which is firmer midsole material that rises up and basically cradles the mid and rearfoot area. Think of them like bowling bumpers keeping your feet in a neutral position; nothing forceful or harsh. I’m a neutral runner, so this was appreciated. Having your gait tapped gently into place on tired legs is also appreciated. Non-running related side note: I’m a terrible bowler. While it’s nothing new, the DNA Loft has a nice way of adapting to the foot’s movement and keeps the ample cushioning consistent throughout. Beat up marathon-training legs will appreciate the Transcend 7. I took them on both short and medium distance runs of about 8-9 minute pace, with two of them being double runs after workouts. I wore them feeling somewhat fresh, and I wore them feeling beat up after a 5 x 1-mile workout that morning. Thanks for the kind words! We have a dozen reviewers of all abilities sizes and ages and none are fans of pronation control shoes of the traditional posted variety beyond those that also include decent front flex such as Ravenna 9 and Kayano. That should tell you something as we all pronate some and I think few need extreme measures of control,, Yes some do but I feel motion control is if you will "over prescribed". Many neutral shoes provide very good support without relying on more extreme measures. I personally also am not a fan of rails based shoes such as the Transcend which in fact are more focused on knee stability than pronation control. I will test pronation control as will some of other testers and just did the excellent (for me) Kayano 27 which relies on what I feel is a much more sophisticated system which is more adaptive. Our review is here: https://www.roadtrailrun.com/2020/05/asics-gel-kayano-27-review-refined.html

Medial posts have proven unhelpful; GuideRails are the brand’s latest innovation, to begin again at the beginning with the basic design of a shoe, and change what had become industry standard for “stability.

Anatomy of a Shoe

Transcend offers more stability than the brand’s Ravenna, while bringing in the comfort users love in Glycerin, Brooks’ premium cushioned model.