Brooks Men's Trance 11 M Trainer

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.

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.

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.