Brooks Hyperion Max 3 Review

My size 12's came in weighing: Left 11.7 Ounces, Right 11.8 Ounces
Sample size weight: (Men size 9) 10.2 ounces
Heel Stack Nike: 46 MM
Drop: 8 MM
Upper: Engineered Mesh with Knit Collar breathable and lightweight mesh paired with a soft knit collar and tongue for a secure, comfortable lockdown at any pace
Outsole: Strategic Rubber targeted rubber placement for durability and grip without unnecessary weight.

Midsole:
DNA GOLD & DNA FLASH v2 a high-stack combo of PEBA-based and nitrogen-infused foams for soft landings and responsive energy return.
SpeedVault Plate is a lightweight nylon plate that adds structure and propulsion for efficient toe-offs.
RapidRoll Rocker Technology supports smooth, fast heel-to-toe transitios

MSRP: $200 USD

I ran 37 plus miles in a mix of dry and wet conditions on concrete, tarmac and dirt/leaves.  

I did mainly easy to steady state running

My long run was 13.2 miles in mildly wet conditions. 

Laces: They are a puffy lace that I normally wouldn't like, but they work well with the sock like upper.  Gives good lock down without pressure points, I understand the design intent here.  They are also a bit short.
Tongue: The tongue bunches a bit when getting my feet in, so I always have to straighten this out.  It did not seem to be a problem on the run
Upper material: Engineered flat knit provides a flexible and very comfortable fit.
Heel: With the design of the upper being a hybrid sock like upper, they do have a padded heel to help aid in lock down
Toe Room: The fit of the upper and toe room was great.  I tend to match well with Brooks uppers. 
Fit: The fit of the upper is true to size and very comfortable

The outsole performance was generally good.  Brooks outsoles are hard for me to figure out.  I ran in the wet and did not slip, but I often had a feeling of being on the verge of a slip.  It's hard to explain, but their outsole is missing that confidence building grip you get from a Pumagrip or Goodyear outsole.  I never fully feel connected to the ground with their outsole. 

Through 37 miles I am seeing some wear in my main wear area, but that may be partly because my mechanics did not get along with this shoe.  I felt clunky on the run and that may have negatively effected the wear pattern.   I also had some rock catcher areas as shown in the pictures. 

I expect average wear, which is disappointing on a 200 dollar pair of shoes.  My Superblast lasted over 500 miles at 200 dollars, that is what I would want.  

The Midsole is a dual density set up with a nylon plate in between.  The lower layer is DNA Flash 2 and act's as the stabilizing foam with the DNA Gold being the propulsive/bounce underfoot.  The Nylon plate is there to add additional return within the mechanics of the design. 

There is a lot going on in this midsole.  I do wonder if the plate is really needed.  There were times on the run that I could feel the DNA Gold, which felt like a bundle of energy being dulled out by the plate underneath it.   The plate is probably also providing some stability function in the design, but it felt to me like it was muting the best part of the shoe......the DNA Gold. 

I'm going to dig in a bit more on the ride in the next section, but in general I wonder if this much stack height is really needed and if I would get along with this shoe more if the plate wasn't there.  

The shoe is very rigid, there is almost no bend to this shoe, which is a complete contrast to the Glycerin Flex I recently reviewed by Brooks.  

I will say, when I found the "pocket" in this shoe it could be a very nice experience and my pace would be higher than I expected.  The problem I have, is it was hard for me and my mechanics to find the pocket.  I spent a lot of time on the run feeling like I was fighting the shoe over being in symmetry with the shoe. 

For my mechanics, the shoe mostly felt clunky and even heavier than it actually is.  For this amount of shoe, the weight really isn't heavy, but for me it felt that way on foot.  

You may be wondering why the score is still at 4 if I had problems and that is because I have read and listened to enough reviews to know this shoe really works for a segment of runners.  In fact it was a shoe used at the Black Canyon trail ultra, so there has to be something about me and the shoe that just don't mix. I even had pretty serious heel pain at the end of my 13 miler, so clearly something in the design and my mechanics just don't click.

Sometimes a very good shoe, just doesn't work for a runner.  That isn't the shoe's fault and isn't the runners fault, some matches just don't strike. 

Brooks always makes a very good quality shoe.  I know they put a ton of research into their shoes.  I was a huge fan of the original Hyperion Max (Near 500 miles in my first pair) and I could do all runs in that shoe.  This shoe, is not that shoe for me.  In all honesty, I will probably be looking to sell the shoe as it just doesn't work for me and I don't even see an echo of the type of shoe the OG was in this shoe, other than the name. 

If you get along with these greater than max, plated super trainers than this is one to consider.  If you have issues with the height or rigidity of the shoe, I would reconsider this shoe or try to find one used or on Brooks Restart at a lower price point.