By Paul Freary
With the Hyperion Elite 3, Brooks had an okay racing shoe. Well, it felt ok for up to around 5k. The nitrogen-injected foam had a little ‘bounce’ but nothing like that of PEBA-based competitors that returned that bounce mile after mile.
The Elite 3 reminded me perhaps of racing shoes I ran in when I was 20 years younger: a lightweight shoe with a great toe-off. The nitro foam was better than old-school CM-EVA, so sat between my lingering memories and the new wave of supershoes.
For 5k, I am still able to pick my feet up somewhat, so at least feel fast and the Elite 3 was a good, no-nonsense shoe for that distance.
Introduce DNA Gold to the shoe and now we have a shoe capable of taking on the big boys - Hyperion Elite 4 PB!
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Fit
The fit of the shoe is great!
It’s a classic road racing shoe fit - a little slimmer in the midfoot with a very open mesh design that is perhaps the most breathable construction on the market. Large apertures in the knit meant I could actually feel the cold wind blowing onto my foot as I toed the start line the first time I wore the shoes.
The shoe fits true to size in length and general width and as I mentioned pulls in very neatly around the midfoot for a secure lockdown.
The stay-tied laces are great too.
Stats
Saucony | Hyperion Elite 4 PB |
|---|---|
Best for | 5 to 10k, further for lighter, efficient runners |
Support | Neutral |
Cushion | Max cushioned, responsive, carbon plated |
Stack Height | 40mm heel / 32mm forefoot |
Drop | 8mm |
Weight | 7.2oz (204g) unisex model |
Suggested Retail Price | $250 |
Fit | True to size |
Rating | 9 / 10 |
Design
DNA Gold – A 100% PEBA cushioning is Brooks’ softest and most responsive foam to date and is a welcome addition here to their road racing model.
It’s combined with the same Carbon Fiber SpeedVault+ plate used in the Elite 3. The plate has a ‘web-like’ design aiming to allow the plate to adapt to varying size feet.
The plate isn’t as stiff as some and does have some flexibility, which for me feels just about right for this type of shoe, but I’ll talk more about how I think the shoe works best a little later.
The Performance Fit Upper is, as I mentioned, extremely breathable and as a result of the open construction of the design, it keeps the weight to a minimum. There’s not too much padding here, but remember, this is a lightweight racer!
Hyperion Elite 4 PB
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Performance
The first run
I was excited for this shoe. We’ve already seen sneak peeks of the Hyperion Elite 5 and heard how it promises a super-soft ride, so the Elite 4 PB seemed to sneak up on us to provide a stepping stone towards that shoe.
The only change from the Elite 3 is the new DNA Gold foam and from stepping into the shoes I immediately felt the difference over the Elite 3. It’s softer and noticeably ‘springier’.
My shoes arrived on Friday afternoon, but being a planned rest day, I decided I’d give the shoes a try the following morning at a local Parkrun. (A weekly 5k event held every Saturday morning).
Get to the start
I pulled the Hyperion Elite 4 PB on and jogged about a mile as a warm-up. Parkruns for me can be a rushed affair, a short warm-up, 5k ‘blast’ and a short cool down before heading into work.
The shoes certainly felt ‘lively’ when jogging in them so as we toed the line, I was confident they’d prove a good match for this 5k. We set off into what might have been the strongest headwind I’ve ever experienced. This out-and-back route meant we’d have the wind behind us on our return, so with this in mind, I set with a small pack as we made the halfway point in just over ten minutes.
Immediately on the turn, I decided to let the shoes go and see what they could do. With a healthy wind at my back and after a relatively easy first half I opened my stride and felt great.
Now, I think a large part of my speed was thanks to the wind, but at the same time, it helped me push the shoes. The response was great, and they did feel amazing. The shoe feels stable but highly responsive and springy but not too soft. The plate’s natural flexibility creates a smooth toe-off rather than aggressive and despite this not being the softest of shoes, for me, it feels perfect for 5k.
Competitors
The Hyperion Elite 4 PB sits in a strange ‘middle ground’ of racing models. While it is Brooks’ best racing shoe to date, it still isn’t the super-soft shoe that we hope the Hyperion Elite 5 will be.
It’s perfect for shorter, more ‘aggressive’ distances such as 5 or 10k. If you are the type of runner that can push up onto your toes for the race distance, then it’s perfect.
With this in mind shoes such as the Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 and Mizuno Rebellion Pro come to mind as the competition.
Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10
The Adidas Adizero Takumi Sen 10 sits below the Pro 4 in the Adidas racing shoe lineup and naturally positions itself as a 5 and 10k model. It has a similar feeling foam to the Brooks and its Energy Rods provide a similar, semi-rigid toe-off feel.
Mizuno Rebellion Pro
The Mizuno Rebellion Pro may not strike many as a direct competitor, but for me, I feel it’s the way the shoe rides that makes it a similar experience. Now, this will be different for different runners, but the Mizuno is also a shoe that requires the runners to be ‘up on their forefoot’ to experience the best of the shoe.
My Verdict
In short, the Brooks Hyperion 4 PB is their best racing shoe to date. It offers the smoothest, most comfortable and most responsive ride to date and to a small extent provides us with a small taste of what we might expect from the Hyperion 5 launching in the autumn.
The fit and feel are great from the moment you pull the shoes on and the response from the shoe when at speed is great.
It is a shoe that will suit faster runners and like many racing models, it gets better the harder and faster you push it.
For more aggressive runners it will prove exceptional. For proof of this check Josh Kerr wearing the shoes in the 5th Avenue Mile (November 2024), he was wearing an advanced prototype and his strong, forefoot gait puts plenty of power into the shoe.
For mere mortals, the Hyperion Elite 4 will be the perfect shoe for your next 5k and maybe beyond.
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