Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Brooks Green Silence review


(Originally published July 30, 2011)

[Since it's more than halfway through the year I'm going to be reviewing my shoes of 2011 so far.]
The Brooks Green Silence is a shoe I really wanted to love.  I have found that Brooks shoes fit me really well and I really liked the environmentally friendly features the shoe has.  Running may not be the most environmentally un-friendly activity, but it does have an impact and if I can reduce my impact marginally because of a “greener” shoe that would be great.
I have the original color, designed to match the Hansons-Brooks team colors, and it is anything but green.  Most people who mention the color say something about Ronald McDonald.  I wasn’t a big fan, but it gets points for creativity and having the colors reversed on each shoe is unique.  Recent colors are slightly more subdued, but still shy away from the traditional.
How does the shoe work for running?  I have mixed feelings.  It is comfortable and I’ve certainly gotten good mileage out of it as I now have close to 500 miles and the shoe seems to still be going strong.  It's quite light with a size 12 weighing in at 8.4 oz.  On a couple 20+ milers in it I felt like the toe box was definitely a bit on the narrow side and it started to cause some discomfort but for shorter runs it worked just fine for my foot.  My biggest complaint is that the shoe always feels like it is loose.  I don’t tie my shoes very tight normally but I felt like I had to tie this tighter than I normally would and even then it would start to loosen up.  I don’t know if this is an issue with the type of laces, the integrated tongue that is just an extension of the upper, the lacing system itself, the upper material or some combination.  Obviously since I’ve run 500 miles in them it hasn't bothered me too much, but it is a problem I’ve never felt in other shoes.  Also, I’ve found that double knotting isn’t always enough to prevent the shoelaces from coming untied so I’ve resorted to the occasional triple knot.  Another issue was noticeable in the winter, on wet grass and in mud and that was the lack of traction.  Compared to other shoes, this Green Silence is very slick on anything that is, well, slick.
The Green Silence is probably not a shoe I’d rush out to buy again,  but I wouldn't be unhappy to have another pair.  Its light weight, comfort and eco-credentials won me over but I think other shoes fit my needs better now and I am definitely looking forward to checking out Brooks' new PureProject shoes later this fall.  Still, I wish more companies would incorporate the green elements of the shoe into their own footwear.

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