Brooks Transcend 7, Men’s Running Shoes

Product Information

As your foot strikes the ground, the segments work together to customize your individual lay down to provide the right amount of cushion and seamless heel-to-toe transition for you – making the most of all that effort you put into each stride. Guide Rails I jumped right in with the shoe but they really didn't feel fluid and comfortable until after about 20 miles. They are very stiff at first but free up after some break-in time. Transcend and Adrenaline have a lot in common: a supportive, cushioned ride and GuideRails in the same position. The forces are: foot – shoe – ground. Guide rails would work if the shoe was attached to the ground and the foot was independent, like the sides of a water flume. But it isn’t – the ground is the independent factor and shoe/foot moves together.

However, the latest rendition combines better placement of GuideRails onto newly formulated DNA midsole material, with a super-supportive yet not-so-restrictive upper, all of which is softer and more flexible without sacrificing necessary support.

The shoe is put together well and its heightened level of cushion and plushness will allow these to last for a long time which is good because the Transcend 7 is ideal for long distances. Excellent grip on dry and wet roads Brooks even replaced the medial post Rollbar with GuideRails on their beloved Adrenaline GTS 19 last summer. Medially, the GuideRails bolster the arch of the shoe to direct foot motion forward rather than inward. The Transcend 3’s Guide rail rim and the lower midsole are now co-molded instead of being glued together. So all that saved glue seemed to find its way in form of smudges over the shoe.

The Transcend 3 (on right) has an exaggerated heel edge angle. This is clearly noticeable during runs, compared to the subdued edge of the T2.(left) Singular in their pursuit since the turn of the millennium, Brooks has developed into a brand that’s known and loved for helping runners to ‘Run Happy’. A mantra that goes against the grain of competitive, faster, further – to celebrate the joy of running and champion diversity and inclusivity in the running community. Stability” is essentially an effort to help the foot move efficiently, which guides the knees, hips, and overall movement toward injury-free performance, and Brooks has tried various technologies past into present. Launched in 2010, DNA is a cushioning technology that is also present in most of Brooks’ running shoes.

I knew right away that I made the right decision to go up a half size from what I ran in for Transcend 4. The length is true, to slightly small, to size, but the width is narrow. What makes this technology incredible to me is that Brooks decided not to patent it, but to offer it as a “open source” innovation for any other shoe producer to use. Way to go! Brooks DNA 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. Since the Transcend (still) does not offer an optional sizing width, a spacious upper might actually be a good thing. This is a reason for wide-footed runners to be happy about. On the flip side, Transcend loyalists who loved its ultra snug and supportive upper will find the T3 wanting in that aspect. A half size bigger still works for me, still hugs my heel securely, even though I had to go up, for the forefoot fit.