Brooks Revel 9 review

In our opinion, the Brooks Revel 9 is an interesting shoe for:

• Beginners looking for a dependable, value-friendly shoe to start their running journey.
• Budget-conscious runners who want a reliable and durable shoe for everyday miles.
• Heel strikers looking for an affordable shoe with a stable, secure ride.
• Runners who dislike max-stack shoes and prefer a lower midsole.

The Revel 9 feels less agile than its predecessor, and the weight gain we found in the lab confirms it. Therefore, if this really matters to you, we'd recommend the Nike Interact Run or the adidas Adizero SL2 instead.

We also think runners looking for more performance should spend a little more and go for the adidas Adizero Adios 9. It has a similarly sized midsole, but delivers a much faster ride.

The Brooks Revel 9 delivers a clear jump in shock absorption compared to the previous model, with 127 SA in the heel and 92 SA in the forefoot. This puts it very close to the average, especially in the heel, which came as a bit of a surprise to us.

After the upgrade we saw in the Revel 8, it was clear that Brooks wasn't changing the DNA Loft v2 foam, and we'll probably see it stick around for a few more editions. Therefore, the energy return results remain largely unchanged, with 50.2% in the heel and 60.6% in the forefoot.

These aren't crazy figures, but we can't complain either, as we consider them solid for a shoe at this affordable price point.

At 32.7 mm in the heel, the Revel 9 maintains a moderately stacked design that makes it ideal for beginners and runners who dislike overly high-heeled shoes.

In our view, Brooks made the right call by keeping the Revel 9 from becoming yet another bulky shoe, especially because Revel fans are drawn to its approachable and predictable ride.

The forefoot remains just as easygoing, with 24.1 mm of stack height keeping it relatively close to the ground.

For runners who loved daily trainers from 5 or 10 years ago, this is a refreshing throwback to that old-school, low-to-the-ground feel.

The Revel 9 has an official 8 mm heel-to-toe drop, and our lab measurements came remarkably close at 8.6 mm. In our view, this is another smart choice from Brooks, as a 6-9 mm drop strikes a versatile balance that should work well for a wide range of runners.

AI is advancing at an incredible pace, so who knows whether it could fully design a running shoe in less time than we think. And surely, if you asked it to create a daily trainer that bothers as few runners as possible, the Revel 9 would be a strong candidate. Most of its lab results land remarkably close to our averages!

The midsole softness is no exception. We measured 34.0 AC, putting it right in the middle between soft and firm. After 20 minutes in our freezer, the foam became 24% firmer, once again landing very close to our lab average and delivering the expected response from an EVA-based foam.

The Revel 9's rocker is slightly more pronounced than the previous version in terms of height, although it still starts quite late and does not feel very intrusive during runs. However, it's becoming noticeable for a shoe that seems to embrace a more classic ride...

First of all, a quick reminder that Brooks offers the Revel in both standard and wide widths, and as always, we review the standard-width version in a US 9.

Therefore, let's get into the fit. In our first measurement, the Revel 9 unsurprisingly landed very close to the lab average once again with 95.4 mm.

The second measurement came in a bit lower than expected at 71.9 mm, suggesting that runners with wide feet may be better off opting for the wide version (colorways are limited as usual) or choosing a different shoe.

Our last fit measurement always focuses on toebox height, as this often-overlooked dimension can be very important for many runners. We really try to leave no stone unturned here at RunRepeat.

The Revel 9 confirms a slightly snug fit with 24.7 mm of height, delivering a secure feel but limiting the available room for toe movement.

Brooks keeps improving the Revel series' traction, and we certainly appreciate it. We saw the lab score climb from 0.33 in the Revel 7 to 0.57 in the Revel 8 and now 0.65 in the Revel 9, marking another step in the right direction.

Therefore, while the improvement isn't as dramatic as the previous jump, we're still happy to see Brooks moving the needle in this area.

The Revel 9 uses a highly-segmented outsole that strategically places rubber across the heel, forefoot, and central landing zones while leaving parts of the midsole exposed. We also observed a mix of elongated grooves and smaller cutouts that should allow the shoe to flex a bit more naturally without sacrificing too much coverage.

In our view, this is another no-nonsense setup that matches the Revel 9's everyday-running character particularly well.

We found a minor increase from 13.1N to 15.3N in our 30-degree bend test, making the shoe slightly stiffer and more stable than v8. However, we're not sure this is the right direction for the Revel series, especially given how widely it's used as a walking shoe too.

We have some bad news here.

The Revel 8 was a very positive update in terms of weight, but now we're back to almost the same weight as the Revel 7, marking an 8% increase over its predecessor. While 9.3 oz (264g) is not a dramatic change and is still very reasonable, it does take away some of the shoe's fun and versatility.

One area where the Revel has always performed well is stability, and it looks like Brooks wanted to raise the bar even further here. They succeeded, as the shoe now feels more planted and secure, but just as with the weight, it also feels a bit less exciting as a result.

We were a bit surprised to see torsional rigidity increase to 14.8 Nm, marking another jump from version 8. This makes the shoe more stable against lateral forces, but also less flexible and potentially less comfortable for runners who dislike a stiff feel.

The heel counter also joins the push to improve the Revel 9's overall support, scoring above average with 4/5.

But Brooks has made a bigger difference here, and this also help explain the jump in weight. The Revel 9 has a wider footprint than its predecessor, growing by 4.6 mm laterally to reach 116.1 mm.

In our view, this wider platform alone explains why the shoe feels more planted and stable, although it also adds some bulk to what has traditionally been a lightweight trainer.

It's definitely a wider shoe overall, as the heel has also expanded significantly, from 88.5 mm to 94.2 mm. This caught us a bit by surprise, not gonna lie.

In our first durability test, the Revel 9 got off to a good start. A final 3/5 score isn't top-notch, but it's certainly par for the course.

Brooks used a durable lining to cover the heel padding, resulting in another positive score of 4/5.

One funny thing about running shoes is that customers often expect cheaper models to last longer than expensive ones, and luckily, the Revel 9 won't disappoint. A 0.5 mm result here is truly impressive!

Outsole durability shouldn't be a concern for anyone. With 3.2 mm of outsole thickness and the excellent durability result we found earlier, this is a very good option for runners looking for a long-lasting daily trainer.

The insole (5.0 mm) is slightly thicker than what we usually find, but only by a small margin.

You can remove and replace the insole, but keep in mind that the toebox height is limited, so using a thicker insole should be done with caution.

Not large or particularly bright, but they still qualify as reflective elements.

Brooks has carried over the same lacing system from the previous version, using loops instead of eyelets in the central section to help relieve pressure across the instep.

However, pressure was never going to be an issue here. With 11.7 mm of tongue padding, we partly understand where the extra weight comes from, as well as the incredible step-in comfort you get from a shoe at such a low price.

The tongue is once again non-gusseted, but that's exactly what we'd expect from a shoe at this price point, so we're not negatively surprised by it at all.

We were able to easily grab the heel thanks to the extended collar design, which doubles as a convenient pull tab and makes slipping the shoe on much easier.

Value remains one of the Revel's biggest strengths, and with version 9, Brooks avoided a price hike, which we certainly appreciate. For runners looking to spend $100 or less, there aren't many better choices out there.