Brooks Ricochet 3 review

Brooks Ricochet 3 review and lab test

Ultimately this is a utilitarian shoe, it’s not screaming for attention, but as a daily trainer, it gets the job done without any fuss. This is a no-frills, get it done, neutral daily trainer, treat it as such.

• Buy this shoe if you are looking for a sturdy, consistent workhorse, that’s not overly plush or overly hyped. 
• Don’t buy this shoe if you’re looking for a super-fast, ultralight, carbon-plated shoe. If that’s the case, look at Hyperion Max - a race shoe, or Hyperion Tempo - a fast shoe. Also, if you want a super soft, plush riding shoe, look at Brooks cushioned line up (Ghost, Glycerine, Adrenaline). 

Super stretchy and super breathable!

The knit upper is fantastic on this shoe. Sure, it’s not cutting-edge, but I like it. It’s amazingly stretchy, I thought this shoe would be way too narrow for me when I pulled it from the box (it's only 113.7mm across in the midfoot), and while it accommodates my slightly wider foot, it also retains great lockdown. 

It’s not overly stretchy like the NB 1080 V11, and never did I fear rolling out of this shoe on sharp turns or varied terrain. 

What I like about this upper is it’s super breathable, allowing 17.4 LUX through on our light test. There’s no extra padding, well, actually there’s no padding at all to be honest, other than the subtly tapered foam ankle collar which increased from a very slim 4mm to just slightly thicker 11.2mm, gently hugging my achilles with every step. 

Heel stays put

Sitting atop of the lightly padded ankle collar, the Ricochet 3 has a flexible knit edge that hugs your ankle nicely keeping debris out. The thin, 1.2mm fiber-board heel counter was medium stiff and kept my heel secure. I hate shoes that have any heel slip, and happily, the Ricochet 3 locked my foot down well. 

Excellent midfoot lock

I’ve never understood the need for a heavily padded tongue, and this shoe reminded me that with the right design, superfluous padding is unneeded. The flexible knit tongue paired well with the matching upper which thanks to its ample 98.8mm forefoot had enough room to keep my toes happy without feeling sloppy at all. 

The Ricochet 3 hugs the top of your foot nicely thanks to its stretchy mesh gussets which extend from midfoot all the way through the toe box and have a nice smooth finish to them making it easy to slide your foot in and out of, which can be an issue on these sock-like uppers at times. 

Laces work (no wow factor)

The lacing system is fairly simple, complete with braided flat nylon laces. Not super light, but not heavy either at 4g, and they have a touch of stretch (.117 stretch ratio), just enough to be comfortable over the top of your foot. 

One issue with the laces is at 47’’, they are a bit short if you want to use the extra lacing hole at the top. Although there wasn’t any heel slip to fix, you still don’t have that option without abandoning the standard top lacing hole. 

Lacks the pop during the toe-off

The midsole is constructed from an interesting dual-layer construction, primarily of dull, firm BioMoGo DNA (36ha on the durometer) which I am not a huge fan of, and then a thin layer of softer DNA AMP (23.2ha on the durometer) midsole under the forefoot gives this shoe a bit of sensitivity by adding this thin, white layer of softer, springier foam. 

It’s not quite that of the pep of the Hyperion Tempo and the DNA Flash material that I love, but it feels more a little more peppy on toe-off and a bit softer on landing (if you are a forefoot striker) than the brickish BioMoGo. 

Although adding a dual-density layer of foam makes this shoe more interesting to run than other Brooks road shoes, it may come with some added weight and ultimately a more peppy sensation would simply be accomplished with a better midsole all together. 

This is not a plush shoe by any definition but it does feel better than the past two versions of the Ricochet which were heavier and less enjoyable under foot. Brooks is heading in the right direction here for sure. 

Smooth ride

Brooks says the “arrow point” outsole helps speed up transitions in a smooth manner, and although I don’t know if the arrow-shaped design really helps speed, I will admit I liked the full-length rubber outsole. It is firm enough (82.8hc) to keep this shoe running for hundreds of miles, and with a narrow profile through the middle there’s not much drag to be noticed.

The outsole is very consistent in firmness (as confirmed by a durometer) and height (2.8mm) from heel to toe, and rolls smoothly underfoot as expected for a daily trainer. The goal of an outsole is to not be noticed, and this outsole does that well in my book. 

Comfort level: hugs your foot

The fit was great for me. The upper hugged my foot nicely and I didn’t have any slip or hot spots. I think this shoe will work well for narrow and wider feet. And although there is no padding in the upper I didn’t want for any. The Ricochet 3 proves you don’t need all that padding and added weight to get a comfortable fit. 

Fortunately, it doesn’t feel tall

Brooks claims this is an 8mm drop shoe but our measurements came in at 6.8mm, and it didn’t feel overly steep, I think the factory stats could be skewed a touch, in an acceptable way. 

With 27.6mm of stack in the heel, I also really like how this shoe feels close to the ground. It’s not overly tall, in a world where tall shoes seem to be everywhere, and that gives this shoe a sense of balance underfoot without fear of any instability.

Feels light(er than it is)

It’s shaved almost an ounce from the past versions, which has made the Ricochet 3 a bit more nimble, and a bit more worthy of being in my daily lineup. Now weight is not everything, but when you can feel your shoes weighing down your legs, they are too heavy, and luckily these were hard to notice even though 9.15 ounces is nothing groundbreaking.

Although some would still scoff at a 9+ ounce shoe in these days of the ultralight and ultra-expensive footwear, thanks to the slim design and form-fitted upper you forget this metric the second you lace them up. 

Running experience: perfect middle in the world of daily trainers

The Ricochet 3 has smooth transitions on pavement and asphalt thanks to its consistent, full-length outsole and that subtle pep and cushioning you get from the DNA Amp foam in the midsole. 

Daily trainers aren't necessarily mind-blowing, they should be able to work every day without fuss. Sure, it’s not a Hyperion Tempo which is fast and light, but it’s not a Glycerine which is overly cushioned and slow. There’s a happy middle ground here for those looking for a shoe that works well on hard-packed surfaces, without being on either side of an argument. 

Worth the money

At $120 I think this shoe is a value. It’s not super sexy or boasting the best tech, but it works, it’s comfortable, and if you like the classic, simple look, and the stretchy knit upper of the 2016ish era, it may be the right shoe for everyday, consistent training. 

Conclusion

I don’t have much to add to my conclusion, it’s balanced well, I like it on my foot, and I was honestly a bit bummed to be cutting it in half. I wanted to run more in this shoe if that says anything. But duty calls, time to turn on the saw!