Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 review

The Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 could be an excellent choice for:

• Brooks fans looking for the brand's top-tier racing shoe to chase personal bests.
• Runners who prefer a super shoe with an exceptionally plush underfoot feel.
• Heel strikers that want a high-drop shoe also for competition.
• Racers who prioritise upper quality and breathability, two areas where Brooks stands out against most competitors.

We found that despite making huge progress in recent years, the Hyperion Elite 6 still falls short of the top super shoes. If you're looking for maximum racing performance, we recommend the PUMA Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 or the ASICS Metaspeed Ray instead.

In our opinion, the aggressive forefoot rocker and stiff carbon plate create a fierce combination that won't feel equally natural to every runner. Therefore, we believe those who prefer a more classic racing feel should consider the Nike Vaporfly 4 instead.

Brooks has made the Hyperion Elite 6 a serious contender in the marathon racing category, and cushioning is one of the reasons why. Despite its lightweight construction, this shoe delivers incredible impact protection.

We measured an impressive 159 SA in the heel and 123 SA in the forefoot, both comfortably above average and also an improvement over its predecessor. In our view, this is excellent news for marathon runners, especially heel strikers who need substantial cushioning to handle the repeated impacts of long-distance racing.

We found the same PEBA-based DNA Gold foam in the Hyperion Elite 6, although energy return was slightly lower. We recorded 75.2% in the forefoot, an very good result that puts the shoe firmly in super shoe territory. However, the heel delivered a more modest 65.4%.

If we had to choose where to get more bounce, we'd definitely pick the forefoot, as that's where the push-off phase happens. However, if Brooks wants to compete with the likes of PUMA and adidas in the super shoe category, we believe it still needs to take another step forward in this area.

We measured 39.9 mm in the heel, almost reaching the 40 mm limit established by World Athletics for road racing shoes.

It's a generous amount of foam, and we appreciate how Brooks has managed to push so close to the maximum permitted height.

Moving to the forefoot, we measured 29.3 mm, a slightly above-average result but noticeably lower than the 33 mm reported in the official spec sheet. Nonetheless, we believe that's enough foam for marathon racing, as our shock absorption test confirmed.

The Brooks Hyperion Elite 6 has an actual drop of 10.6 mm, significantly higher than advertised and among the highest in the super shoe category.

In our opinion, this high-drop geometry is better suited to heel strikers and runners who prefer a more old-school ride, including those with recurring Achilles tendon issues or racers who simply enjoy a steep heel-to-toe offset that encourages quick turnovers.

We measured 28.3 AC in our softness test, confirming that Brooks has retained a midsole that feels just as ultra-plush as the one in version 5. Interestingly, we recorded the exact same 28.3 AC reading from the secondary foam, which means Brooks uses here the same density above and below the plate.

We also have great news for runners in cold climates. The foam became just 4% firmer after spending 20 minutes in our freezer, an outstanding result that confirms its remarkable consistency even in freezing conditions.

One of the most important changes in the Hyperion Elite 6 is its more aggressive RapidRoll rocker geometry, which works alongside the redesigned SpeedVault+ carbon plate.

You can clearly see the pronounced forefoot curvature in our side-profile shots, while the heel also features substantial beveling. As we mentioned at the beginning of this review, we believe this midsole shape won't work for runners that prefer a more classic underfoot feel.

Brooks seems to be moving away from its experiments with the SpeedVault+ plate. The Hyperion Elite 5 featured a distinctive carbon plate developed by Arris Composites, with multiple cutouts that set it apart from most super shoes. However, it looks like Brooks is abandoning that approach and using a classic design.

We carved away all the foam above the plate to reveal its actual shape and design. This time, we found a simple plate with a more aggressive heel-to-toe curvature, which helps explain why the shoe delivers such a pronounced forward-rolling sensation when running fast.

We discovered that Brooks has made several changes to the upper of the Hyperion Elite 6, including a lightweight knit construction designed to provide a secure racing fit without adding unnecessary bulk.

However, our gel test revealed that this is still a snug shoe. We measured 93.3 mm at the widest point, which is narrower than average.

The Hyperion Elite 6 retains a noticeably tapered toebox, and our measurements confirmed that Brooks hasn't prioritised generous toe splay in this racing model. More like the opposite...

We recorded just 70.3 mm near the big toe. This shape provides a secure fit for runners with narrow toes, but it can become very restrictive for those with wide feet or a wider toe area.

Brooks has taken a more accommodating approach to vertical toe space.

We measured 27.7 mm of toebox height, slightly above average. It can be interesting to have this extra clearance because it gives the toes more freedom to move upward.

We measured an improved friction coefficient of 0.72 in our traction test, higher than the 0.59 recorded by version 5. That's a positive result for a road racing shoe, and one of the strongest arguments in favour of this update for Brooks loyal fans.

The main reason for this improvement is the switch from traditional rubber to a modern CPU (cast polyurethane) outsole, similar to adidas' LIGHTTRAXION. We believe this material represents the future of running shoe outsoles, offering improved grip while keeping weight to a minimum.

The outsole design has changed too. Brooks has abandoned the Vaporfly-inspired layout of v5, replacing it with two translucent CPU patches in the heel and a large forefoot patch featuring five cutouts.

With a full-length SpeedVault+ carbon plate, high stack height and aggressive racing geometry, we expected the Hyperion Elite 6 to be noticeably stiff. Our 30-degree bend test required 18.0N of force, a higher-than-average result that confirms its rigid, race-focused construction.

However, that's far from an exceptionally high reading compared to other carbon-plated racers. In fact, it's 2.1N lower than what we recorded in its predecessor, which leaves clear that Brooks has opted for a thinner plate this time around.

Brooks has clearly put considerable effort into keeping the Hyperion Elite 6 competitive in terms of weight, especially considering its generous cushioning.

Our scale showed just 6.8 oz (193g), making this a genuinely lightweight racing shoe. We believe breaking the 200g barrier is a major achievement for Brooks, especially after missing that mark with v5. However, we can't ignore that there's still room for improvement in this area, as most leading brands offer lighter options among their marathon racing shoes.

One of the most significant upgrades over the Hyperion Elite 5 is the redesigned midsole structure, particularly around the midfoot. Brooks has introduced more pronounced sidewalls to improve foot guidance.

But the ride remains far from supportive, and we wouldn't consider this a particularly stable super shoe. The plush foam, towering stack height, and narrow midsole dimensions still have the biggest influence on its low overall stability.

We measured 12.3 Nm of torsional rigidity, slightly below average. This confirms that Brooks hasn't made the entire shoe excessively rigid and leaves clear that the carbon plate isn't among the thickest we've encountered.

Brooks has taken an interesting approach to the heel of the Hyperion Elite 6, combining a fairly structured heel counter with minimal padding around the collar.

Most racing shoes score just 1 or 2 in this area, so if you're looking for a racing shoe with a more supportive heel (we rated it at 3/5), we believe this one could be a good match.

Brooks has resisted the temptation to make the Hyperion Elite 6 exceptionally wide, even with the growing popularity of broad-platform super shoes.

We measured 112.1 mm across the forefoot. In our view, this compact design fits the shoe's racing ambitions and improves its versatility for a wider range of distances, handling from 5Ks to marathons.

We measured just 84.8 mm at the heel, but this narrow design is quite common among competition shoes. In fact, it's actually wider than most of the super shoes we've reviewed in recent months.

The Hyperion Elite 6 features one of the most incredible uppers we've seen on a racing shoe, with an open-knit structure that prioritises low weight and ventilation. Unfortunately, that minimalist approach comes with a very low 1/5 score in this test.

After the disappointing result in the toebox, we were curious to see whether the heel padding would fare any better against our Dremel.

Fortunately, it did! We awarded the heel lining a solid 4/5, an above-average result that contrasts sharply with the fragile forefoot material.

The Hyperion Elite 6 impressed us with its improved traction, but our durability test revealed that the new outsole comes with a significant trade-off. We measured a substantial 1.7 mm indentation after our last Dremel test, considerably worse than average.

At 1.9 mm, the outsole thickness helps offset the previous result somewhat, as other super shoes feature even thinner rubber. However, going any thicker was hardly an option, considering that this shoe is slightly heavier than its main rivals.

Weight savings continue inside the Hyperion Elite 6, where Brooks has opted for a particularly thin footbed rather than a generously cushioned one.

We measured just 2.8 mm of insole thickness, significantly below average. We believe this makes perfect sense for a premium racing shoe, especially one that already features a full-length DNA Gold midsole. If we had to choose, we'd definitely go for more PEBA foam!

Unlike many racing shoes that have the insole glued to the midsole, this one features a removable footbed.

We inspected the shoe and found no reflective elements, which isn't particularly surprising in a super shoe.

Brooks has gone for an extremely lightweight tongue in the Hyperion Elite 6, and our measurements confirmed just how little cushioning it provides.

We recorded a thickness of only 2.3 mm, significantly below average. We understand why Brooks wanted to save weight in this area, but keep in mind that such minimal padding offers limited protection against lace pressure.

Fortunately, the textured racing laces help maintain lockdown without requiring excessive tightening, although runners with sensitive insteps should really pay attention to this before any race.

We found a tongue construction that closely resembles the one used in the adidas Adizero Adios Pro 5, although here the tongue is stitched to the upper only on the medial side.

Brooks has decided to skip the traditional heel pull tab on the Hyperion Elite 6, continuing its minimalist approach to the upper.

Pricing is always a tricky subject with super shoes. In our view, the Hyperion Elite 6 comes with a reasonable price tag by today's standards, but similarly priced competitors deliver slightly better results in our lab tests.

Therefore, we believe Brooks should have priced this shoe a bit lower to gain a competitive edge and attract more buyers.