Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 reviewed: a versatile racing shoe engineered for speed

The most noticeable thing about the Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 run shoes when I first put them on was that my socks were still clearly visible. Brooks have done away with any extraneous material whatsoever – the upper is constructed of a barely-there silicon mesh which nevertheless wrapped comfortably around my feet, and it’s a real statement of intent about the purpose of these shoes.

That mesh contributes to an overall weight of around 195g (6.9oz), which tilts the Hyperion Elite 5 towards the lightweight end of the market.

Meanwhile, the carbon fibre SpeedVault+ plate and PEBA foam soles are designed to maximise energy return, with a very aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching set of ‘bubbles’ adding extra cushioning.

Features and performance

This is a fast shoe, engineered for speed over both short and long distances – it felt springy and lively at marathon pace, but also with the hint of rigidity needed for a fast 5k and for speedwork.

But here’s the thing – the Hyperion Elite 5 is not just a nervous thoroughbred straining at the bit at high speed, this model also felt really comfortable and stable at lower speeds.

Generally, if a shoe is designed for one thing, there will be sacrifices in other areas, and especially in this era of specialisation, it’s hard to find a shoe that is a true all-rounder but without it being uniformly mediocre across the board.

Fast racing shoes are generally no good for long runs in zone two, or for recovery runs; durable and reliable long-distance shoes tend to be less fast in a race.

However, I think the Hyperion Elite 5 comes close to being as good for a range of uses as any shoe I’ve used – it’s light enough to race in, because of that mesh upper, and fast enough with that carbon plate and responsive foam to suit distances from 5k to marathon. However, it doesn’t feel out of place at all on a two-hour zone two run.

Fit and comfort

The fit was snug. While the mesh contributes to the shoe’s light weight and speed, Brooks have had to add necessary padding on the tongue and around the heel – combined with well-designed serrated laces which bite and hold without slippage, these make the Hyperion Elite 5 comfortable to wear.

I suspect runners will either love or hate the pink clay/atomizer blue colour scheme – just make sure that your socks don’t clash with it, because they’ll be clearly visible.

Meet our reviewer:

Edward Pickering is an experienced journalist, a former editor of Procycling and Rouleur magazines and the author of Ronde, The Yellow Jersey Club and The Race Against Time. He has covered 18 Tours de France, the Olympic Games and most major international bike races on the ground, and he’s interviewed pretty much all the biggest stars in cycling in the last 20 years.

A keen endurance athlete, Ed has been competing in bike and running races since his teens. He’s run a sub-three marathon, a sub-17-minute 5k and sub-5-minute mile, and doesn’t know where his obsession with round numbers comes from. 

Brooks Hyperion Elite 5 specs

Price	$275 / £240
Weight	195g (6.9oz)
Sizing	Unisex: UK4-12 / US5-16
Features	Carbon SpeedVault+ plate, PEBA foam, 8mm drop