The Launch 12 is cushier than a racing flat but can handle hard workouts on the track and on the road. The affordable trainer—a bargain buy for $120—won’t break the bank, but it doesn’t feel cheaply made. The Launch has that Brooks touch; the comfy fit that securely locks your foot inside an airy mesh upper.
We included the Launch 12 in our Best Affordable Shoes guide because it’s an excellent choice for runners wanting a designated trainer for fast days. It’s also a sweet, cheaper lower-stacked alternative in a sea of towering, high-cushioned models. For the runner who says the Brooks Ghost is too bulky and boxy, the Launch 12 could be your sole mate.
I’ve added track workouts to my training this year after finally overcoming my fear of the dreaded all-eyes-on-me oval. It’s fun to go balls-to-the-wall in today’s super trainers and high stacks during speed sessions, but I sometimes desire a more grounded, minimally designed trainer to really test my fitness. The Brooks Launch 12 is that shoe.
Finding out there’s DNA Flash v2 foam in the Launch 12 is like finding an Easter egg in a movie. It’s a callout to the Hyperion Elite 4, Brooks’s premium racing shoe model. The shoe originally had nitrogen-infused DNA Flash v2 foam to pump up your ride before switching to DNA Gold (PEBA, baby) in the Hyperion Elite 5.
But it can’t be ignored that DNA Flash v2 was a form of Brooks’s original super foam. This gives the shoe a firm, snappy ride with plenty of padding for shock absorption. It’s not max-cushioned, and certainly not super trainer height at 35 mm, but it packs plenty of support for hard and long efforts.
This shoe was a pleasant break from some of the heavier, maximalist trainers that I’ve tried in the past couple of years. It’s a lightweight shoe that provides a firm ride. The firm, easy ride was something I could enjoy on regular runs, long runs, and even some runs with faster-paced segments in the middle.” The Launch 12 is built like a track shoe with its narrow, streamlined last.
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