Brooks Ravenna 2 Running Shoe Review
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Last years Ravenna was one of the first shoes to build a bridge between neutral shoes and stability shoes. Brooks rightly guessed that there were those out there who only needed a little pronation control as opposed to a complete and utter correction of pronation. Their goal was also to cut weight without sacrificing overall performance. In the Ravenna 2, Brooks continues their success with a medium stability, lightweight shoe designed to go long distance. Having trained for a marathon in the Ravenna 1, I knew the first iteration of this particular Brooks shoe fairly intimately. The second revision does not disappoint, and certainly comes in better colors. Thanks for that, Brooks, because frankly the colors on the first one made me feel like Ronald McDonald. The new color below up close.
No, I don’t want fries with that.
This year the main update is Brooks new DNA system. It’s designed to break in according to each individual running style without sacrificing comfort and durability. I’ll let Brooks tell you about it more, as they put together a clever video here: https://www.brooksrunning.com/. I’ll just say that it really feels about the same as last years model, but just a bit longer lasting. My only complaint about last years Ravenna was that I got less mileage on them than comparable shoes – this year due to the DNA it doesn’t feel as if it’ll be a problem.
The mesh upper remained similar to last years model (and most of the Brooks line up) as well. It breathes well, but provides a very secure wrap around the mid foot. What was interesting here was the addition of two gussets attached to an adjustable strap around the forefoot. At first, I was very dismayed to see this, and didn’t feel as if I could get a secure fit in them. After a couple of runs, I realized I was very wrong. This addition, seen below, allows you to securely tighten the shoe without creating pressure points around your instep. After a bit of adjustment, it was very comfortable.
My only complaint about this shoe is the exposed torsion bar in the outsole. This shoe is definitely suited to those who heel strike, and didn’t ride well with a forefoot strike due to the placement of these bars. When rolling from heel to toe, these bars weren’t an issue, and actually did what they were designed to do very well – slightly combat pronation.
Overall, if you only suffer from mild overpronation and want a quick feeling shoe that will go the long distance, look no further. There really aren’t many competitors to this shoe yet, and when there are, Brooks will continue to stay one step ahead of them. For more info on the Ravenna 2 and other Brooks footwear, visit www.brooksrunning.com or www.amazon.com/brooks.
Hey,
anybody got some experience with a midfoot strike on the ravenna 2? Still running in the previous model, where I had no issues.
This says, however, that the shoe is more for the heelrunner…
Any comments greatly appreciated.
Hey Chris, I chirun in the ravennas. Had two pair of the first addition and have about 40 miles on my new 2,s. Very similar, but I think you have a little more cushion in these which my legs seem to like better than first edition. I personally like the minor upgrades. If you have any other midfoot strike shoes you like let me know, but what I like about these I wear them for everything, racing, training, distance, you dont need anything else.
i’m a mid/forefoot striker, no problems with the ravenna 2, prefer the asics ds trainer, but nothing wrong with the ravenna, pretty similar shoes
New to soft running (mid/forefoot strike) and found no problems with my Ravenna II. Actually my hip pains have subsided with my new mechanics of running in these shoes..
I just bought my Ravenna 2 shoes and have ran twice in them. First run I kept short with a 5km run and had no problems…..Oh! By the way ..I am a midfoot striker…..Second run of 18km I had pain in the forefoot and some shin pain that I have never had in my Asics Gel Pulse 2. This is a bit worrysome as I have a half merry coming up in November. Any suggestions? xo
Hi Nancy,
Have you thought of running in a neutral running shoe? If you are a forefoot runner, the stability might not be all that necessary. It also seems odd to me that you are getting shin pain with a new pair of shoes. If the shoes aren’t working out for you, I would also suggest trying to take them back and getting a different pair, that is if they aren’t too old.
These shoes are terrible! The shank section, under the shoe, has a hard plastic section with a marble sized “ball” that, if anything whatsoever (i.e. twig on ground, small pebble, etc) was stepped on by accident, I would feel a sharp pain on that part of my foot. DESIGN FLAW!!!
Jeremy –
You aren’t alone; I’ve heard this comment about the Ravenna 2 before. This was not my experience in any of the Ravenna Models, and I put several hundreds of miles on a few different iterations of the shoe. I think it has more to do with how the Brooks last fits your foot than anything else, as the shank section of the shoe didn’t perform this way for me. Hopefully your local running store was able to exchange them for you. Cheers.