Need a Little Stability But Not Too Much Stability? This Is Your Shoe

It’s like The Story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears — but for runners. You want shoes that are light and neutral but still have a little bit of stability. You want shoes that can help you run fast, but still feel like you’re supported. You want shoes that are juuust riiight.

If this sounds like you and your running-shoe needs, this Brooks Running Ravenna 5 review is for you! (Full disclosure: we’re a blog ambassador for Brooks, but this post is totally objective!)

I’m not one to pick shoes based solely on how they look — performance and function is always paramount. BUT, holy cow, these are cute. I am in love with the color palette. Just looking at them makes me think of boundless energy, spring butterflies, sunshine and leaping through fields of green. (Yeah, I have an active imagination — especially when coming out from a looong winter.) So clearly just taking these out of the box made me smile.

But once I got them on. Oh, yeah. They have just the right mix of cushion and stability with good traction and plenty of extra love to the mid-foot of the shoe. But, despite that, these are still quite light and feel fast on. With that super cool BioMoGo DNA on the midsole that automatically responds to how hard you’re pushing off the ground (coolest technology ever), these aren’t as cushy as, say, the new Transcend, but they are certainly more comfy than the PureFlow line with good arch support.

I know people who swear by the Ravenna, and after trying the Ravenna 5, I have to say they’re right. This shoe is pretty darn fantastic. At $110 a pair, I think even Goldilocks would approve. If you’re looking for something a little more in the middle in terms of cushion and stability, this just might be your perfect shoe.

Do you have a favorite running shoe that you keep buying over and over because it’s just so great for you? Tell! —Jenn