The RW Takeaway: The Transcend is softer with a reconfigured midsole, making it an ideal trainer for pavement pounders.
- Holistic guide rail system provides stability
- More DNA Loft foam for a softer platform
- Bootie-like comfort, true-to-size fit
Price: $160
Type: Road
Drop: 11mm (M), 9mm (W)
Weight: 10.8 oz (M), 8.6 oz (W)
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Brooks’s Transcend may always fall second in cushioning to the Glycerin (an intentional setback, since the Glycerin, according to Brooks, will always be number one when it comes to plushness), but regardless of its status, the shoe’s soft platform had us lacing it up for long runs. When you feel like your lightweight trainers and long runs are, in one runner’s words, “tearing apart my body,” the Transcend just may be that missing link in your shoe cycle. Its cushioning and stability system will give you the support you need.
Pros
- Testers praised the cushioned ride
- Stability for overpronators and neutral runners
Cons
- Less energy return
The shoe is slightly firmer than the Glycerin due to its construction. The addition of the guide rail system in the midsole—Brooks’s holistic approach to stabilizing overpronation and preventing injury (the guide rails serve as bumpers on the foot, which allegedly stops the knee from erratically moving side to side)—makes it less soft in the heel compared to the forefoot. This deduction was also made by the RW Shoe Lab; results showed the heel to be quite firmer than the heel in both the women’s and men’s models.
Of course, lab measurements are only one factor in evaluating a running shoe; the feel and ride of the Transcend, for example, had us and testers raving about its cushioning and stability.
Testers felt support turning on off-camber shoulders and ran with a more confident stride because their foot felt less “wobbly.” One flat-footed tester, who is also an overpronator, even ran sans insoles; the Transcend’s stability system and cushioned platform gave her all the support she needed.
The Transcend can be that everyday workhorse or long run trainer you need, its DNA Loft cushioning providing a softer ride for your legs. Running in the shoe, my legs always felt fresh post-workout, or at the very least, I didn’t feel completely broken after hill workouts.
King of Cushioning
So again, that title actually goes to Glycerin—at least in terms of Brooks trainers—but the Transcend still delivered on the plush when it came to logging in hard-won miles during marathon training building. The seventh iteration weighs less than the previous model, and yet its midsole is much softer due to Brooks tinkering with the DNA Loft foam to increase comfort and support.
Testers described the cushioning as hitting that not-too-hard, not-too-soft sweet spot. “The Transcend has middle-of-the-road cushioning—not too soft that I feel like I’m wearing bedroom slippers, and not too firm that I feel every crack and pebble beneath my foot,” said associate test director Jen Sherry.
Another tester, who is a self-described pavement pounder, said the shoe “had great push off and was equal to or better than my Adrenalines.”
And still, another had a more succinct reaction to the Transcend’s midsole: “The cushioning was the BOMB!”
More Wear Tester Feedback
Amanda S., tester since 2017
Arch: Flat | Gait: Overpronator | Footstrike: Heel
“Brooks is my preferred shoe. I have not run in the Transcend before; I favor the Ravenna or Ghost. I did really like testing the Transcend and plan to continue to try them in my rotation. They felt a little flatter, particularly in the forefoot, not as cushioned. Overall, the ride was smooth over varying distances and both on treadmill and road. I was training for a marathon while testing and wore them for all of my runs, except for the longest. I typically wear insoles due to flat feet and pronation and if I had put insoles in these shoes, I probably would have worn them for the 20-plus milers also. I think these are good training shoe and I would recommend them and I will wear them again!”
Amanda Furrer, Editor, Running Reviews, studied journalism at NYU and writing at Emerson College. She has reviewed gear and covered other topics in the running space for almost 10 years. Since 2013, she has consecutively run the Boston Marathon. She also has a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University and was formerly a professional baker for two years before hanging up her apron.
