My original pair of Brooks Levitate shoes was getting old and too soft in the forefoot. I was happy with them, so I bought a second pair and this one is the third. There are approximately 650 miles on my old shoes. The new model is out: the Levitate 2.
Brooks promotes Levitates as having high energy return, and Popular Science did a nice review of shoe resilience and how much energy return can help a running. I know when I got my first pair of (high energy return) Adidas Boost, I thought it helped my running by 10-15 seconds a mile. PopSci also talks about the polyurethane foam midsole which is covered with shiny metallic paint.
The Levitate is stiffer than the Adidas Boost shoes that my local Dick's Sporting Good's carries. For my aging feet, the stiffer shoe provides support in the forefoot, and that helps to avoid discomfort in my big toe. I suspect that higher end Adidas shoes have more support, but I haven't have not had a chance to try them out.
Brooks has re-done the upper: all knitted fabric with a knitted cuff around the ankle. I like the cuff because it is comfortable. I got this blue/red/black design that my wife liked. I can't get over the unusual color pallet, maybe it is edgy, but I think it misses the mark. I may put black laces on it.
My Levitate 2's in size 11 weighs 363 grams, which is 5 grams lighter than my Levitate 1 shoe in the same size, that is one percent lighter. This is about 24 g heavier than my other running Brooks shoes.
Although Levitate is promoted for energy return, I wear them because they make my feet feel better.
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