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Brooks Transcend

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Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:Brooks Transcend 2 Review}} The Brooks Transcend 2 is another attempt to capture the Minimax market that is dominated by Hoka, and it'..."
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Brooks Transcend 2 Review}}
The Brooks Transcend 2 is another attempt to capture the [[Minimax]] market that is dominated by [[Hoka Shoe Review| Hoka]], and it's not as bad an attempt as the [[New Balance 9800]]. It's thickly and softly cushioned, with a relatively low drop. In fact the overall sense of the shoe is one of softness and comfort, including the upper. However, the problem with the Transcend 2 is its weight; it's far too heavy for the cushioning it provides. It's one of the heaviest shoes I've tried recently, and nearly as heavy as the early [[Hoka Mafate]] (the latest versions are lighter.) The Transcend 2 looks a lot more like a traditional running shoe, which may make it more acceptable than shoes like the Hoka that can appear a little comical.
{{H:WhatToLookForInShoes}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-top.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Brooks Transcend 2 top]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Brooks Transcend 2 bottom]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-inside.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Brooks Transcend 2 inside]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-outside.jpg|none|thumb|250px|Brooks Transcend 2 outside]]
|}
=Characteristics=
* {{H:WhyBuy}}. The Transcend 2 is comfortable and looks like a traditional running shoe, but you'll have to be prepared to accept its heavy weight.
* {{H:cushioning}}. The foam midsole in the Transcend 2 is thick and soft, but it can't compete with the [[Hoka Shoe Review| Hokas]]. In fact, it's closer to the cushioning of a [[Brooks PureCadence]] or [[Altra Instinct]].
* {{H:drop}}. The Transcend 2 has 6mm of drop when unloaded or unloaded, which is more than I'd like, and on the upper end of what I find acceptable.
* {{H:structure}}. The Transcend 2 midsole is mostly a single density of foam, but it has firmer foam build up around the top edges. This is intended to act as "guide rails" that keep your foot more upright. If you think of the way an egg sits in an egg box you'll get the idea. This seems similar to the way many [[Minimax]] shoes cradle the heel of the foot, and it does produce some stability. (Stability in this context meaning "don't roll your ankle" rather than "modify your [[Pronation]].) The rear edge of the heel does not have as much of a rocker as you typically see in a shoe this thick, even though Brooks emphasizes this feature. The [[Hoka Clifton]] for instance has far more of a heel rocker, so maybe Brooks should try out their competitors shoes to see how it's done. The forefoot tapers gently and nicely from the ball of the foot to the front of the shoe, without the abrupt taper that sometimes feels on in the [[Hoka Bondi]].
* {{H:flexibility}}. The Transcend 2 has the stiffness you'd expect from a shoe this thick. The cutouts in the outsole help a little bit so it could be a lot worse.
* {{H:outsole}}. The Transcend 2 has patches of hard rubber that cover most of the lower part of the shoe, and all the contact surfaces. There is harder rubber on the forefoot and heel (black in my pictures), and slightly less hard rubber under the midfoot (read in my pictures). The outsole rubber is relatively thick, and has a pattern that reminds me of the mild tread found in some of the Hoka trail shoes (other than the [[Hoka Mafate]].) This thick outsole is probably a big contributor to the shoes excessive weight. None of runners who will buy this shoe for general use will wear it until the outsole is gone, and expect that to take quite some time. For runners, a shoe is generally worn out when the foam midsole wears out, which is long before the outsole.
* {{H:shape}}. The Transcend 2 is the classic shoe shape that does not match the human foot, and narrows excessively in the toe box. I'd recommend [[Shoe Modifications| cutting open the toe box open]] to prevent toe problems.
* {{H:upper}}. The upper is inflexible and seamless other than the transition from the unpadded forefoot to the padded rear foot, but that's hard to detect even when you're looking for it. The ankle opening is nicely padded, and other than the poor shape on the forefoot the Transcend 2 is a remarkably comfortable shoe. The Transcend has four straps on each side that go from the midsole to the Eyelets for the laces. This seems rather strange, as I would expect the material used in the upper to be quite strong enough without this reinforcement.
* {{H:tongue}}. The Transcend 2 has a traditional tongue that is has a tab to attach it to the laces. The tongue is remarkably well padded and soft, which enhances the overall comfort of the shoe.
* {{H:lacing}}. The round laces in the Transcend 2 seem to have been carefully designed so that they won't stay tied. One of my pet peeves with running shoes is the way manufacturers refuse to use simple flat laces work
* {{H:heelcounter}}. The heel counter is awfully solid, but thankfully it's an exoskeleton design that puts the heel counter on the outside of the shoe so there's lots of padding between it and your foot. Of course, this approach also makes it even more unlikely that the heel counter will have any effect.
{{BuyShoes|RW=T|RRS=T|AZ=T}}
{{ShoeGraphs}}
=Comparisons=
Here are some direct comparisons with its potential competition.
==Brooks Transcend 2 and Hoka Clifton==
Comparing the Brooks Transcend 2 and the [[Hoka Clifton]], the Clifton is a clear winner for its lightness and cushioning. Like the [[New Balance 980]], I feel like the Clifton is the shoe that Brooks were trying to make when they created the Transcend 2.
* Similarities
** {{H:shape}}. Neither has a good toe box.
** {{H:flexibility}}. Neither has much flexibility.
** {{H:drop}}. Neither is zero-drop, but the Clifton has slightly less of a drop than the Transcend 2.
* Advantage Brooks Transcend 2
** {{H:grip}}. The Transcend 2 has slightly more grip, and is similar to most of the Hoka Trail shoes (except the [[Hoka Mafate| Mafate]].
** {{H:availability}}. The Transcend 2 is more widely stocked.
** {{H:longevity}}. The extra outsole on the Transcend 2 improves longevity.
* Advantage Hoka Clifton
** {{H:price}}. The Transcend 2 is expensive.
** {{H:cushioning}}. The Clifton is more cushioned even though it has a slightly thinner sole. This is partly because the Transcend 2 has a thicker outsole, and partly because the Clifton has such great foam.
** {{H:weight}}. The Clifton is much lighter; it's only 65% the weight of the Transcend 2.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 top]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 bottom]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 inside]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton top]]
|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton bottom]]
|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton inside]]
|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton outside]]
|}
==Brooks Transcend 2 and Asics Gel Hyper Speed==
The Brooks Transcend 2 and the [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]] are radically different shoes. The Hyper Speed is a light weight, stripped down shoe. However, while the Hyper Speed weights less than half the Transcend 2, it offers nearly the same level of cushioning.
* Similarities
** {{H:shape}}. Neither has a good toe box.
** {{H:cushioning}}. The cushioning is quite similar between the shoes, though the way they achieve the cushioning is quite different. The Transcend 2 has a thick but firmer midsole, where the Hyper Speed is much thinner but softer. When running with the Transcend 2 on one foot and the Hyper Speed on the other, the cushioning is far close than you might expect.
** {{H:drop}}. Neither is zero-drop, with about 6mm of drop.
* Advantage Brooks Transcend 2
** {{H:longevity}}. The extra outsole on the Transcend 2 improves longevity.
* Advantage [[Asics Gel Hyper Speed]]
** {{H:weight}}. The Hyper Speed is much, much lighter. At less than half the weight, this means the Hyper Speed is a lot faster.
** {{H:price}}. The Hyper Speed is a lot cheaper.
** {{H:flexibility}}. The Hyper Speed has a lot more flexibility.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 top]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 bottom]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 inside]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton top]]
|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton bottom]]
|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton inside]]
|[[File:Hoka-OneOne-Clifton-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Hoka OneOne Clifton outside]]
|}
==Brooks Transcend 2 and Saucony Kinvara==
Comparing the Transcend 2 and the [[Saucony Kinvara]], I would choose the Kinvara for its lightness. The cushioning and comfort are similar.
* Similarities
** {{H:shape}}. Neither has a good toe box.
** {{H:cushioning}}. The cushioning of the two shoes is similar, with the transcend having a slight edge.
** {{H:drop}}. Neither is zero-drop, with about 6mm of drop.
* Advantage Brooks Transcend 2
** {{H:grip}}. The Transcend 2 has more grip.
* Advantage [[Saucony Kinvara]]
** {{H:flexibility}}. The Kinvara is more flexible.
** {{H:weight}}. The Kinvara is lighter.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 top]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 bottom]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 inside]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Top]]
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Bottom]]
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Inside]]
|[[File:Saucony-Kinvara-5-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Outside]]
|}
==Brooks Transcend 2 and Asics GT 2000==
I like to compare shoes against the [[Asics GT 2000]] as it represents the traditional running shoe. The GT 2000 is over engineered and includes many things I dislike in traditional running shoes. These excessive features go against [[The Science of Running Shoes]] and are more likely to cause problems than solve them. While the Transcend is a little more over-engineered than I'd like, it's better than the GT 2000.
* Similarities
** {{H:shape}}. Neither has a good toe box.
** {{H:drop}}. Both have far too much drop.
** {{H:flexibility}}. Neither have much flexibility, though the GT 2000 feels more like a clog than the Transcend.
* Advantage Brooks Transcend 2
** {{H:cushioning}}. Neither is well cushioned for its weight, but the Transcend 2 does not have the anti-[[Pronation]] features that can cause problems.
* Advantage [[Asics GT 2000]]
** {{H:weight}}. The Transcend 2 is even heavier than the GT 2000.
** {{H:availability}}. The GT 2000 is a common shoe, available pretty much anywhere that sells running shoes.
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 top]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 bottom]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 inside]]
|[[File:Brooks-Transcend-2-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Brooks Transcend 2 outside]]
|- valign="top"
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-top.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 top]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-bottom.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 bottom]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-inside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 inside]]
|[[File:Asics-GT2000-outside.jpg|none|thumb|150px|Asics GT2000 outside]]
|}
=A Comparison with other Recommended Shoes=
{{:Shoes-include}}