Forums >Gears and Wears>Why does Brooks keep f-ing with the Ravenna?
Chief Unicorn Officer
The Brooks Ravenna used to be my go-to training shoe. For years. Then, two models ago, they made it much lighter but it seemed to wear out very easily and the point of the logo stabbed me in the foot right where the foot bends. It was terrible engineering with that logo placement.
So I was really excited to see the latest iteration of this shoe, which has no affixed logos, it’s all dyed on. Except now the shoe seems so minimal it almost feels like a racing flat. The balls of my feet are killing me because it feels like there is barely any cushion under the forefoot. My ankles and feet are constantly sore, and I’m not overweight and only running 35-40 mpw.
I WANT MY OLD RAVENNAS BACK.
Mile 5:49 - 5K 19:58 - 10K 43:06 - HM 1:36:54
#RunEveryDay
I hear you. I want my old Asics 2000 series back!
Half Fanatic #9292.
Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.
If they didn't change it, people would stop being interested in getting the "next version". But at some point, the cumulative changes result in a shoe that is far removed from the one that people originally loved.
I think these companies would be better served by not messing with something beloved other than offering new colors. But, they know what they're doing regarding marketing and sales. If they made more money by not changing anything, they wouldn't.
60-64 age group - University of Oregon alumni - Irreverent and Annoying
The Brooks Ravenna used to be my go-to training shoe. For years. Then, two models ago, they made it much lighter but it seemed to wear out very easily and the point of the logo stabbed me in the foot right where the foot bends. It was terrible engineering with that logo placement. So I was really excited to see the latest iteration of this shoe, which has no affixed logos, it’s all dyed on. Except now the shoe seems so minimal it almost feels like a racing flat. The balls of my feet are killing me because it feels like there is barely any cushion under the forefoot. My ankles and feet are constantly sore, and I’m not overweight and only running 35-40 mpw. I WANT MY OLD RAVENNAS BACK.
Let me guess - the 7? The Ravennas were my go-tos as well; I had put over 4000 miles on 9 pairs, till the 7 gave me stabbing pains on the top of my foot. So frustrating. It took a while for me to attribute it to the shoe, I thought I was developing some kind of injury. Which I sort of was - the soreness took a while to go away. Fortunately for the Brooks return policy, after about 70 miles I was still able to exchange them. Traded them in on a pair of Ghosts, and have never looked back; I love those more than I ever did my Ravennas.
Dave
I have a love/hate relationship with Brooks. I started running with the Ghost line and loved them, until version 6 or 7...somewhere around there. I was in shoe hell for a couple of years as I bounced around and tried to figure out what I actually liked, i finally came back to Brooks and tried out their Pure line (PureFlow) I started int he 3's and I fell in head over heels in love. They were the best shoe ever. I bought several pairs and found them on ebay when i could no longer find them new on other sites....I had to suffer through one pair of the 4's and skipped the 5's entirely, but I have found that i really love the 6's. When they started discounting the 6's to bring in the 7's I stocked up, i shouldn't have to buy shoes until next year. That's how much I love them. But i am pretty sure that sooner or later the PureFlows will be so changed from the original that I will be back at the beginging of the circle again and looking for a new shoe....
My Brooks go to shoe is the Ghost 9. Although while the sole hardly shows any wear the midsole is pretty soft after 300 miles only. Its a neutral shoe though so not really an alternative to the Ravenna.
HM: 1:47 (9/20) I FM: 3:53:11 (9/23)
2024 Goals: run a FM & HM + stay healthy!
It was for me; I'm on my 4th pair of Ghost 9. AFAIK there's no law against switching from support to neutral. Or using both, since I rotate the Ghost with the Adrenaline.
I really liked my Ghost 3, but last year bought Ghost 7 and they were very disappointing. They felt and sounded like wearing wooden clogs. I dumped them after maybe 75 miles. Maybe they softened up the newer versions? Maybe I just got spoiled by wearing Hoka and Skechers.
As for running shoe trends, I don't think I like the "athleisure" styling trend seeping up into "real" running shoes. The one piece knit uppers that look like socks, with no reinforcement or side support, do not inspire confidence in their durability.
Oh no, I just received my new Ravenna 9's. I tried them on, but have not run in them yet. I did skip the 7's when they did not get good reviews. I just stocked up on older models. I do like my 8's though.
I am running a marathon at the end of March and was intending to wear these new 9's for the race. Should I try them sooner rather than later? I usually only have about 25-50 miles on my marathon shoes, but maybe I need to make sure these will work for me?
Hahaha.I thought this was just me.Ravenna was MONEY for a little while. Not just my shoe, but I was an official wear tester of the Ravenna for Brooks for many years. 1-4, best shoe for me. 5, ok. 6-7 didn't work. 8 was suddenly ok again. 9? Holy shit, they totally wrecked it.
Forefoot cushioning is all over the map. Funky arches.
Anyway, 9 is paired up with Launch... they position them as twinsies.I want my Ravenna 3 back.Oh well. I wish I could offer up a good substitute, but I've never found one. I'm back to clomping around in Adrenalines and Saucony Guides.
Feeling the growl again
I do think shoe companies really screw it up by changing shoes that sell well. This has been many years but when the NB 763s were out I loved them, bought >2 dozen pairs, and they were very, very common sights at races. Then they "updated" to the 765, and I bought a pair and instantly hated them. I switched to the Mizuno Wave Rider and then Wave Precision, and I can't say I saw more than 2-3 765s on the feet of anybody. They KILLED the franchise. Hard to imagine how this "update" made them any money. In my case, it turned my from a loyal NB customer to a loyal Mizuno customer. At least until Mizuno "updated" the Wave Precision, then they lost my business as well.
I get changing things to keep up with the market, but if sales numbers are good, I fail to see the logic in screwing with what is working.
"If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does. There's your pep talk for today. Go Run." -- Slo_Hand
I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
Hahaha.I thought this was just me.Ravenna was MONEY for a little while. Not just my shoe, but I was an official wear tester of the Ravenna for Brooks for many years. 1-4, best shoe for me. 5, ok. 6-7 didn't work. 8 was suddenly ok again. 9? Holy shit, they totally wrecked it. Forefoot cushioning is all over the map. Funky arches. Anyway, 9 is paired up with Launch... they position them as twinsies.I want my Ravenna 3 back.Oh well. I wish I could offer up a good substitute, but I've never found one. I'm back to clomping around in Adrenalines and Saucony Guides.
It is nice to know I’m not losing my mind!! And Linny, I definitely recommend trying them beforehand. The shoe seems almost unrecognizable to me (as far as actual feel while running is concerned). I’m living with constant aches and soreness in my feet until my clearance Saucony Guides arrive next week!
Oh no, I just received my new Ravenna 9's. I tried them on, but have not run in them yet. I did skip the 7's when they did not get good reviews. I just stocked up on older models. I do like my 8's though. I am running a marathon at the end of March and was intending to wear these new 9's for the race. Should I try them sooner rather than later? I usually only have about 25-50 miles on my marathon shoes, but maybe I need to make sure these will work for me?
Oh most definitely yes. It's not just a Ravenna thing, but any model change is a crapshoot. I try to keep buying the ones I like as long as I can find them - I went through 7 pairs of Ravenna 5s alone, about 500 miles each. Until finally there was not a single pair available anywhere on the internets. I have 3 pairs of Ghost 9s waiting on the shelf, I dread it when I can no longer find those.
Dave: The 9 and the 10 price the same where I live otherwise I would probably shell out some cash to pile the 9s up like you did. I own both and find them pretty similar. The heel support is a bit stiff on the new model but that might just be personal. So you can just make the transition to the next model no problem.
I am just not so happy about durability of the 9s. Mine feel pretty worn out after 300 miles or so. They cost around 100 bucks where I live. Same price as the 10s. I get more miles out of the asics I believe (gel nimbus 19).
OK, I better give the 9's a try this week. I also had every pair of the 5's I could get my hands on.
I also use Saucony Guide and Mizuno Wave Inspire with Ravenna's. I like to alternate shoes just due to various foot issues that I have, so I guess if these new Ravenna's don't work, I can get a new pair of one of those instead.