Brooks Hyperion Tempo review

We think the Brooks Hyperion Tempo is an exceptional choice for:

• Fans of racing flats from the past decade seeking a fun and long-lasting training shoe suitable for a variety of paces.
• Individuals looking for an ultra-lightweight shoe for track workouts who prefer not to use spikes.
• Runners aiming to strengthen their foot muscles with a non-plated, low-stacked shoe.

We suggest passing on the Brooks Hyperion Tempo if you're searching for a non-plated shoe that can handle long runs. In our view, it lacks the necessary cushioning for runs exceeding an hour. For this purpose, we believe there are better yet still lightweight options on the market, such as the Brooks Hyperion Max or the Hoka Mach 5.

Also, if you're a fan of plush midsoles, the Brooks Hyperion Tempo might not be your ideal tempo shoe. A great alternative at a similar price point is the Nike Streakfly or the New Balance Rebel v3. Or, if adding a nylon plate to the mix doesn't bother you, we recommend the Saucony Endorphin Speed 3.

The Brooks Hyperion Tempo is one of the shoes with the most obvious ventilation holes we've seen in our lab.

We were eager to see if these holes worked as expected, so we put the smoke-pumping machine in the upper and started the test. We were pleased with how well the shoe breathes, though it's still slightly behind the best in the market, earning it a 4 out of 5 rating.

Brooks uses a rather dense engineered mesh, making those holes crucial. Under the light, when we moved the cut-in-half upper, the ventilation points were clearly visible.

However, don't expect high airflow in the midfoot area—though for a tempo-focused model, this is less important than in a long-run shoe.

Next, we examined the shoe under a microscope to get a closer look at the holes.

The mesh seems thick and durable, which can reduce airflow, so Brooks simply laser-cut some holes in the upper—a straightforward and effective way to improve breathability. 

However, this design has a downside—debris and small rocks can get into the toebox since there's no protective layer under the holes.

One of the key benefits of using a tough mesh is its outstanding durability. Yet, we were concerned that the laser-cut ventilation holes might compromise this feature.

However, our Dremel test pleasantly surprised us! The Tempo performed admirably, securing another impressive 4 out of 5 rating. This impressive achievement in such a challenging test was made possible because Brooks smartly maintained sufficient space between the holes.

Following the successful Dremel test on the toe area, we shifted our focus to the heel to see if the good results would persist.

Sadly, they didn't. The heel sustained considerable damage after undergoing the same test at 5K RPM (3.2N), leading us to give it a disappointing 2 out of 5 rating.

We then turned our attention to the shoe's outsole. This design makes it more suitable for dry, flat surfaces like asphalt, concrete, or a track.

With this in mind, we used a durometer set to the Shore C scale and recorded a result of 85.1 HC. This is slightly harder than average, so we're curious to see how this will affect the shoe's durability.

To test whether the outsole's high hardness really works, we used the Dremel again, this time at 10K RPM and the same 3.2N force.

Post-test, we noted an impressively tiny 0.2 mm indentation, which confirms the outsole's excellent durability. The Hyperion Tempo is really built to last and has good rubber coverage.

With a substantial 3.3 mm outsole thickness, we see more evidence of this outsole's longevity.

In fact, we believe Brooks could shave off nearly a millimeter of foam to reduce some extra weight from this already featherlight shoe.

If there's one area where this shoe truly excels, it's in its remarkable lightness. Weighing in at an ideal 7.0 oz (198g), it stands as one of the lightest training shoes ever crafted.

This makes it an exceptional choice for those seeking, for instance, a versatile road running shoe that's perfect for track workouts and equally suitable for road use.

The heel stack of this shoe is slightly thinner than average, measuring only 28.7 mm.

This might be an issue for heavier runners who are heel strikers, as well as for those who want to use this shoe for long runs, since it's not designed for that purpose. However, for shorter, faster runs, it's a delight to run in.

With just 19.7 mm in the forefoot, the Brooks Hyperion Tempo looks back to the past, aiming for those racing-flat vibes that engage your foot muscles and your ankle dorsiflexion.

This approach isn't bad at all—it's simply different. In an era dominated by carbon plates, it's beneficial to train and strengthen the muscles in your feet and enhance big toe mobility. The Brooks Hyperion Tempo is one of the best shoes on the market for this purpose.

The heel and forefoot difference results in a 9.0-mm heel-to-toe drop. This makes the Tempo a better option for heel strikers.

However, midfoot/forefoot strikers who plan to use this shoe for track workouts can also appreciate the reduced calf strain due to the high drop.

At just 2.8 mm, the insole is nearly half as thin as that of an average shoe. This is just another method of reducing weight, though it comes at the cost of some comfort.

Our durometer measured the DNA Flash foam from Brooks at 22.3 HA, confirming our impressions from our test runs—while it's not firm, it tends more towards firmness than softness.

DNA Flash is a bouncier-and-lighter version of DNA Loft, crafted by Brooks through infusing nitrogen into the regular EVA foam.

With such a thin midsole, it's crucial to avoid a super-soft formulation, as it would bottom out even for the lightest runners.

Opting for a balanced approach is smarter, though at fast paces, you'll definitely feel the ground—and that's okay.

After placing the shoe in the freezer for a 20-minute cool-down, we retested it to see the results. The new measurement on our durometer is 26.5 HA.

That's just an 18.8% increase, an outstanding result for an EVA-based foam, which typically underperforms in this test.

This confirms that even in winter, the midsole will provide a consistent feel and maintain its high-level performance.

The DNA Flash midsole is not only lightweight and responsive but also excels in keeping your foot stable as you run. This stability is a direct feature of being too soft.

Additionally, its low stack height brings you closer to the ground, offering much more stability than you'd find in maximalist shoes.

Another advantage of minimizing the stack height is that Brooks doesn't have to create a rigid shoe to achieve a decent level of stability, nor do they need to insert a plate.

As a result, they've crafted a flexible shoe—rated 2/5 by our team in the lab—that effortlessly twists and bends. This feature is particularly impressive during track workouts, as it actively engages your feet, creating a "wow!" feeling due to its flexibility and natural ride.

The heel counter seemed quite average to us, offering a safe heel lock without being too intrusive. We rated it a 3 out of 5, which aligns with most neutral shoes.

When we first visually inspected the midsole dimensions of the shoe, it appeared slightly narrower than the average. Despite our first impression, the forefoot is quite average at 112.5 mm, which adds to the overall stability of the shoe.

However, the heel measurement aligned more with our initial observation, measuring 83.7 mm with our calipers. This is quite narrow, similar to a competition shoe.

In fact, based on its stack height and geometry, this shoe could be an excellent choice for 5K/10K races. However, in our opinion, it falls short of being a top contender in that category due to its midsole, which doesn't match the quality of top-tier racing foams like ZoomX or Lightstrike Pro.

We already demonstrated how twistable this shoe is, and now it's time to test its longitudinal stiffness.

In our 90-degree bend test, the Tempo scored similarly to a minimalist shoe, requiring only 12.8N of force. This is absolutely astonishing and again contributes to its comfortable ride. It also means the shoe can handle short, easy runs if needed. And you can bring it to the gym!

We repeated the same test under cold temperatures to see if the stiffness underfoot changed after spending 20 minutes in the freezer. In this scenario, the shoe was slightly stiffer at 16.1N, but the difference was barely noticeable.

In fact, with only a 26% change, it outperforms most shoes on the market. It appears to us that the nitrogen infusion in the EVA foam has indeed paid off.

One of our initial concerns when we first held this featherlight shoe was that it might be too narrow. However, that worry vanished the moment we put the shoe on our feet.

After measuring it in the lab, we confirmed our initial impressions. At 97.2 mm, we consider it to have an average fit, suitable for the majority of runners without any issues.

Additionally, some runners with wide feet can also find comfort in this shoe, as it doesn't taper much and is wider than the average shoe in the big toe area (79.5 mm).

For a price of $150, we expect a gusseted tongue to prevent it from shifting side-to-side during high-speed workouts, which is the shoe's intended purpose.

This feature should definitely be included in the next version.

As a speed training shoe with a major focus on minimizing weight, we were pleasantly surprised to find a 5.8-mm thick tongue.

This ensures comfort and a secure lockdown.

The Hyperion Tempo lacks a heel tab, but it was absolutely not necessary for slipping our feet into the shoe. Moreover, its absence contributes to the shoe's impressive weight savings...

The insole is removable, and there's enough of space inside, so we easily swapped it with insoles from other shoes without any problems.

The Hyperion Tempo completely lacks reflective elements, an omission that's quite noticeable in a $150 shoe, especially for those who run in low-light conditions.