HOKA vs Brooks for Running: Which Brand's Lineup Fits Your Level?

The lineups, matched by role and level

Brand loyalty aside, the useful comparison is shoe against shoe for the same job. Level badges are our ratings from each shoe's published specs and the maker's stated use.

The faster shoes are covered in our best tempo running shoes roundup. This page focuses on the three roles most runners buy first.

How each brand builds a shoe

HOKA was founded in France in 2009 by Nicolas Mermoud and Jean-Luc Diard, who set out to design a shoe for faster downhill running with more cushion than other running shoes had at the time; Deckers Brands bought it in 2013. Running Warehouse sums up the result: "HOKA shook up the market with their highly cushioned, rockered trainers" (Clifton 11 page). The Clifton's MetaRocker "offers a smooth transition through every stride," per the same page.

Brooks is the older company: founded in 1914, now based in Seattle, and in 2001 it cut its product line by more than half to focus solely on running. Its Ghost and Adrenaline share DNA LOFT v3, which Running Warehouse describes as a "supercritical, nitrogen-infused, EVA-based foam," and the Adrenaline adds the GuideRails support system (Adrenaline GTS 25 page).

Three patterns show up in the numbers:

• More foam under HOKA. In each pair below, the HOKA has the taller forefoot, measured by the same lab: 31.7 mm vs 25.8 mm (Clifton vs Ghost, RTINGS), 32.2 mm vs 29.0 mm (Bondi vs Glycerin, RunRepeat) and 33 mm vs 29 mm (Arahi vs Adrenaline, Running Warehouse).
• HOKA's listed drops run low; the lab numbers don't. HOKA lists 8 mm for the Clifton 11 and 5 mm for the Bondi 9; RTINGS measured the Clifton at 10.2 mm and RunRepeat measured the Bondi at 9.1 mm. The Brooks figures sit closer: the Ghost 18 lists 10 mm and measured 10.8 mm at RTINGS, and the Glycerin 23 lists 8 mm and measured 8.2 mm at RunRepeat. Don't buy a HOKA for a low drop on the listing alone.
• Neither wins on widths across the board. Brooks lists more widths in the daily pair (Ghost 18: Narrow to Extra Wide; Clifton 11: Regular, Wide, Extra-Wide) and in men's stability sizes (four on the Adrenaline, three on the Arahi; both list four for women). HOKA wins the max-cushion pair: the Bondi 9 lists narrow through extra wide, the Glycerin 23 standard through extra wide.
• Where to buy. When we checked Amazon for this site, current HOKA models were listed through third-party sellers rather than HOKA itself. Our HOKA product cards say so.

Daily trainer: Clifton 11 vs Ghost 18

This is the pair most runners are actually choosing between, and we give it a full page in Brooks Ghost vs HOKA Clifton. In short: RTINGS measured the Clifton 11 with more stack and less weight than the Ghost 18, while the Ghost adds a Narrow width the Clifton doesn't list.

Max cushion: Bondi 9 vs Glycerin 23

These are the long-run and recovery shoes. RunRepeat measured the Bondi 9 at 41.3 mm heel and 32.2 mm forefoot against 37.2 mm and 29.0 mm for the Glycerin 23, at a similar weight (10.8 oz men's per Running Warehouse vs 10.7 oz in RunRepeat's lab). The Bondi is the taller platform with a moderate rocker and four widths; the Glycerin is the lower, more conventional plush shoe with a drop that measured as listed.

Stability: Arahi 8 vs Adrenaline GTS 25

The support systems work differently. Running Warehouse says the Arahi 8's H-Frame places "firmer EVA foam along the medial side of the shoe and around the heel to guide the foot naturally without using a standard medial post," and calls it "subtle, guidance-based support." The Adrenaline GTS 25 is "built for runners with moderate overpronation or anyone who appreciates a little extra guidance," with GuideRails that keep "excess movement in check." On Running Warehouse's own measurements the Arahi is the taller and lighter shoe: 41 mm / 33 mm and 9.3 oz against 39 mm / 29 mm and 10.6 oz (men's 9), with an 8 mm drop to the Adrenaline's 10 mm.

Not sure you need a stability shoe at all? Read Brooks Ghost vs Adrenaline for the neutral-or-support question inside one brand.

Faster shoes: Mach 7 vs Launch 12, and beyond

If you assume HOKA means max cushion, the Mach 7 corrects it. RTINGS measured it at 37.1 mm heel and 29.2 mm forefoot and 7.49 oz (men's 9): a heel within a millimeter of the Ghost 18's, and lighter than the Launch 12 on the same lab's scale. HOKA lists a 5 mm drop; RTINGS measured 7.9 mm. Brooks' Launch 12 is the more traditional speed shoe: 34.3 mm / 26.2 mm and 8.6 oz in RTINGS' lab, with an 8.1 mm measured drop against 8.0 mm advertised, and DNA Flash foam with DNA Flash v2 in the forefoot. Neither has a plate. Our level badges put the Launch 12 at C25K to half, a simple first faster shoe, and the Mach 7 at 10K to marathon.

Further up, the plated trainers are close on paper. Believe in the Run lists the HOKA Mach X 3 at 44 mm / 39 mm with a Pebax plate and a 5 mm drop (9.4 oz in a men's 10.5) and the Brooks Hyperion Max 4 at 45 mm / 39 mm with a nylon SpeedVault plate and a 6 mm drop (10.1 oz in a men's 9). Those weights are for different sizes, so don't read much into the gap. For race day, Brooks' Hyperion Elite 6 pairs a carbon SpeedVault+ plate with DNA Gold foam at 6.8 oz for a men's 9, per Doctors of Running.

Level by level: which brand to buy

Couch to 5K

The NHS Couch to 5K plan is 3 runs a week of run/walk intervals building to 30 minutes, and it asks for "running shoes that support your feet." Both brands' daily and stability shoes carry our C25K badge. Choose on fit: if you need a Narrow width, the Ghost 18 lists one; if you want the most cushion for walk breaks and first runs, the Clifton 11 measured taller.

10K

Keep the same trainer. If you want a lighter second shoe for faster days, HOKA's Mach 7 (7.49 oz in RTINGS' lab, men's 9) and Brooks' Launch 12 (8.6 oz, RTINGS) are the two brands' answers; the Launch keeps an 8 mm drop that measured 8.1 mm.

Half marathon

On Hal Higdon's Novice 1 Half, the long run builds to 10 miles and the week runs about 10-23 miles by our arithmetic. A daily trainer still covers it. If long runs are where you want more cushion, the Bondi 9 or Glycerin 23 is the addition.

Marathon

The Novice 1 Marathon peaks at a 20-mile long run and about 15-40 miles a week by our arithmetic. Here the max-cushion pair earns its place, and the lineups diverge at the fast end: Brooks' Hyperion Elite 6 is a carbon racer we cover, while our HOKA coverage stops at the Pebax-plated Mach X 3 and the carbon-plated Skyward X 2 max-cushion trainer. For more long-run options from both brands and others, see best max-cushion running shoes.

Who should buy which

• Choose HOKA if you want the tallest stack for the weight, like a rocker, and don't mind buying through third-party sellers on Amazon or elsewhere.
• Choose Brooks if you prefer a traditional feel with a 10 mm drop on the Ghost and Adrenaline, need Narrow or four-width sizing, or want one brand from first run to a carbon race shoe.
• Wide feet? Both brands list extra-wide options on these shoes; compare the width rows above and our best running shoes for wide feet.