Brooks Men's Bedlam Running Shoes

Product Information

The tongue itself is unique. It starts about midway down the upper and is attached to the rest of the shoe with a small 1-inch wide swath of fabric. I was a little confused by this and wondered why they didn’t just go with a one-piece booty style upper? These GuideRails act as a holistic approach to support. They are aimed at keeping your ankles, legs, knees and hips aligned through the gait cycle while reducing unwanted side-to-side motion. There’s also excellent rear-foot support from the firm, exoskeletal heel counter. The Brooks Bedlam 3 is billed as their springiest shoe yet. Since I am a “show me, don’t tell me” kinda guy, I needed to see for myself. The proof’s in the pudding, right? So, it very well could have great cushioning and energy return. I just haven't experienced it due to the discomfort. Beginner, novice and advanced runners will love this model as an everyday training shoe for long runs, recovery runs and faster workout sessions.

GuideRails, dense plates in the sole are what give the Bedlam its stability. I could tell from the start how much the shoe adjusted and kept me from over pronating. The improvements have made it lighter and faster, but it’s still not to be confused with a performance trainer. TECH SPECS SHOP BROOKS BEDLAM 3 MEN'S COMING SOON WOMEN'S COMING SOON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Things started off nicely. I felt like the Bedlam 2 delivered a fair amount of cushion on the ride, though the stiffness and rigidity of the outsole were prevalent. Seriously, these shoes are stiff! Stepping into the Brooks Bedlam 3, the shoe had a pretty rigid feel in the sole. I was skeptical, to say the least. Laced up and out the door is where the magic happened. A weighted foot strike gave way to a more cushioned feel and the energy return of the promised spring in your step. It was a welcomed surprise, and my runs in the Brooks Bedlam 3 since have been nothing short of enjoyable. The DNA Amp sole of the Brooks Bedlam 3 definitely delivers.

THE BUZZ

So, if you're not a pronator, go ahead and look elsewhere. And if you pronate just the slightest, a minimum to moderate stability shoe is probably more up your alley. The Bedlam 3 is a near-identical cousin to the neutral-oriented Brooks Levitate 4, only it’s sturdier and not quite as flexible. If you want slightly less support in every stride, give the Levitate 4 a try. I immediately headed off to the gym to get a good treadmill workout in (Colorado is absolutely freezing right now—when the temperature drops below 20, the treadmill and I become best friends). Combined with a convenient heel tab and a snug heel collar, you really can't ask for more. Granted, I don't imagine it'd hold up great in nasty weather conditions. I can just see these puppies soaking up water like a dehydrated sponge.

I was also surprised to see there wasn’t an extra eyelet. This was disappointing because I’ve been using the runner’s loop to tie my shoes for years. The knitted fabric really wraps the foot well and complements the burrito wrap design of the tongue. I got some really gnarly blisters the first week of testing. White shoes only look nice until they get dirty with blood and dirt. Brooks Bedlam Conclusions It uses a polyurethane compound that aims to return what you put on the road. It felt soft on impact but gave a springy return on lift off.The latest in Brooks' Bedlam line, the Bedlam 3, is an everyday road running shoe, offering stability, plush cushioning and a bouncy ride. You can see from the photo above that there's really no visible wear or tear on the outsole, and that's after 60+ miles. I imagine it can withstand hundreds of miles without a problem. Runners accustomed to wearing stability shoes with firm medial-side wedges of foam will appreciate the smooth, energetic ride of the Bedlam 3. Not only does the Bedlam have a modern design, it’s lighter and more effortless than most stability shoes available. When my foot started to hurt on the initial workout, I hopped off the treadmill and reworked the laces to see if it was just the fit that was wrong: Nope, all good to go. Guide Rails are the latest introduction in Brooks technology and like all the others, it seems to veer in the direction of “we don’t correct your stride, we let your body define how to run”. This latest is about providing some stability without traditional stability technology (ie. dual posts).

Because the fit and feel have been enhanced and it’s much lighter, it’s a much more versatile shoe that it was in the past. The outsole feels strong, and the rubber makes for some good traction on dry surfaces. Wet surfaces—not so much. There's very little give in the outsole. It seems to be very durable, though. The Brooks Bedlam 2 is a stability running show for daily running, featuring Brooks' most responsive midsole cushioning to date.

Brooks sole technologies

The Beldam 3's DNA AMP midsole is now 20 percent lighter and considerably springier. Combined with the new upper and outsole, it creates an amazing feeling of energy return in every stride. Also, the toe-box widths that are available for both the shoes are similar. They toe-box widths that are available for both the shoes is “normal” for both men’s and women’s version of the shoes. In a nutshell: my hallux rigidus (basically stiffness in the big toe) was causing my foot to pronate on impact. As of now, the most I've been able to run in this shoe consecutively is about 3 miles before the pain starts creeping in. Not a great first experience. Comfort & ride Brooks claims that DNA is the first cushioning technology that dynamically adapts with each foot strike to the ever-changing amount of force placed on the foot during the run. No matter what the age, weight, gender, gait… DNA adapts itself to deliver the right amount of cushioning.

What makes this technology incredible to me is that Brooks decided not to patent it, but to offer it as a “open source” innovation for any other shoe producer to use. Way to go! Brooks DNA I really wanted to like these shoes, but I just couldn’t get past how heavy they were. I was more impressed with Adidas’ Solar Glide ST; better execution with a similar design. As we were testing the Levitate 4 alongside the Bedlam 3, we had a good chance to compare and contrast the two as they are essentially identical with the exception of the Bedlam’s GuideRails. To that end, they do suffer from the same issues, but for us, the Bedlam rises to the top a bit. The reason for this is more clear in a run because from the time you put them on the shoe feels essentially identical to one another. We even jokingly put one of each on either foot to see if you could tell the difference and the answer is no… at least until you run. The sole surface area is nice and wide and provides a sure footing. The heel counter has a rigid plastic reinforcement that house the heel nicely. The ride is smooth and semi-firm, but there’s noticeable cushioning and in every foot strike. There's a nice a boost of energy in the forefoot at the apex of every stride. WHO IT'S BEST FOR

Brooks Bedlam Sole Unit

The Bedlam definitely feels heavier than the Adrenaline for two reasons: The lower drop and design of the upper. The lower drop made the ride feel heavier and clunkier because of how the ride was. Since the upper was so light, the weight felt like it was distributed unevenly. It just didn’t translate well. It felt good on landing, but lifting off it didn’t feel natural. I felt like i was dragging the entire time. The adrenaline’s weight was better distributed and the ride was smoother as a result. The combination of flat laces and fabric loops on the instep side of the shoe allows you to really customize the support you receive on your arch. This is where the shoe is truly sensational and provides a wide range of support and fit. Right below your ankle is an elastic fabric that you use to wrap the shoe around the top of your foot.