Brooks Ravenna 9 Shoe Review

Brooks Ravenna 9

The Brooks Ravenna 9 may be the Brooks shoe with the most updates this year. A few years ago I wrote a review of the Brooks Ravenna 7. While I liked the shoe, I didn’t love it. The Ravenna 7 felt a little clunky while I wanted more of a performance stability shoe for daily training.

I have been a big fan of Brooks running shoes over the past 10 years so I was excited to try the updated version of the Ravenna.

According to BrooksRunning.com, the Ravenna 9 is “Springy and supportive, and now lighter than ever for runners who want to energize their run without compromising support or speed.”

The Brooks Ravenna 9 is available in 3 color options for both men’s and women’s. My favorite color is the yellow Nightlife model. Looks awesome in person. The Ravenna 9 retails for $110.

Brooks Ravenna 9 Shoe Verdict

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You should try the Brooks Ravenna 9 if you are looking for a performance stability running shoe that can be worn for daily training runs and tempo runs.

The updated Ravenna 9 is lighter, faster, and is faster than its predecessor. The seamless mesh upper makes this is a lightweight option with optimal breathability. The shoe reminds me of the Brooks Launch with a touch of stability.

The longest run in the Ravenna 9 was 12 miles. The shoe felt lighter than expected and very responsive. This shoe runs true to size.

If you liked the Brooks Ravenna 8, you will really like the Ravenna 9.

Shop Brooks Ravenna 9 »
Pros Cons
  • Comfortable
  • Responsive
  • Price (Retail for $110)
  • N/A

Here are a few pictures of the Brooks Ravenna 9 that I wore for this review.

Brooks Ravenna 9 Shoe Initial Thoughts

I was excited to try the latest version of the Ravenna 9 having read of all the updates with the shoe.

When I first opened the box, I immediately noticed the cool color scheme and the sleek profile of the shoe. If I didn’t know it was the Ravenna I would have thought it was a cross between a race shoe and a performance stability shoe.

The first thing I noticed when picking up the shoe was the lightweight feel of this shoe. The 9.3 oz felt light and fast.

The shoe has a 10mm drop, which is what I prefer for faster training runs or speed workouts.

Brooks Ravenna 9 Shoe Specifications

  • Shoe Type/Category: Stability
  • Weight: 9.3 oz (based on men’s size 9D)
  • Shoe drop: 10mm
  • Shoe Height: 26mm (Heel), 16mm (Forefoot)
  • Sizing: Standard Shoe Size
  • Heel: Medium width
  • Forefoot: Medium width
  • Previous model: Brooks Ravenna 8

Brooks Ravenna 9 Shoe Overview

The Brooks Ravenna 9 stability shoe has a number of great updates that make this shoe more of a performance stability shoe. 

The redesigned seamless mesh upper looks great and feels great. It breathes well really contours to your foot providing incredible comfort.

The durable rubber sole should provide durability making this a great shoe for daily training.

Brooks Ravenna 9 Shoe Upper

One of my favorite updates of the Brooks Ravenna 9 is the redesigned upper of the shoe. The seamless upper looks sharp and breathes extremely well. If you look closely at the pictures below, you will see the small pockets that allow your foot to breathe.

I usually have issues with shoes being narrow and this shoe wrapped my foot and was extremely comfortable. The one thing that I also noticed was the heel collar. It kept my foot snug and felt great.

I am a big fan of the redesigned upper and the midfoot saddle provides a little bit of stability.

Below are a few pictures of the Brooks Ravenna 9 upper shoe area.

Brooks Ravenna 9 Shoe Sole

The Brooks Ravenna 9 updated sole is made of durable rubber that should have increased durability due to the blown rubber compound. The BioMoGo DNA fuses BioMoGo midsole and DNA cushioning technology providing a responsive ride.

If you look at the pictures of the sole below you will see Omni grooves, which provides increased flexibility and comfort. The Diagonal Rollbar (DRB) reduces pronation and providing stability.

Below are a few pictures of the Brooks Ravenna 9 shoe sole and heel.

Buy the Brooks Ravenna 9

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Running and Fitness Discounts

Let me know what you think of the Brooks Ravenna 9 running shoe!

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Brooks Ravenna 9 Shoe Ratings
  • 9/10
    Overall Rating - 9/10
  • 8.8/10
    Upper - 8.75/10
  • 9/10
    Sole - 9/10
8.9/10

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20 comments

  • If compared to the Saucony Guide 10 or Saucony Guide ISO as “lightweight stability” how does it match up?

    • Earl, thanks for the question. They are a lighter and a little less shoe than the Guide ISO or Gude 10. I personally think the Guide ISO has a little more cushion than the Ravenna 9, which I like. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!

      • Thanks for the quick reply. Currently running in the Guide 10 without any problems but I have read mixed reactions to its successor Guide ISO, so I am looking at alternatives when I do replace the current shoes. I am also looking for a bit more responsiveness from the shoe. Any other suggestions?

  • What’s the difference between the Ravenna 8 and the Ravenna 9 because I’m a little hesitant as a long-time Ravenna user because this shoe seems to have changed a lot.

    • Ben, thanks for the question. Some of the main differences are the seamless upper, an updated midsole similar to the Launch, and a shoe that is 8oz lighter than the Ravenna 8 and Ravenna 7. I personally like the updates and think other runners will as well. If you aren’t sure if you like, try on at a local shop before ordering. Let me know if you have any other questions.

  • I’m someone coming from 4 years in Purecadence and looking for more cushion for a marathon shoe. I see from your blog you are rotating GT-2000 and Guide ISO. I’m pretty neutral on left foot, mild pronation on right. Do you think I should look to Guide ISO or similar, or something cushioned neutral like Brooks Glycerin or Levitate (not sure how the overall support compares?).

    • Tom, thanks for the question. If you are looking for something that is lighter and cushioned I would suggest the GT-2000 or the Guide ISO. The Glyercin and Levitate are great shoes, but a bit heavier. Have you tried any of these on in-person? I would suggest doing that if you can. Lately, I have enjoyed running the Hurricane ISO 4 and Saucony Liberty. Let me know if you have any other questions. Good luck!

      • Thanks! How do you find the sizing compares with the Liberty, Guide and Hirricane? I’ve managed to try Liberty and am 1/2 size up, Guide seems true to size but Hurricane is not in store to try.

        • Tom, I also had to order a 1/2 size up for the Liberty and Freedom ISO. I actually ordered a 1/2 size up (like a little extra room) in the Hurricane and Guide ISO but think you could go with your usual size. Most sites recommend ordering your normal size with these shoes. Let me know if you have any other questions!

  • Unfortunately, I had issues with this one. Compared to the 8, there’s less room in the toe box as they are trying to really hug your foot. As a result I had some rubbing on the outside front of the right shoe and had to send them back. Bummer. May try the wide later. For now, I jumped into Saucony Liberty ISO instead.

    • Rick, sorry to hear about your experience with these. How are you liking the Saucony Liberty ISO? I am really liking the Saucony Hurricane ISO 4. Comfortable and supportive.

      • The Hurricanes look sharp. I ran in the 2nd version of the Hurricane and liked the feel, but was only able to put 250 miles on them. The construction is probably better now. I’ve run mostly in Guides over the past 3 years, but decided to give Liberty a shot because the Guides are so boring looking. So far they felt really good on the first run. Hopefully they have enough support on longer runs where I’m usually in a Guide or Ravenna.

        • I used to be a huge fan of the Hurricanes but ended up going back to Asics. I did have issues with durability as well, which I’m looking forward to seeing how the Hurricane ISO 4’s hold up. I’m a big fan of the Liberty as well, but for some reason, the Hurricanes felt a little better. Glad to hear you found a shoe that works! Let me know if you have any other questions.

          • I have now done a recovery run, track workout and regular aerobic run in the Liberty and I don’t really feel like this is a highly cushioned shoe. I weigh in the upper 170s and feel a lot more cushion in my Guide ISO.

          • Rick, thanks for the comment. I like the Liberty, but would say that I like the support and feel of the Hurricane and Guide ISO more than the Liberty.

      • Curious about possibly trying a 2E Ravenna 9 to counter the tight fit. How much width would this add to the standard width? Millimeters? Half of an inch?

  • Hi, great review. I have always ran in the adrenaline GTS model(4 Years) but I’m looking for a faster, lighter and slightly lower drop shoe, do you think that these would be a good choice it would you suggest that I go and get my gait checked first or try a different make/model ?

    • Keith, thanks for the comment. I think it’s always good to get checked out in person if you can. Knowing that you ran in the Brooks GTS model for a few years, I think you should be good with this shoe. Personally, I liked the shoe, but prefer the Asics GT-2000 6 and Saucony Guide ISO at this time. The drops on these shoes are a little higher, but that works for me. Let me know what you end up going with!

Let me know if you have questions, comments, or feedback!

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