Customer Reviews Brooks Ariel GTS 23

I don't know why companies do this. They knock it out of the park with one design and instead of staying with the design that made the shoe great, the change it up and ruin the design. I bought these for my wife for her birthday and she put them on and immediately hated them. She's been running/walking in her Ariel 18's for years and wanted a new pair. They have lowered the arch support enough that it's noticeable in the new 23's. the soles feel as if they are made of foam instead of rubber and feel like they would fall apart after three runs. The support feels less than that of the 18's. My wife has a bad back and knee, and pronates while jogging due to high arches. You can can see her ankles roll slightly inward when putting on these shoes. Brooks, go back to the 2018 design!!

I have discovered in recent weeks that I have midfoot arthritis (top of my feet where you tie your shoes). One of the best things that can be done for this is to wear shoes that support the feet and arch. My Ariel GTS 23 provide a comfortable toe box. The inserts I need to wear fit into this shoe with no problem. And, the Ariel comes two wider options which was helpful to me. In fact, that was the main reason I gave these shoes a try. Then I discovered that of all the Brooks shoes, the Ariel provides the most support. I am delighted with these shoes. The pain that I was experiencing in another pair of shoes that led me to the discovery of midfoot arthritis has basically disappeared. I am very pleased with these shoes.

Been wearing Ariel for 10+ yrs. Like the blue color! Seems tighter than models from past years. Biggest gripe: shoelace length - I can BARELY tie them (seriously, the laces are INCHES shorter from past years.) Do you carry longer laces that match??

I recently switched to Ariel GTS23 and LOVE it!!! It was a replacement for my long-term go-to shoes Adrenaline GTS since the newer models of Adrenaline shaved so much of its support structure and the width of toe box to be as slim and lightweight as possible. I didn't feel the "Go-To-Support" feature in Adrenaline GTS23 any more but found my ankles wobbly while running in them and badly injured my toes (I used them for 3 months in both Medium and Wide widths). As I run a long distance and was training for a marathon race, I really needed a good supportive shoe that has a wide toe box and ankle stabilization. Brooks recommended Ariel GTS23 as it is a "GTS" shoe with the widest toe box in their product lines. I tried them on and ran 10 miles on the first day and fell in love with them. Ariel GTS23 has a superb support structure for stabilizing wobbly ankles and overronating feet whether you have a hip, knee, or ankle issue or combimation of all like myself. The toe box is so loomy that my toes do not rub one another or against the sides of the shoe inside. I ordered Medium/B and they fit perfectly!! The cushy heel collar (cuff) "hugs" the rear of my foot from ankle to heel so that no matter how poor my running form gets from exhaustion or injury/pain, my foot/ankle stay straight. This is the major difference in support & stabilization structure from Adrenaline GTS23 which has a smaller heel collar and mainly relies on its awkwardly wide outsole to expand the landing surface and stabilize each step from the bottom up (-If you have weak ankles, it doesn't work well). I see in the reviews that complain about the short shoelace - they are NOT short. It is this thick cusy heel collar that pushes the foot forward and falsely fit, making shoelace shorter. This shoe may need a bit of breaking-in process because the heel collar notch is very firm and narrow right out of the box. You will need to slide your foot in and then readjust the position by tapping the bottom of the heel like you would wear hiking shoes to get the foot to sit in all the way back and NOT to get the toes all the way front. Then you lace up - you will find the shoelace 1.5 to 2 inches longer when you fit the shoes correctly that way. Your toes will have more room in the toe box too. It happened to me on the first day. Please try this. (If you find the shoelace too short with your Ariel GTS23, I gurantee you that your foot isn't sitting right in the shoe and you have a space in the collar notch that is supposed to hug the rear of your foot.) Ariel GTS23 is like a perfect upgrade of Good Ole Classis Adrenaline GTS17 (- best one ever in my opininon). The bulky yet supportive and trustworthy road running shoes. It does add some weight (45g/1.6 oz more than Adrenaline GTS23). No problem. Your socks weigh about 1 oz and you won't feel them wearing you down, will you? I have already put in 111 miles in a month and completed Honolulu marathon in my new Ariel GTS23 with no foot issues. It's my new Go-To!!!

Oh so comfortable yet supportive right out of the box! The W width gives the right amount of room for my wide foot while keeping the ankle fit snug. I walked 5 miles to check them out on my 70yr old flat as a board feet along with bad hips and knees and did not have an ache or pain that day or afterwards. It's encouraging to find a shoe that is designed for my feet and know they feel great while keeping everything properly aligned.

Arrived on Time. Nice looking shoe. Toe box is too small

I'm not a runner, but I've worn Ariel shoes for several years now following bilateral ankle fractures and surgeries. They fit well (true to size), and provide great support. The wear is even across the sole; their stability corrects my tendency to wear out the outside edges of my shoes. I like the deep toe box because I can wiggle my toes. If I had one wish, it would be for a version with more durable uppers, as that is what wore out on my last pair.

I'm a female walker who needs to wear supportive shoes with custom orthotics in a 2E width. While I can find 2Es, I'm often left settling for black, white and grey. Imagine my delight - finding these Brooks Ariel GTS 23s in a 9 2E in a beautiful AQUA color. Even though my podiatrist likes another brand, I am team Brooks all the way nowthank you for FUN COLOR in 2E width! (Pssst - I buy 2 pair a year - consider Red, orange, lime, etc.)

I had a lot of heel pain while running, and these shoes have changed that. I no longer have heal pain. My only negative would be I wish there were more fun colors.

So disappointed. I waited a long time to upgrade from the 20 to the 23. The cushioning is greatly reduced and there is much less arch support. The 20's were amazing-didn't need orthotics and they felt great on. The 23's are not what they should be.

I had tried two other Brooks models and they just didn't work but this Ariel is just what I needed. I just completed a 6 day race and did not have any problems with my feet and for the first time didn't have to change to another pair of shoes or cut them . I need a wide toe box and this is perfect!

So far the new Ariel GTS 23 have compared well to the Ariel 22 and has helped reduce foot pain. I can stand and walk without pain on most days which is a blessing. Bought a second pair and hoping they last longer than my 22's.

The Ariel GTS 23 sneaker is the best for my feet. I wear it with a custom made orthotic and my feet are pain free. I have bunions and arthritis and this sneaker is so comfortable that I bought a second one in a different color.

I'm a walker and bought this shoe for walking and daily wear. I have bad arthritis in my knees and ankles, so I need a comfortably cushioned and supportive shoe. While the Ariel GTS 23 is attractive, I found the sole to be very hard compared to last years model's too hard for me. The shoe laces are also difficult to adjust. I purchased a wide due to my high instep. The toe box and heel were just right, but the tongue isn't wide enough to cover the whole top shoe enclosure, so the shoe strings touched the sides of my foot. I also found the length of the shoe strings too scant. So disappointing. Please make a wider shoe tongue and return to the older cushioning system. I returned the shoes.

The overall fit of the '23 is similar to the '20 but the '23 has a less supportive foot bed. The '20 supported my feet well, which prevented me from having knee pain. But in the '23 model it's back.