Here's what you should know about me: I am not an experienced marathon runner and this is the first pair of *real* running shoes I have ever purchased. I am a 3-miles-every-morning-with-my-dog runner (so maybe more of a jogger?) but I deal with hip, knee and shin pain, so I decided it was time to invest in some *real* running shoes instead of using whatever BOGO Payless sale athletic shoes I happen to have at the moment. A couple of my initial observations about *real* running shoes during my research were:

A) 90% of *real* running shoes are completely and totally HIDEOUS both in color scheme and design. Can someone explain this to me!? It feels like a joke or something.

B) *Real* running shoes ain't cheap!

I have a friend who runs the Wasatch 100 every year (yes, that's 100 miles without stopping) and he told me that you get what you pay for with running shoes and that "quality is remembered when price is forgotten". He recommended the brand Brooks to me so I thought I'd start there. If they're good enough for someone who runs as much as he does, they're definitely going to be good enough for my 3-5 mile neighborhood jogs every morning! After reading reviews on multiple sites, I decided to try out the Launch 4's and to size up. I'm glad I did size up. I normally wear 8-8.5 depending on the style and bought size 9 in these. Overall they fit really well! There is a little extra room in the toe, but when they're laced up I don't notice it at all, so I decided to keep them rather than try 8.5. They feel great everywhere else. I've dealt with bunions before and have a little wider than average foot and these have plenty of room in the toe box and sides while still being snug on my foot. I have very high arches and these feel very supportive.

These aren't the lightest shoes I've ever worn but they are still very light weight. I can see why some reviewers call them a bit bulky but honestly that can only be in comparison to a much smaller and lighter shoe because I would say there isn't anything heavy or bulky about them. They feel substantial without being heavy or bulky in my opinion.

As ugly running shoes go, I think these are actually really decent looking! They come in every color scheme imaginable which I love. I bought the anthracite/beach glass/silver ones and I find them to be a nice neutral shoe (with a pop of color) that can go with any of my active wear, unlike many of the shoes I saw in my search.

I often run through freshly sprinkled grass with my dog and don't have to worry about my feet getting wet or the water affecting the shoes adversely.

One of my favorite things about this shoe so far has been the ZERO break in period. I mean NONE!! I went for a 3 mile run straight out of the box (and every morning since - so I've probably put 20 miles on them by now) and have had NO PAIN! No foot pain, no blisters, no hot spots, no knee, hip, ankle or shin pain. NONE WHATSOEVER!! If that's the only thing these shoes do for me then they're worth it! They are very very comfortable. I wouldn't go so far as to say they're like walking on a cloud as some reviewers did. I would say they're firm yet soft and supple and very comfortable for a running shoe. I don't think they're super reactive though. For being named "Launch" I expected a little bit more of a spring in my step so-to-speak. Honestly, I didn't notice much additional reaction in these over my cheaper non-name brand athletic shoes. Admittedly I was a little disappointed by that.

These are a VERY high quality shoe and seem extremely well made in every respect from the laces to the tread and everything in between. I love feeling like I get what I pay for in terms of quality and feeling like these are going to last me a long time.

All in all, so far I am very happy with these shoes for my every day light morning runs! They are comfortable, supportive, well made, nice looking and easy to run in! Best of all, I have had NO PAIN AT ALL since switching to these shoes which is a small miracle. While I can't compare to other name brands, I can tell you that they have made a difference for me and I'm glad I bought them! Hope this helps someone else! I did NOT receive these for free or at a discount by the way. I paid $100 for them!!

Love these!!! Got these for the Tinkerbell 1/2 marathon and didn't break them in at all before- still Awesome!!