#1Mizuno
Osaka sportswear and equipment maker founded in 1906, known for Wave-cushioned running shoes, baseball gloves and archive-driven Sportstyle sneakers.
Running Shoes like Brooks
15 brands · Brands by scene · Updated August 2026If you run in Brooks — the Ghost, Glycerin or Adrenaline GTS — this page lines up the brands that offer the same neutral-to-support daily-trainer logic at a similar mid-tier price. The closest swaps are ASICS, Saucony, New Balance, Mizuno and HOKA; Nike, adidas, On and Salomon cover speed, racing and trail, while Reebok, Fila, Onitsuka Tiger and Clarks are there for off-run wear rather than mileage.
#1
#2New Balance
Boston-founded, family-owned athletic brand making performance running shoes and lifestyle sneakers such as the 990 series, 574 and 2002R.
#3Hoka One One
French-born, Deckers-owned running brand known for maximalist, heavily cushioned shoes like the Clifton, Bondi and Speedgoat.
#4Adidas
German sportswear giant behind the three stripes, known for Samba, Gazelle and Superstar sneakers, football kits and designer lines like Y-3.
#5Brooks
Seattle-based performance running brand owned by Berkshire Hathaway, known for the Ghost, Glycerin, Adrenaline GTS and Hyperion shoe franchises.
#6
#7Nike
American sportswear giant behind Air Force 1, Air Max, Dunk, Jordan and Converse, now rebuilding around a sport-led strategy.
#8Puma
German sportswear company making football, running and motorsport gear plus retro lifestyle sneakers such as the Suede, Palermo and Speedcat.
#9Reebok
British-founded, Boston-based sportswear brand owned by Authentic Brands Group, known for Club C and Classic Leather sneakers, the Pump and Nano training shoes.
#10Fila
Italian-founded, Korean-owned sportswear brand known for retro tennis styling, bold logos and chunky sneakers like the Disruptor II.
#11ASICS
Japanese performance running brand from Kobe, known for GEL cushioning and archive Sportstyle sneakers like the Gel-1130 and Gel-Kayano 14.
#12Salomon
French outdoor brand from Annecy known for ski and trail-running gear, whose XT-6 and Speedcross shoes became gorpcore streetwear staples.
#13Onitsuka Tiger
Japanese heritage sneaker and lifestyle label owned by Asics, best known for the retro Mexico 66 trainer.
#14Saucony
American running brand owned by Wolverine World Wide, known for PWRRUN-cushioned performance shoes and Originals reissues of its 1980s runners.
#15Clarks
British shoemaker founded in 1825, known for the crepe-soled Desert Boot and Wallabee and now majority-owned by Hong Kong-listed Viva Goods.
The closest like-for-like running swaps
Brooks, founded in Philadelphia in 1914 and now Seattle-based, has been a standalone Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary since 2012 and posted record 2025 revenue, up 16% year over year. Its range is narrow on purpose: the Ghost daily trainer, Glycerin on DNA Tuned foam, Adrenaline GTS for support and PEBA-based Hyperion racers. The brands that map onto that structure most directly are ASICS (GEL and FF Blast foams, Gel-Kayano for support, Gel-Nimbus and Novablast for cushioning, Metaspeed for racing) and Saucony (PWRRUN foams across Endorphin, Triumph, Ride and Guide, plus Peregrine for trail). New Balance is the other obvious one — Fresh Foam and FuelCell cover the same daily-trainer-to-racer ladder, and it also offers widths, which matters if you buy Brooks for fit rather than feel.
Different cushioning philosophies
Mizuno builds around its Wave plate instead of foam-only cushioning, so it rides firmer and more structured than a Glycerin. HOKA goes the opposite way: maximalist stacks and rockered geometry in the Clifton and Bondi, plus the Speedgoat on trail. On's CloudTec pods and Speedboard plate (Cloud 5, Cloudmonster, Cloudsurfer) feel snappier and more distinctive underfoot, and the brand leans harder into lifestyle wear than Brooks does. All sit in the same mid price tier as Brooks, so the choice is ride feel, not budget.
Big-brand and trail options
Nike (Pegasus) and adidas (Ultraboost) both make credible daily trainers, but their catalogues are dominated by lifestyle franchises — Air Force 1, Dunk, Samba, Gazelle — so expect to filter. Salomon is the trail specialist here: Speedcross and Sense Ride with Contagrip and Quicklace, though the XT-6 now sells as much as a streetwear shoe. Puma's Nitro-foam runners and Reebok's Nano are the value-leaning picks at the low-mid tier; Reebok is now owned by Authentic Brands Group and licensed out, so ranges vary by market.
Lifestyle-only, for clarity
Fila (Disruptor II, retro tennis styling), Onitsuka Tiger (Mexico 66, ASICS-owned heritage line) and Clarks (Desert Boot, Wallabee, cushioned Cloudsteppers) are not running alternatives. Keep them on the list only if you want a casual shoe to wear after the run.
Common questions
Which brand is most like Brooks for a daily trainer?
ASICS and Saucony. Both structure their ranges the same way Brooks does — a cushioned neutral shoe (Gel-Nimbus, Triumph) against the Glycerin, a support option (Gel-Kayano, Guide) against the Adrenaline GTS, and plated racers (Metaspeed, Endorphin) against the Hyperion — at a comparable mid-tier price.
Is Brooks still independent?
No. Brooks has been owned by Berkshire Hathaway since 2006, when Berkshire unit Fruit of the Loom bought it, and it has operated as a standalone Berkshire subsidiary since 2012. It is headquartered in Seattle and led by CEO Dan Sheridan.
What are the cheaper alternatives to Brooks?
Puma and Reebok both sit a tier below Brooks on price — Puma with Nitro-foam runners, Reebok with the Nano training shoe and archive silhouettes. Fila is also low-mid, but its shoes are retro-lifestyle rather than performance running.
How do HOKA and On differ from Brooks?
HOKA runs maximalist: oversized cushioned midsoles and rockered geometry in the Clifton and Bondi. On uses CloudTec pods with a Speedboard plate for a firmer, more distinctive ride. Brooks sits between them with foam-led cushioning like DNA Tuned and a more conventional shape.
Which of these brands are best for trail running?
Salomon first — Speedcross and Sense Ride with Contagrip outsoles and Gore-Tex options. HOKA's Speedgoat and Saucony's Peregrine are the other proven trail lines on this list.