Heading downstairs to the treadmill and will provide review shortly.

And the verdict is: Highly Recommend.

I did a 40 min run with 15 min warm up at 7:30 pace and 20 min of intervals (4 min @ 7:03, 3 min @8:00, 2 min @6:18, 1 min walk - 2x through) and a 5 in cool down.

While I was running I had two overwhelming thoughts:
1) This is basically a well designed racing flat
2) What exactly is "minimalist" running anyway?

Looking at the shoe, it is definitely a little different than a traditional design. The upper is basically two layers of mesh and the sole is soft foam with a few higher durability rubber pads where people generally have wear patterns. When you put the shoe on it has a little of the sock feeling of hugging your foot. However, it is not constrictive or tight. It just wraps your foot comfortably. I have a pair of green silence also, which I love to wear arround, but can't run in. These are actually more sturdy than the silence with a lighter feel (Pure Connect is ever so slightly heavier).

I was excited to start running and started out cruising at my normal warm-up pace. The first thing I noticed is that it is really a narrow platform. I don't have the best ankles and it took a couple minutes to make sure I was comfortable with the lack of stability. After that, it was easy sailing! the nearly non-existant heal-toe drop made it easy to land in a natural mid-foot position. the sole is definitely a little soft, but provides the right amount of support that it doesn't feel like your just stepping in sand (which was one of my complaints with the green silence).

Once I felt comfortable at my warm-up pace, I picked it up and the shoe came right along with me. I had no problem cruising at sub-marathon pace while keeping form. When I bumped up to sub-10k pace, it felt really good - again, without losing form.

I think these shoes will have enough stability to use as a racing flat for up to a half marathon. I want to see if I can use them for a marathon. I have come to really like my race ST5's for marathons, so I'm not necessarilly looking for a marathon racing flat.

I haven't ran in any of the Nike Free's, but I have done a hand full of runs in the Lunar Racers. I would put these in a similar category, but can't speak to the details of similarities or differences. I would NOT put these in the same category as Vibrams or similar barefoot style shoes.

The Pure Connect will not be my everyday runner, but will be my prefered indoor/ track shoe for now. I will probably race in these in the spring for 5k/ 10k depending on how they hold up over the winter.

So to wrap up the review, I highly recommend the Brooks Pure Connect. However, I have a new perspective on minimalist running. I am now convinced that it is a great marketing angle to get recreational runner to start wearing the shoes that "real" runners have been using for decades. This shoe felt like a great racing flat and will be my prefered shoe for shorter runs and treadmill work. I will still do long runs in a more traditional shoe for now... but I am now currious to go all the way and do some barefoot runs (Did I really just type that?!?!? Somebody shoot me).

[This message has been edited by H2OPoloAg02 (edited 12/3/2011 6:42p).]

i'd love to give them a shot, but i'm going nowhere near "minimalist" shoes ever again. i've had nothing but injuries with them....and yes, i slowly transitioned into them...and tried two different kinds.

Great review! I'd like to give my 2 cents on the PureFlows if that's ok.

Most recently, I have been running in Newton Distance S, Pearl Izumi Streak 2s and the NB Minimus Trail. I did all of my recent marathon training and the race in the Pearl Izumi Streak 2s. While they are a light weight shoe with low to moderate cushioning, they had more heel drop than I like. I love the NB Minimus, but I am 180+ pounds and can't tolerate them for anything more than 12-13 miles. Newtons? After wearing out two pair, I just couldn't justify spending that amount of money on them.

I've been eyeing the Pure Project shoes since release, but I wanted to wait until after my marathon to give them a go.

Earlier this week, I tried on the PureConnect and the PureFlows and was quite impressed with them both. After going for a short jog in both, I decided on the PureFlows.

The toe box seemed a little bigger in the Flows which my funky toes need. Also, I am pretty rough with my shoes, and I usually have to replace my shoes around 300-350 miles. Because of this, I was a little concerned about the durability of the Connects. The majority of the outsole seemed to be foam with patches of hard rubber over strategic portions of the sole. There's much more durable rubber covering the outsole of the Flows. While I am sure this adds to their weight, they still seem like a very light shoe.

I've only run 22 miles in my new shoes, but I think I've found my new everyday trainers.

While they have a ton more cushioning than the Streak 2s, the 4mm heel drop of the Flows makes it much easier to land on my midfoot. Also, I purposely landed on my heels while going down a steep hill, and I encountered no discomfort at all. I cant say the same with the Newtons.

The shoes are slightly heavier (.4 ounce per shoe according to my food scale)than the Streak 2s, but they still felt extremely light on my feet.

I was a little concerned, because they felt spongy while walking. This is something I dislike about the Nike Frees. I use my Frees for casual wear, but I can't stand running in them. On the contrary, the PureFlows were firm and responsive when running at moderate to fast (ChadClay fast, not AggieOO or MexAgsdotcom fast) paces.

So, how do I plan to fit the PureFlows into my shoe rotation? I plan on wearing them for ALL of my road runs. They are light enough for my tempo runs, they offer plenty of cushioning for my longer runs, and they have a heel drop consistent with many "minimalist" shoes (PureConnect included). I will continue to wear my NB Minumus Trails on all of my trail runs, because they are too sexy to give up and my trail runs are usually only 6-8 miles.

In closing, I think the PureFlows are perfect for runners wanting to transition into minimalist shoes but still desire ample cushioning. I also think they are good for heavier runners that can't tolerate high mileage in minimalist shoes but still want the benefits of a low heel-drop shoe.

Oh yeah! They only cost $89 too!

Update: I wore them on a 14 mile run in the rain this morning. They held up nicely, and my feet feel great. However, the streets were quite wet, and they didn't have as much traction as I would have liked. I had a difficult time making it up some of the steeper hills. That's the only complaint I have about these shoes so far.

[This message has been edited by chadclay (edited 12/4/2011 4:13p).]

Are they similar in sizing to other Brooks shoes? I wear an 11 in the glycerins, but no stores carry them around here.

I'm sorry RockOn, I have no idea. The PureConnect and PureFlows are the only pairs of Brooks I've ever tried on. There was definitely a difference between the Connect and Pureflow, though. The Connect had a more narrow fit. Therefore, I would assume there is some variation one way or the other compared to other Brooks shoes as well.

The narrow got my attention, I have a narrow foot.

I have worn about 8 different Brooks models and these are slightly more narrow, but basically the same. I wear 10.5 and these fit the same.

brooks is not a "narrow" shoe. unless they changed the last specifically for this shoe, it should fit like other brooks.

i got a pair, and agree - they are awesome. its like they run for you. i had a much easier "adjustment" period, but id been crosstraining w/ frees. my only concern is durability. the foamy sole doesnt look like itll last. BUT - until then, i dig em. and theyre green.

Chad - if you liked the Newton Distance S, I picked up 2 pair for 119 each plus 10% off with a coupon found online at Running Warehouse.com. I've been getting about 550-600 miles in mine so they have worked out well. /hijack