New Balance 1012 vs. Brooks Beast / Ariel review

Read about the differences between New Balance 1012 and Brooks Beast / Ariel in this review, and find the cheapest motion control running shoe by comparing the two.

In two previous articles I reviewed the New Balance 1012 and the Brooks Ariel motion control running shoes for women. The counterpart of the Brooks Ariel is the Brooks Beast for men.

The New Balance 1012 and Brooks Ariel (or Brooks Beast) are made by two different running shoe manufacturers (Brooks vs. New Balance), but are said to be each other's counterparts, so they should stack up well against each other. So let us have a look at them to find similarities and differences.

Looking at the New Balance 1012 and the Brooks Ariel / Beast side-by-side gives a good comparison of the two motion control running shoes.

From the medial side of the shoe the New Balance 1012 and Brooks Beast / Ariel look very similar, but there are still a few subtle differences to be noted.

First off, while both running shoes have a motion control device in their midsoles, the Rollbar of the Brooks Beast / Ariel extends a bit further towards the heel than the medial post in the New Balance 1012. This means that you can expect pronation control to kick in earlier on the Brooks Beast / Ariel than it would on the New Balance 1012 when going from heel-strike to toe-off.

Secondly, the synthetic overlays in the heel and midfoot areas are placed differently on both running shoes. The New Balance 1012 tends to wrap your feet from back to front, while keeping your feet stable from the heel towards the midfoot.

The Brooks Beast / Ariel however tends to pull the uppers down around your midfoot from the lacing area towards the platform, and also give you an additional wrapping from the top of the lacing area around your ankles towards your heel.

The Brooks Ariel / Beast also has an unobstructed bunion window. So if you have big bunions, you may find the Brooks Beast / Ariel giving you more comfort in that area. All in all, the Brooks Beast / Ariel may feel a bit tighter on your feet around your midfoot and roomy around your toes.

Looking at the outsoles, there are again several differences to be noted between the New Balance 1012 and the Brooks Ariel / Beast. If we first look at the heel area, you will see that the New Balance 1012 consists of a long separate lug on the outsides of the heel and another one on the inside, which connects to the forefoot area.

The lugs on the Brooks Ariel / Beast are more plentiful (4 in total) and separate from the forefoot area. What this means is that if you tend to land on your heels, the Brooks Beast / Ariel would keep the impact isolated in the heel area and not affect your ride as much as the New Balance 1012 would. On the other hand, if you tend to land on the outsides of your heel, the New Balance 1012 would offer you a similar shock dissipation without affecting your ride.

Another noticeable difference between the outsoles of the New Balance 1012 and the Brooks Beast / Ariel is the form of the platform. The platform on the Brooks Beast / Ariel is broader than that on the New Balance 1012; a good indication that the Brooks Beast / Ariel is a suitable running shoe for people who have broad and flat feet.

And finally, where flexibility in the forefoot goes, both the New Balance 1012 and the Brooks Ariel / Beast are expected to provide you with a similar amount. Durability of the outsoles may be a concern on the New Balance 1012 if you tend to push off a lot with the insides of your forefeet, because most of the durable rubber is located on the outside edge instead of inside. The durable rubber on the Brooks Beast / Ariel is more evenly distributed, so the wear and tear should be overall very gradual.

Where the running shoes for women goes, the New Balance 1012 weighs approximately 11.4 oz (323 grams), while the Brooks Ariel weighs approximately 12.3 oz (349 grams), so is 0.9 oz (26 grams) heavier than the New Balance 1012 when you compare motion control running shoes by weight.

If you are looking for a good motion control running shoe from New Balance, that not only provides you with a good amount of pronation control, flexibility, cushioning, and shock dissipation if you tend to land on the outsides of your heel, the New Balance 1012 could be a good choice.

If you are looking for an excellent motion control running shoe from Brooks, that not only provides you with pronation control, but also a secure fit around your midfoot, flexibility, durability, and room to accommodate either orthotics or flat feet, the Brooks Ariel / Beast might be the running shoe to go with.

The suggested retail price of the New Balance 1012 is US $129.99, which is approximately the same price as that of the Brooks Ariel / Beast, which costs around US $130 when you compare motion control running shoes by price.

Disclaimer: This running shoe review on www.motioncontrolrunningshoe.org is based on personal research and analysis, and is not claimed to be accurate and/or complete. While the information presented in this review is intended to help you better understand the differences between running shoes, we shall not be held liable for any purchasing decisions you make based on this information. Please use your own good judgment before making a purchase. The owner of this website receives a small compensation whenever you buy a product after clicking a product link on this website; that's how we keep this site online. Read our full disclaimer.