As an avid runner and walker, I’m always on the hunt for the most comfortable, durable, and high-performing shoes. Brooks and Clove are two brands that continually grab my attention.
Brooks specializes in athletic running shoes, while Clove designs footwear specifically for healthcare workers. I decided to compare these brands in depth across factors like comfort, price, and style to see how they stack up. Let’s dive in!
Comparison Table Between Brooks And Clove:
| Category | Brooks | Clove |
|---|---|---|
| Founded In | 1914 | 2018 |
| Comfort & Fit | Designed for high comfort and support through innovative cushioning technologies | Double-cushioned insoles provide superior comfort for long hours on your feet |
| Color Options | Wide range of style and color options | More limited color pallet, focus is on function over style |
| Durability & Performance | High-quality materials withstand miles of running | Slip-resistant soles stand up to demanding hospital conditions |
| Design & Style | Athletic, performance focused | Professional, healthcare focused |
| Popularity | Popular among runners and athletes | Popular among nurses, doctors, healthcare professionals |
| Best Selling Model | Adrenaline GTS | Clove Classic |
Brooks Overview
Brooks running shoes originated in 1914 in Seattle, Washington when the Brooks Shoe Company was founded. Though it started as a specialty shoe brand, Brooks eventually pivoted to focus on athletic and performance footwear in the 1970s.
Some of the long-running iconic features of Brooks shoes include:
- BioMoGo DNA: An adaptive midsole foam that provides soft landings followed by firm toe-offs for propulsion.
- GuideRails: An engineered support system around the midsole to limit excess pronation or inward foot rolling.
- Flextra: Outsole rubber strategically placed for flexibility where the foot needs to move.
- Ideal Pressure Zones: Designated cushioned zones on the outsole positioned under important areas.
- Adjustable saddle: A structured component that customizes midfoot support and fit.
- HydroFlow: Shock-absorbing cushioning units in the midsole for plush softness.
In addition to catering to regular neutral runners, Brooks offers stability, trail, walking, and casual shoes. Some of their most popular models through the years include the Ghost, Adrenaline GTS, Glycerin, and Ravenna.
With over 100 years of experience, Brooks uses proven technologies and innovations to create high-performance shoes suited for runners of all types.
Clove Overview:
Clove is a relatively new brand, founded in 2018 by podiatrist Joe Ammon.
Clove designs comfortable and supportive shoes tailored specifically for healthcare professionals who spend long hours on their feet caring for patients. The shoes are designed to meet the unique needs of nurses, doctors, dentists, and other medical staff.
Key features of Clove shoes include machine washable uppers, slip-resistant rubber outsoles, moisture-wicking linings, removable cushioned insoles, wide toe boxes, and arch support.
The shoes aim to provide all-day comfort and support while also offering protection from spills and fluids. The slip-resistant soles provide excellent traction on hospital floors.
Clove’s best-selling model is the Clove Classic shoe, which features a breathable mesh upper, cushioned EVA midsole, and durable rubber outsole.
It also has an anatomic last, Ortholite insole, flex grooves, and slip-resistant sole.
With over 100 years of experience, Brooks uses proven technologies and innovations to create high-performance shoes suited for runners of all types.
Major Difference Between the Brands
1) Comfort and Fit
Both Brooks and Clove prioritize comfort, but their approaches and target wearers differ. Brooks packs their shoes with cushioning innovations like DNA LOFT and GuideRails, but fundamentally engineers their footwear for athletes logging heavy mileage. The plush interiors provide soft landings mile after mile.
Clove also emphasizes comfort, but specifically for medical professionals spending full work days on their feet. Their shoes incorporate cushioned insoles and heel pads to reduce fatigue from long hours of standing and walking. Rather than stabilizing quick cuts or uneven trails, Clove aims to support long hours on predictable hospital floors.
So while both provide ample cushioning, Clove comfort gears towards all-day wear while Brooks centers athletic performance. Clove also focuses more on slip-resistant soles critical for medical settings.
2) Durability and Performance
The durability and performance requirements also diverge between the brands catering to runners versus medical staff. Brooks utilizes advanced 3D print fabrication and high-end materials to produce shoes that stand up to intense running.
Their robust construction supports hardcore training across hundreds of miles. Reinforcements provide structure and rebound where runners need it most. Clove also creates durable shoes but tailors resilience specifically for hospital conditions.
Their outsoles incorporate rubber, EVA, and TPE to deliver slip resistance on slick surfaces. The materials withstand scuffs, spills, and continual cleaning. And antimicrobial properties help guard against contamination.
Rather than optimizing for track or trail, Clove Durability focuses on white-collar healthcare environments. Their shoes provide long-lasting traction and support across long shifts in medical settings specifically.
3) Price
Pricing often illuminates key differences between major athletic brands like Brooks versus smaller startups like Clove targeting niche applications. Both produce quality shoes, but materials, development costs and brand reputation contribute to price gaps.
The average Brooks running shoe retails between $100 – $150. As a leader in performance footwear, customers expect both marquee technologies and sufficient durability to justify these premium price points. The costs not only reflect robust product engineering, but over a century of trust in the Brooks name.
As a newer player lacking the brand equity of Brooks, Clove shoes retail slightly lower – typically ranging from $120-$140 on average. But their focus specifically on healthcare workers also limits production scale and specialty sourcing.
So considering the comfort and desk-to-dinner appeal, Clove still delivers strong value catering specifically to nurses and doctors. Those on stricter budgets may lean towards Clove over other medical-minded brands.
4) Design and Style
Design and style showcase the difference in targeted performance versus workplace wear as well. The sleeker Brooks models clearly center running and training priorities rather than professional presentation.
Shoes like the Adrenaline GTS incorporate large stabilizer wings, segmented crash pads and pronounced heel supports. While optimizing athletic performance, such features appear almost industrial alongside casual streetwear.
Clove orientations trend more towards subtle and stylish, though still ergonomic. Their designs incorporate pops of color and intentionally shed overt performance cues that might clash against business formal attire.
Many Clove models could complement professional uniforms or dress codes across a range of specialties and clinical environments. Those seeking shoes pulling double duty from hospital to happy hour will appreciate Clove’s adaptability.
So while Brooks unapologetically embraces hardcore running DNA, Clove smooths edges to better complement professional and casual wardrobes alike.
5) Popularity
Brooks and Clove enjoy significant popularity within their respective athletic versus medical niches. As one of the global leaders in performance running footwear, Brooks continues winning loyalty among beginners training for their first 5K as well as hardcore marathoners chasing PRs.
Their brand recognition only grows as innovations like GuideRails Support keep racking up industry awards. Core runner demographics beyond competitive racers also appreciate Brooks’ growing selection of eco-conscious and vegan offerings.
Despite only launching in 2017, Clove carved an impressive niche catering specifically to healthcare professionals equally split across both males and females.
Reviews praise Cloves slip-resistant traction critical for managing slick hospital floors, while the brand further tailors selections to better complement scrubs and active work environments.
These unique advantages over generic casual sneakers drive popularity in medical circles. As Clove further scales manufacturing and clinicians spread positive word-of-mouth, brand recognition continues accelerating across urgent cares, surgical centers and wide-ranging medical specialties beyond just nursing.
6) Target Market
Being pioneers in athletic performance shoes versus healthcare footwear also informs key differences in target market focuses. Brooks running sneakers primarily target regular runners logging daily miles or training for upcoming races.
Their shoes account for footstrike mechanics, overpronation, and activity-specific demands whether racing, training or recovering. Enthusiast runners comprise much of the addressable market, but more casual runners welcome accessibility to the same advanced technologies hitting podiums worldwide.
Clove flips priorities to the complete opposite end of shoe usage spectrums catering specifically to healthcare segments. Their footwear instead supports long shifts walking across hospital floors, engaging physical therapy sessions and similar medical applications.
Nursing students, seasoned nurses, long-term care specialists and related practitioners all fall within target demographics. Clove also continues expanding Doctor and paramedic offerings to further penetrate healthcare beyond just nursing and adjacent activity.
So Brooks sustains mass running market leadership, while Clove continues growing its clinical community cult following. Maybe someday they’ll partner up for a healthcare worker shoe supportive enough even for marathon volunteering!
Final Verdict
In the battle between Brooks versus Clove shoes, both brands take the gold for their specific performance and medical focuses. Brooks Running continues dominating the athletic footwear space with over a century of product innovations centered on comfort, support and responsiveness.
Their shoes deliver on runners’ evolving demands across pronation needs, distances and sustainability priorities.
But don’t sleep on relative newcomer Clove either. In just a few short years they’ve secured a foothold catering to an overlooked niche – healthcare professionals.
By leveraging founder Joe Ammon’s firsthand insights into long shifts on unforgiving hospital floors, Clove incorporates workplace-specific features from slip resistance to antimicrobial shielding.
In the end Brooks still can’t be beat for hardcore training and competitions. But if you’re seeking all-shift support spending more hours walking than sprinting, I’d give a slight edge to Clove for going above and beyond tunning footwear to demanding hospital conditions.
So both brands ultimately win gold medals in their respective athletic versus healthcare categories. The needs of your personal lifestyle and professional environment will dictate whether Brooks or Clove best fits your feet!