Brooks Hyperion Max 3 vs Brooks Hyperion Max 4:
Which to Choose

These two are close cousins, and the honest headline is that the platform barely moved. The stack is nearly identical — 46mm/35mm on the Max 3 versus 45mm/35mm on the Max 4, so the newer shoe sits a hair lower in the heel — and the drop is comparable, roughly 11mm on the Max 3 and 10mm on the Max 4, both giving a distinctly heel-biased feel that eases calf and Achilles load. The most measurable change actually runs the "wrong" way for a successor: the Max 4 is heavier, at about 292g in a men's US9 against 283g for the Max 3, and you feel those extra grams most when you slow down. Ride character shifts subtly too — the Max 3 is the bouncier, livelier of the pair (cushioning rated at its maximum) with a flexible nylon plate and RapidRoll rocker that make it feel connected and eager at faster paces, while the Max 4 reads firmer and more purposeful, its DNA Gold sitting over a firmer DNA Flash v2 EVA base and a forked SpeedVault plate that rolls you forward smoothly rather than snapping. That tuning narrows the Max 4's happy zone: it's dialed for long tempo efforts at roughly 4:15–4:45 min/km and shines at the half and full marathon, whereas the Max 3 runs faster and wider, comfortable pushing toward 3:45–4:10 min/km and still credible down at the 10K. Neither shoe offers medial posting — both are tall, neutral platforms best on straight, even ground. Where the Max 4 genuinely pulls ahead is up top: it swaps in a lighter, more breathable warp-knit upper with a stretchy gusseted tongue in place of the older sock-like construction, for a cleaner, more secure lockdown.