Brooks Glycerin Max Review
By Andrea Myers and Matthew Klein
Brooks Running Glycerin MaxPrice: $200 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 10.9 oz, 309 g (men's size 9), 9.3 oz, 264 g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 47 mm / 41 mm
Drop: 6 mm
Shoe Purpose: Maximal Daily Training Shoe
Pros: A rare shoe that accommodates orthotics, stable neutral geometry
Cons: Heavy, clunky ride (Andrea), ill-fitting and thick upper
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Brooks Glycerin Max is a new shoe from Brooks that features the brand's highest midsole stack and a new foam called DNA Tuned. DNA Tuned is a supercritical foam that has cells of varying size in the heel and forefoot. Specifically, the heel features larger cells, which Brooks claims provide a plush landing, and smaller cells in the forefoot, which are supposed to promote more energetic push off. The upper is similar to the Ghost Max 2, with a triple layer mesh and a straight last that is orthotic-friendly. At 10.9oz for a men's size 9, it is one of the heavier maximal daily trainers on the market, making the shoe best suited to easy paces.
SIMILAR SHOES: Puma MagMax Nitro, New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5
PAST MODEL: N/A
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
Matt: The Brooks Glycerin Max fits me mostly true to size if slightly short in my US men's size 10. Most people should be fine going with their normal size but those between sizes or running long distances should consider a half size up. The width is slightly wider throughout the length of the shoe although this is slightly offset by the thicker upper. The toe box is slightly tapered which does make the shoe feel a little short. This immediately opens into a wider forefoot. The volume is normal to slightly higher in the forefoot then transitions to normal in the midfoot. The midfoot is also wider and features a moderately thick, ungusseted tongue. The midfoot security does require tightening down of the laces to stop anyone with normal to narrow feet from sliding. However, I found I also had to lace lock this shoe at the heel to stop my foot from sliding forward. This partially solved the slightly short feeling the shoe had but I still got some slight pressure. This transitions into a normal width heel thanks to the large amount of heel collar padding. There is a stiff heel counter that is rounded and padded, but those with heel sensitivities may have trouble. I was fortunately fine but did notice this pressure. The heel security is fine and I did not notice any slippage like I did in the remainder of the shoe. The inner liner of the shoe is scratchy so I would highly suggest using socks. Overall, the upper is wider with a little short feeling that can be slightly modified with some additional lock down.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Matt well: Saucony Guide 17, ASICS Kayano 30, Hoka Gaviota 5, Saucony Endorphin Elite, Nike Ultrafly
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Saucony Kinvara 14
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon S/Lab Phantasm 2, Altra Timp 5
Andrea: The Brooks Glycerin Max fits true to size in my usual women's 9.5. The shoe provides adequate length, but I did find myself wanting just a little more width in the toe box. The upper volume felt a little off to me, as the midfoot volume feels high, but the forefoot volume feels low. When I tightening the laces enough to lockdown the midfoot, it made the forefoot feel too tight, so I ended up leaving the midfoot a little looser to reduce pressure on my 1st and 5th MTPs. The rearfoot is normal width and I did not experience any heel slippage or skin irritation. The heel collar curves comfortably away from the Achilles and the rearfoot features a small, rigid counter with thick padding internally. The non-gusseted tongue is thick and stays fairly well in place thanks to a lace loop on the middle of the tongue. The tongue does not integrate as well as it could with the upper because it is not gusseted and because the tongue is thicker than the rest of the upper, which created some pressure points on the dorsum of my foot. The triple mesh upper is thick and definitely runs warm, despite a thinner upper material over the toes.
Typical Size: Men's US Size 10
Shoes that have fit Bach well: Nike Pegasus 40, Saucony Guide 17, Mizuno Wave Inspire 19, Saucony Endorphin Speed 3, Nike Structure 25
Shoes that have fit snug: Hoka Arahi 7, Asics Kayano 30, Puma Electrify Nitro, Brooks Hyperion, Hoka Clifton 9 GTX
Shoes that have fit large: Hoka Gaviota 5, Reebok Floatride Energy X
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: No
How Flexible is the Shoe: Not Flexible
Is This a Good Heel Bevel:
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Above Average
PERFORMANCE
Matt: The Brooks Glycerin Max is a maximal daily training shoe. The stack height is one of the tallest in the industry with 47 mm in the heel and 41 in the forefoot. The lower drop is noticeable also due to the softer heel and firmer forefoot. This can this shoe feel lower than even the 6mm listed drop with heavier heel strikes. The heel does feature a rounded beveled heel. The slight posterior flare does make it mildly clunky initially, but this does break into after a few miles. If you like a soft landing, the heel is a great place to land and feels smooth when the bevel breaks in and during walking. During running, I feel like my footstrike wants to move a bit forward, although whether that is actually happening or not is up for debate (people are terrible at assessing where exactly their initial contact point is). This transitions into a stiff and stable midfoot. Those who like a stiff midfoot will do well with this shoe, while others (like David) may have some issues. The entire length of the shoe is stiff with zero flexibility. The forefoot did break in somewhat after 15 miles, although the rocker is a little late. This continues a level of stiffness up front, so those who do well with a less flexible sole will do best in the Glycerin Max. There is only a little toe spring, making this a rare shoe that will work well for those with toe mobility issues.
Purpose-wise, the Glycerin Max is best as a daily training shoe, long run shoe and recovery shoe. The 10.9 oz weight is not light but this shoe feels lighter than that thanks to the midsole being slightly responsive. Getting up on your toes and hitting the slightly firmer front does make the shoe feel a little faster for mild uptempo efforts. However, the softer heel and geometry make it much easier to get into an easy pace rhythm for longer periods. The Glycerin Max is a great option for longer efforts and eating up miles thanks to the incredibly durable outsole. I have 40 miles on my pair with no wear on the outsole sections. The outsole pieces are thick enough that even the exposed midsole has not worn at all. This is also because I have only used this shoe on road and smooth trail. This is a road shoe as the exposed midsole could get torn up with technical terrain. So those who want a stiff, super tall daily road trainer/long run shoe will do best in the Glycerin Max.
Andrea: The Glycerin Max is a high stack daily trainer with a firm ride. It is one of the heavier maximal trainers on the market and has a bit of a clunky ride for my biomechanics. The shoe feels like its stated 6mm drop, which made it feel comfortable for midfoot landings, but the stiff midfoot and later forefoot rocker made it feel like I had to work a little harder to progress from initial contact to push off. My first run in the shoe was 5 miles easy, and it felt so firm and uncomfortable that I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get the necessary test miles on it. Thankfully, the midsole broke in after that run, which provided a little more compliance at initial contact, but I would still definitely not describe the shoe as soft. The DNA Tuned midsole also does not feel particularly resilient, but the muted forefoot rocker and stiff overall platform likely also contribute to the lack of responsiveness I experienced.
I have 30 miles on my pair, and all of them were recovery-easy runs, including one after a 5k race. The thick midsole provides exceptional underfoot protection and is helpful when running on tired legs and feet. The shoe has decent traction on wet roads and I would expect higher than average durability, even with the exposed midsole sections. The exposed midsole looks similar to the exposed midsole of the Hyperion Max 1, and while those areas showed some wear after 300 miles, they did not wear to the point that I had to stop running in the shoe. Despite my negative first impression of the Brooks Glycerin Max, I did not dislike the shoe, but there isn't much that I really love about it, either. I am able run easy in it, and it was generally comfortable, but it is heavy, firm, warm, and makes me feel like I have to work too hard for a shoe that has such a high stack height and costs $200.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
Matt: The Glycerin Max is a stable neutral shoe. While there are no traditional methods of stability, the shoe features several newer methods including sidewalls, a wide base and significant stiffness. The sidewalls on both sides of the foot are most prominent in the midfoot but run almost the entire length of the shoe. The heel has them and the anterior midfoot/posterior forefoot do as well. While the foam is softer, this does provide some noticeable centeredness at the midfoot. The midfoot and the entire shoe are quite wide in width. The midfoot does not narrow, which combined with the extremely tall stack height makes for a high level of stiffness and stability. As mentioned, the length of the shoe is highly stiff, particularly in the midfoot. This is great for those who do need stiffness, particularly in the middle and front of the shoe. The last piece of guidance relates to the outsole. The thick pieces on on the medial and lateral sides of the shoe combined with the central heel groove add to the centered bias especially in the heel. Thus, those who need a highly stiff shoe with sidewalls that is stable neutral will do well in the Glycerin Max.
Andrea: The Brooks Glycerin Max is a stable neutral shoe that, like the Ghost Max, is designed to take orthotics. The wide base, balanced sole flaring that runs the length of the shoe, later forefoot rocker, and stiff platform all help center the foot and promote forward motion. There are also high sidewalls in the midfoot that further help to stabilize the foot in the shoe. The high amount of rubber coverage in the outsole further contributes to the stiff platform, while the central groove in the exposed midsole in the rearfoot helps center the foot when transitioning from a heel strike.
Thoughts as a DPT: Footstrike and Shoe Design
By Andrea Myers
The vast majority of distance runners land on their heel, with many studies stating percentages ranging from 79% to over 90%. It makes sense that shoe companies will design shoes for a rearfoot strike pattern, but that means that for the <10% of runners who land further forward (like myself), many shoes are not designed for our landing pattern. The Brooks Glycerin Max is a great example, with Brooks's new DNA Tuned midsole material featuring a larger cell size in the rearfoot and a smaller cell size in the forefoot. Brooks says that this makes the heel more cushioned and the forefoot more responsive for push off, but this assumes that a person is landing on their heel. Matt and I had different experiences in the shoe, largely due to our different landing patterns. I land at my lateral midfoot, and presumably I am landing on the smaller cell portion of the DNA Tuned midsole, whereas Matt lands at his lateral heel, on the larger cell portion, which has been designed to be more compliant. The lack of full rubber outsole coverage and the central groove in the rearfoot likely also contribute to a more compliant rearfoot landing.
This is a common design in running shoes, in which the rearfoot is more compliant and transitions to a stiffer and more resilient midfoot and forefoot. What does this mean for individual runners when reading shoe reviews? Try to find a reviewer who has a similar landing pattern and running style to yourself. We try to explain our biomechanics and running style thoroughly here at DOR, so that our readers will be able to get the information they need from our reviews to make informed shoe decisions.
Kasmer, M. E., Liu, X. C., Roberts, K. G., & Valadao, J. M. (2013). Foot-strike pattern and performance in a marathon. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 8(3), 286–292.
Hamill, J., & Gruber, A. H. (2017). Is changing footstrike pattern beneficial to runners?. Journal of sport and health science, 6(2), 146–153.
Bovalino, S. P., & Kingsley, M. I. C. (2021). Foot Strike Patterns During Overground Distance Running: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine - open, 7(1), 82.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Matt: While there are some challenges with the Glycerin Max, this has been a good Brooks shoe that I have continued to reach for. The protective feel is great, the firmer forefoot is a little snappy and makes it feel lighter than it really is, the durability is awesome and there is a real heel bevel. My major recommendations center around the upper. In addition to the slightly short fit that I also experienced in the Ghost Max 2, the upper is far thicker than it needs to be. This adds pressure onto the foot and adds unnecessary weight. I really like the Glycerin upper, so I would suggest bringing that over. I would also suggest gusseting the tongue given the security and sliding forward issue as a way to lock the foot down better. I would still suggest that the mild posterior flare be removed and the bevel be lengthened just a little bit, but those are classic things I usually ask for. Outside of those things, this is a pretty solid shoe.
Andrea: I think the Glycerin Max has the potential to be a great shoe, but Version 2 will definitely need some improvements from my perspective. For me, the upper has the most room for improvement. It is too thick and warm, and the high volume midfoot does not transition well into the lower volume forefoot. I would recommend that Brooks use the thinner mesh of the forefoot throughout the length of the shoe, which would reduce the shoe's weight and improve its breathability. The tongue also needs to be refined and would benefit from a gusset to help it integrate better with the upper and reduce pressure on the dorsum of the foot. I think the most important change for the ride of the shoe would be to start the forefoot rocker a little early, which would assist with transitions and reduce the clunkiness of the ride.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
Matt: The Brooks Glycerin Max is for those who want an extremely tall, stiff midsole for easy and longer mileage. The fit will work best for those who want a thicker upper and want a little more room throughout the midfoot and forefoot. The sole will work best for those wanting a softer heel, slightly firmer forefoot and a highly stiff ride especially in the midfoot. The stiffness and design will work for those with stable neutral needs despite the softer heel. The upper is a little thicker than it needs to be but this is a great progression for Brooks The $200 is decently justified by the amount of shoe and the incredible durability thus. It is competitive with shoes like the Puma MagMax and the New Balance Fresh Foam X More v5, differentiating itself with a slightly better heel than the MagMax and less aggressive sidewalls than the More v5. This new super high (not super foam) stack height trainer category is increasing quickly (with additional shoes coming from other companies soon). Where this will leave the other standard stack height (standard being relative as they are much taller than previous) will remain to be seen. The Glycerin Max is far more comfortable and runnable than my experience in the Ghost Max 2. Hopefully Brooks can learn some lessons for the Ghost Max 3 and refine the upper for the Glycerin Max 2.
Andrea: The Brooks Glycerin Max is an extremely high stack daily trainer that has firm midsole and stiff platform. This shoe will work for those who prefer a firmer riding shoe for easy miles. The weight and lower midsole resilience limit the use of the shoe to slower running. The shoe may work better for rearfoot strikers as opposed to those who land further forward due to the softer foam in the rearfoot. The thicker upper will make the shoe a great option for cold weather running. I also think this shoe will be a nice standing or walking shoe for those whose jobs require prolonged time on feet due to the stiff platform and firm midsole. From a value perspective, there are too many other maximal daily trainers on the market that I like better than the Glycerin Max and they both $180 (Mizuno Neo Vista and Puma MagMax) as compared to $200 for Glycerin Max. I look forward to seeing what Brooks does with Version 2 of the shoe.
GRADES
Matt
Fit: B- (Thick, wider upper that fits slightly short also thanks to feet sliding forward. Needs additional lockdown)
Performance: B+/A- (Soft heel and slightly firmer forefoot with stiff midsole make for a solid long run/easy run max trainer)
Stability: A [Stable Neutral] (Moderate sidewalls, wider sole and high level of stiffness make this a solidly stable neutral shoe)
Value: B+/A- ($200 is steep but is justified by the incredible durability. Upper needs some work but will also last quite a while)
Personal: B+ (I really like the midsole design but the upper fit has made me conflicted. I still reach for this shoe as it is excellent for easier and longer efforts. )
Overall Design: B+
Andrea
Fit: B- (strange combination of high volume midfoot and low volume forefoot, poor tongue integration and design, upper too thick and wam)
Performance: C+ (With all of the shoe's modern features, the ride is firm, heavy, and unresponsive. I didn't dislike running in the shoe, but I didn't love it either.)
Stability: A [Stable Neutral] (sole flaring, sidewalls, and firm platform contribute to a centered ride)
Value: C+ (I wouldn't pay $200 for this shoe. Even if I enjoyed running in the shoe, it is still $20 more than many other (better) shoes in this category.)
Personal: C (Average fit, average performance, and a poor value from my perspective. There is too much competition for Brooks to make this their maximal trainer.)
Overall Design: C+/B-
SHOP | SUPPORT DORBrooks Glycerin MaxPrice: $199.95 at Running Warehouse
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FURTHER READING
A high stack, stable everyday trainer.
Also a high cushioned trainer that leans more neutral.
Find all Shoe Reviews at Doctors of Running here.
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