Brooks Glycerin Max Introduction
The Aurora-BL that Brooks launched back in 2021 was a special and unique shoe: it was soft, stable, energetic and had a really fun ride thanks to its decoupled heel. The experimental Aurora-BL was part of the Blue Line range and was a concept running shoe designed to give us a glimpse of future exciting technologies from Brooks.
Disappointingly, Brooks hasn’t released another shoe similar to the Aurora, even though they have a number of trainers which utilise the same midsole foam. This year, we have the launch of the brand new Glycerin Max and even though it’s not Blue Line, the Glycerin Max is the spiritual successor of the Aurora-BL.
Maximalist trainers above 40 mm in stack height are all the rage right now. A lot of brands are bringing out upsized versions of their max cushioned trainers and are embracing the “more, the merrier” philosophy when it comes to cushioning.
PUMA launched the MagMax earlier this year, which stands for Magnify Max, and is a beefed up version of their Magnify. New Balance has the More (already on its 5th version) which is a maximised version of their 1080 and now Brooks has the Glycerin Max, a supersized version of their Glycerin.
The Glycerin Max weighs 10.5 oz (200 g) which is 0.7 oz (20 g) heavier than the regular Glycerin 21 but it has 7 mm more stack height in the heel and 11 mm in the forefoot.
It has a 6 mm drop which is uncharacteristically low for a Brooks trainer. The Brooks Ghost is 12 mm while the Glycerin 21 is 10 mm.
Brooks Glycerin Max First Impressions
My first run was an 8 km easy-paced run. It felt like a mashup of the Glycerin 21 and the Hyperion Max: it had the deep cushioning of the Glycerin with the forefoot rocker of the Hyperion Max.
It had an incredibly stable ride and the upper fit me perfectly. It felt like I could pick up the pace if I wanted to thanks to the rocker and the stiff forefoot.
The shoe that it reminded me of most was the Skechers MaxRoad 6. They both have tall midsoles, a stiff forefoot and very balanced rides.
Brooks Glycerin Max Upper
In typical Brooks fashion, the Glycerin Max upper is supremely comfortable and feels as if it was custom made for my foot shape. It’s made of soft engineered mesh that conforms to your feet but it’s thick so it’s more suited to cool climates.
There are holes on the top of the toe box and on the side panels for better ventilation but they don’t make a big difference. The tongue is similar to the one on the Ghost 16. It’s not gusseted but it doesn’t slide around during runs because of its wide wings.
The collar and heel tab are generously padded and there’s a smooth lining inside the upper that makes it feel premium. Heel lockdown is excellent.
The narrow fit is similar to that of the Glycerin 21 and I find it true to size. Unlike the popular Glycerin, it’s not currently available in a wide version and I don’t recommend it for you if you have wider-than-average feet.
Brooks Glycerin Max Sole Unit
The Glycerin Max sole unit is big, bold and demands attention; it looks like a shoe from the future with its thick slab of translucent foam. If it didn’t have a Brooks logo on it, I would never guess that it was a Brooks shoe because it’s so unlike the ‘safe’ designs they usually churn out.
When it comes to ride, the Glycerin Max is firmer than it looks. It looks like it would have a really squishy, cloud-like ride but in reality, it has more of a balanced ride that’s comparable to a daily trainer.
I would have liked the Glycerin Max to have been slightly softer because I can choose the lighter Ghost or the regular Glycerin if I want a balanced ride. The Glycerin Max should be a much plusher experience.
DNA Tuned is a supercritical foam that feels similar to the DNA Loft that’s in the Ghost 16 and Glycerin 21 but the Glycerin Max is a little bit softer. I find that it doesn’t possess the level of energy return of PEBA-based foams.
They don’t say what kind of foam DNA Tuned is but it feels like EVA. The main difference between DNA Tuned and Loft v3 is that Tuned is much lighter, which allows them to create such a tall midsole.
It has a softer heel made up of large cells with a firmer forefoot consisting of small cells that compress less when loaded. It’s designed to give you soft, padded landings when you land on your heel and then give you a firmer platform in the forefoot to push off from.
In theory, this makes sense but the difference between the heel and the forefoot softness is not very big and I don’t notice a significant difference during runs.
The Glycerin Max is surprisingly versatile. It’s great for long runs, easy runs, and moderately-paced runs. The stiff forefoot and rocker give it the ability to save you energy and they make it easier to speed up. It doesn’t cope well with speed workouts because of its weight but you can pick up the pace for short bursts.
It also has a very stable ride. Stability is created in 2 ways: it has high midsole sidewalls that cup your feet and it has a very wide base. It’s so stable that runners who need a moderate support shoe will find the Glycerin Max stable enough.
The outsole is really well designed. It has rubber placed on the high wear areas but the rubber is used sparingly to save weight. It started raining during one run and I had no slipping issues. I also haven’t noticed any rapid outsole wear after 80 kilometres.
Brooks Glycerin Max Conclusions
The Glycerin Max is currently my favourite Brooks trainer. It has a more dynamic ride than the Ghost and the regular Glycerin thanks to its rockered forefoot and it also has a lot more cushioning depth.
It’s a good long run trainer and an everyday workhorse for soaking up miles. I would however like it to be about 20% softer and to be more energetic. It’s not as lively or fun as the Brooks Aurora-BL but it has an engaging ride unlike any other current Brooks trainer.
I find myself looking forward to every run in the Glycerin Max and it will stay in my rotation for easy, long and steady-paced runs. I love the giant stack height and the stiff forefoot which makes running feel easier.
Compared to the ASICS Superblast, It doesn’t quite have the speed range of the best-selling ASICS shoe because it’s close to 2 oz (57 g) heavier so I don’t see the Glycerin Max being a Superblast killer.
At $200, it’s too expensive. The Superblast 2 is the same price and it is lighter, more versatile and uses a premier racing foam in its midsole. If I was Brooks, I would make it $180, which is the same price as the PUMA MagMax.
