Brooks Glycerin Max Introduction
The Aurora-BL that Brooks launched again in 2021 was a particular and distinctive shoe: it was mushy, secure, energetic and had a extremely enjoyable trip due to its decoupled heel. The experimental Aurora-BL was a part of the Blue Line vary and was an idea working shoe designed to present us a glimpse of future thrilling applied sciences from Brooks.
Disappointingly, Brooks hasn’t launched one other shoe just like the Aurora, though they’ve quite a few trainers which utilise the identical midsole foam. This 12 months, now we have the launch of the model new Glycerin Max and though it’s not Blue Line, the Glycerin Max is the non secular successor of the Aurora-BL.
Maximalist trainers above 40 mm in stack peak are all the craze proper now. Plenty of manufacturers are bringing out upsized variations of their max cushioned trainers and are embracing the “extra, the merrier” philosophy in terms of cushioning.
PUMA launched the MagMax earlier this 12 months, which stands for Enlarge Max, and is a beefed up model of their Enlarge. New Stability has the Extra (already on its fifth model) which is a maximised model of their 1080 and now Brooks has the Glycerin Max, a supersized model of their Glycerin.
The Glycerin Max weighs 10.5 oz (200 g) which is 0.7 oz (20 g) heavier than the common Glycerin 21 but it surely has 7 mm extra stack peak within the heel and 11 mm within the forefoot.
It has a 6 mm drop which is uncharacteristically low for a Brooks coach. The Brooks Ghost is 12 mm whereas 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 extremely secure trip and the higher match me completely. It felt like I might decide up the tempo if I needed to due to the rocker and the stiff forefoot.
The shoe that it jogged my memory of most was the Skechers MaxRoad 6. They each have tall midsoles, a stiff forefoot and really balanced rides.
Brooks Glycerin Max Higher
In typical Brooks trend, the Glycerin Max higher is supremely comfy and feels as if it was customized made for my foot form. It’s made of soppy engineered mesh that conforms to your toes but it surely’s thick so it’s extra suited to chill climates.
There are holes on the highest of the toe field and on the facet panels for higher air flow however they don’t make a giant distinction. The tongue is just like the one on the Ghost 16. It’s not gusseted but it surely doesn’t slide round throughout runs due to its huge wings.
The collar and heel tab are generously padded and there’s a easy lining contained in the higher that makes it really feel premium. Heel lockdown is great.
The slim match is just like that of the Glycerin 21 and I discover it true to dimension. In contrast to the favored Glycerin, it’s not presently obtainable in a large model and I don’t suggest it for you when you have wider-than-average toes.
Brooks Glycerin Max Sole Unit
The Glycerin Max sole unit is large, daring and calls for consideration; it appears like a shoe from the long run with its thick slab of translucent foam. If it didn’t have a Brooks emblem on it, I might by no means guess that it was a Brooks shoe as a result of it’s so in contrast to the ‘secure’ designs they normally churn out.
Relating to trip, the Glycerin Max is firmer than it appears. It appears like it could have a extremely squishy, cloud-like trip however in actuality, it has extra of a balanced trip that’s akin to a every day coach.
I might have appreciated the Glycerin Max to have been barely softer as a result of I can select the lighter Ghost or the common Glycerin if I desire a balanced trip. The Glycerin Max ought to be a a lot plusher expertise.
DNA Tuned is a supercritical foam that feels just like the DNA Loft that’s within the Ghost 16 and Glycerin 21 however the Glycerin Max is slightly bit softer. I discover that it doesn’t possess the extent of vitality return of PEBA-based foams.
They don’t say what sort of foam DNA Tuned is but it surely seems like EVA. The primary distinction between DNA Tuned and Loft v3 is that Tuned is far lighter, which permits them to create such a tall midsole.
It has a softer heel made up of huge cells with a firmer forefoot consisting of small cells that compress much less when loaded. It’s designed to present you mushy, padded landings whenever you land in your heel after which offer you a firmer platform within the forefoot to push off from.
In idea, this is smart however the distinction between the heel and the forefoot softness is just not very large and I don’t discover a big distinction throughout runs.
The Glycerin Max is surprisingly versatile. It’s nice for lengthy runs, straightforward runs, and moderately-paced runs. The stiff forefoot and rocker give it the flexibility to avoid wasting you vitality and so they make it simpler to hurry up. It doesn’t cope properly with pace exercises due to its weight however you possibly can decide up the tempo for brief bursts.
It additionally has a really secure trip. Stability is created in 2 methods: it has excessive midsole sidewalls that cup your toes and it has a really huge base. It’s so secure that runners who want a reasonable help shoe will discover the Glycerin Max secure sufficient.
The outsole is very well designed. It has rubber positioned on the excessive put on areas however the rubber is used sparingly to avoid wasting weight. It began raining throughout one run and I had no slipping points. I additionally haven’t seen any fast outsole put on after 80 kilometres.
Brooks Glycerin Max Conclusions
The Glycerin Max is presently my favorite Brooks coach. It has a extra dynamic trip than the Ghost and the common Glycerin due to its rockered forefoot and it additionally has much more cushioning depth.
It’s a very good future coach and an on a regular basis workhorse for absorbing miles. I might nevertheless prefer it to be about 20% softer and to be extra energetic. It’s not as vigorous or enjoyable because the Brooks Aurora-BL but it surely has an interesting trip in contrast to some other present Brooks coach.
I discover myself wanting ahead to each run within the Glycerin Max and it’ll keep in my rotation for simple, lengthy and steady-paced runs. I really like the enormous stack peak and the stiff forefoot which makes working really feel simpler.
In comparison with the ASICS Superblast, It doesn’t fairly have the pace vary of the best-selling ASICS shoe as a result of it’s near 2 oz (57 g) heavier so I don’t see the Glycerin Max being a Superblast killer.
At $200, it’s too costly. The Superblast 2 is identical worth and it’s lighter, extra versatile and makes use of a premier racing foam in its midsole. If I used to be Brooks, I might make it $180, which is identical worth because the PUMA MagMax.