Brooks Glycerin Max Introduction
The Aurora-BL that Brooks launched again in 2021 was a particular and distinctive shoe: it was comfortable, steady, energetic and had a extremely enjoyable journey because of its decoupled heel. The experimental Aurora-BL was a part of the Blue Line vary and was an idea working shoe designed to provide us a glimpse of future thrilling applied sciences from Brooks.
Disappointingly, Brooks hasn’t launched one other shoe much like the Aurora, despite the fact that they’ve various trainers which utilise the identical midsole foam. This 12 months, we now have the launch of the model new Glycerin Max and despite the fact that it’s not Blue Line, the Glycerin Max is the religious successor of the Aurora-BL.
Maximalist trainers above 40 mm in stack top are all the craze proper now. A whole lot of manufacturers are bringing out upsized variations of their max cushioned trainers and are embracing the “extra, the merrier” philosophy in relation to 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 top 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 steady journey and the higher match me completely. It felt like I may choose up the tempo if I needed to because of 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 vogue, 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 aspect panels for higher air flow however they don’t make an enormous distinction. The tongue is much like the one on the Ghost 16. It’s not gusseted but it surely doesn’t slide round throughout runs due to its broad 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 much 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 advocate it for you when you have wider-than-average toes.
Brooks Glycerin Max Sole Unit
The Glycerin Max sole unit is huge, 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 brand on it, I might by no means guess that it was a Brooks shoe as a result of it’s so not like the ‘secure’ designs they often churn out.
In the case of journey, the Glycerin Max is firmer than it appears. It appears like it will have a extremely squishy, cloud-like journey however in actuality, it has extra of a balanced journey that’s akin to a each day coach.
I might have favored the Glycerin Max to have been barely softer as a result of I can select the lighter Ghost or the common Glycerin if I need a balanced journey. The Glycerin Max ought to be a a lot plusher expertise.
DNA Tuned is a supercritical foam that feels much like the DNA Loft that’s within the Ghost 16 and Glycerin 21 however the Glycerin Max is a bit bit softer. I discover that it doesn’t possess the extent of power 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 provide you comfortable, padded landings whenever you land in your heel after which provide you with a firmer platform within the forefoot to push off from.
In concept, this is smart however the distinction between the heel and the forefoot softness isn’t very huge and I don’t discover a big distinction throughout runs.
The Glycerin Max is surprisingly versatile. It’s nice for lengthy runs, simple runs, and moderately-paced runs. The stiff forefoot and rocker give it the flexibility to avoid wasting you power they usually make it simpler to hurry up. It doesn’t cope nicely with velocity exercises due to its weight however you’ll be able to choose up the tempo for brief bursts.
It additionally has a really steady journey. Stability is created in 2 methods: it has excessive midsole sidewalls that cup your toes and it has a really broad base. It’s so steady that runners who want a average help shoe will discover the Glycerin Max steady sufficient.
The outsole is rather 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 observed any speedy outsole put on after 80 kilometres.
Brooks Glycerin Max Conclusions
The Glycerin Max is presently my favorite Brooks coach. It has a extra dynamic journey than the Ghost and the common Glycerin because of its rockered forefoot and it additionally has much more cushioning depth.
It’s 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 full of life or enjoyable because the Brooks Aurora-BL but it surely has an enticing journey not like every 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 large stack top and the stiff forefoot which makes working really feel simpler.
In comparison with the ASICS Superblast, It doesn’t fairly have the velocity 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 similar value 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 similar value because the PUMA MagMax.
