Allow me to start off this Brooks Glycerin Max review by giving the pair, perhaps, the greatest compliment you can give a running shoe: It’s one of the only un-plated shoes I’ve run in that feels like it has a plate. If shoes could accept compliments, the Glycerin Max would be blushing so hard right now. Its white chunky midsole would be turning beet-red! Because what greater praise is there for a shoe than that? Well, actually, I take that back; a shoe’s appearance is far more important than how it feels to run in. Just as with humans, it’s what’s on a shoe’s outside that truly matters. Rest assured, the Glycerin Max is one good-looking shoe!
Clearly a response to the max cushion shoe trend, the Glycerin Max is Brooks’ third iteration of a “max” shoe, following the introduction of the Hyperion Max and Ghost Max in 2023. Spoiler: the Glycerin Max is my favorite out of the three. Which is saying a lot, because the Ghost Max was one of my favorites of 2023 and the Hyperion Max 2 is a fantastic tempo shoe. At $200, the Glycerin Max is also the most expensive of the trio of “max” shoes—and with good reason.
What makes the Glycerin Max the gold medal “Max” shoe and possibly the best all-around Brooks shoe? Let’s find out together!
Brooks Glycerin Max Review
Weight: (U.S.) 10.5 oz/297.7 g (MS9) | 9.5 oz/269.3 g (WS8)
Stack height: 46 mm/40 mm (6 mm drop)
Price: $200
Midsole
While the futuristic-looking shoe is eye-catching, the real star of the pair is Brooks’ new DNA Tuned midsole, the first shoe to receive it. DNA Tuned is a nitrogen-infused foam created with dual-sized cell technology—larger cells in the heel and midfoot for soft landings and smaller cells in the forefoot for responsive toe-offs, according to Brooks.
Brooks claims there are millions of tiny nitrogen cells underfoot. Honestly, with this shoe’s gigantic stack height of 46 mm in the heel and 40 mm in the forefoot, I would’ve thought there’d be even more nitrogen cells! You’re telling me you couldn’t have injected billions of microscopic nitrogen cells into that behemoth of a midsole? And if you truly couldn’t, then just lie and say there are billions. No one would be able to tell, anyway.
Companies lie to consumers all the time…about everything! Hell, I lie to my audience all the time…about everything! Yes, I lie to you! How do you think I became the world’s top running shoe reviewer? By playing by the rules? No chance! If I played by the rules, I’d have no chance!
Compared to Brooks’ other nitrogen-infused foams, DNA Tuned is softer than DNA LOFT v3, (Ghost Max 2 and Glycerin 21) and DNA FLASH v2 (Hyperion Max 2). It’s clear Brooks is a big fan of nitrogen gas, and to great success. And, as we know, the running industry is nothing if not a bunch of copycatting frauds, so you can expect to see other brands start injecting different types of gases into their shoes. Propane, butane, argon, neon, hell, I’m shocked no one has thought to add helium to shoes! Forget running on clouds—what better way to make a runner float than by adding helium to shoes! Runners are already as light as a balloon—it’d totally work!
Hopefully no brands will add carbon monoxide, although I wouldn’t put it past some of them—
They know who they are. I’m looking at you, Adidas. Despite being colorless, odorless, and tasteless, carbon monoxide is quite deadly and should not be injected into running shoes—or anywhere.
Ride
As mentioned, the midsole’s different-sized nitrogen cells result in a ride that’s both soft and responsive. As not mentioned, the shoe’s GlideRoll Rocker geometry has a sculpted bevel and toe spring for easier heel-to-toe transitions.
Whereas the Ghost Max and Hyperion Max shared similar characteristics to the regular versions of the Ghost and Hyperion, the Glycerin Max is completely unrecognizable from the regular version of the Glycerin, both in terms of appearance and ride. The Glycerin 21 is much firmer and less responsive. But, much more importantly, it’s uglier than the Max. That’s reason enough to choose the Max.
While the Max does have a responsive ride, this isn’t a shoe for speed work. The thick-as-hell slab of foam makes sure of that. While it’ll be great long run shoe for many, I prefer a shoe with a bit less stack height for runs of around 14 miles and up. The longest run I did in the pair was a 15-miler and by the last few miles I was ready to switch to a shoe with less foam. Running with all that midsole underfoot starts to take a toll on my legs.
It’s a phenomenal daily trainer that can eat up miles—yes, shoes eat miles. It’s true. Don’t believe me? Then why do you think every outsole looks like its beat to shit over time? The shoes are absolutely “eating” the pavement from the many miles we pound in them. Oh, you thought I meant that shoes literally consume and digest miles? Don’t be silly.
Upper
Up top is an engineered mesh upper with thick padding running along the tongue, ankle, and heel. The shoe sacrifices a bit of breathability with such a plush, comfy upper, but there are far more constricting uppers out there. I found there to be plenty of space for my toes to move around without them “swimming” in the shoe. The laces and thick, non-gusseted tongue ensure a secure lockdown.
Outsole
While there’s a bit of exposed foam, typical to most Brooks shoes, the bottom of the Glycerin Max has great rubber coverage, ensuring this pair can go the distance for several hundred miles. You should have no problems with traction in rainy conditions. And if somehow you do, just suck it up and keep running. How often does it rain, anyway? Unless you’re in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. And if you are, just move somewhere else.
Weight
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: at 10.5 oz for a men’s size 9 and 9.5 ounces for a women’s size 8, this is not a light shoe. We have the plush upper, ample outsole rubber, and enormous stack height to thank for that. Thank you, plush upper, ample outsole rubber, and enormous stack height. Yet, the combination of the nitrogen-injected foam and GlideRoll rocker result in a ride that makes the shoe feel lighter than its listed weight.
Appearance
Sometimes it can be hard to design a max cushion shoe to look good. Simply put, the wild amount of foam underfoot can make a runner look like they’re strapping on a pair of Frankenstein boots. That’s not the case with the Glycerin Max. No other Brooks shoe looks like this. In fact, no other running shoe looks like this. It’s eye-catching and innovatively designed, and not even the gargantuan-sized Brooks logo on the side can ruin the aesthetics of the shoe.
Price
For many, a $200 shoe without a plate is a deal-breaker. But the Glycerin Max may be the exception here. As I started out the review saying, despite no plate, this shoe provides excellent energy return without sacrificing any comfort. And the huge slab of dual-celled DNA TUNED foam provides quite the unique ride you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Conclusion
With the exception of the weight, the Glycerin Max is a huge upgrade from the Glycerin 21 in every category. With its unique midsole and one-of-a-kind looks, the Glycerin Max isn’t just yet another max cushion shoe. It’s one of the best, most fun, and stylish shoes of the year, in any category. In my opinion, it’s worth spending the extra $40 to upgrade to a better, more versatile, comfier shoe.
Judging by their oversized logo on the shoe, it’s clear Brooks wanted to make it known that this innovative shoe is their achievement. The Glycerin Max just may be Brooks’ best shoe yet.
The Glycerin Max is available for purchase on Brooks’ site.
Brooks graciously provided the Glycerin Max to me for wear testing. I was not compensated for this Brooks Glycerin Max review and Brooks did not get an opportunity to see this Brooks Glycerin Max review before I published. Did I mention this is a Brooks Glycerin Max review?
