Should you buy the Glycerin 21 or Ghost 16? If you’re trying to work out which of Brooks’ new cushioned shoes is the best fit for you, you’ve come to the right place.
The new Ghost and Glycerin share the same cushioning and outsole technology, bringing the two shoe lines closer than ever. Testers Mike, Kieran and Nick have all put in plenty of testing time with both to tell you whether they deliver a similar running experience and have their say on which one they think you should buy and would get a spot in their rotations.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro
00:33 – Price and key differences
01:31 – How do they fit?
05:34 – The Run Test
14:51 – Verdict
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Hey this is M from the r testers and in This video we're going to be talking About how this the Brooks go 16 compares To this the Brooks Glycerin 21 two of Brooks's cushion shoes that do now share The same cushioning technology but does That equal a similar running experience Well that's what we're going to get into Here in this video myself Nick and Kieran have all put some running time in Both of these shoes and we're going to Tell you whether you should be going for The Brooks go 16 or you should be going For the the Brooks glitterin [Music] 21 so here's the key differences you Need to know about the Brooks go 16 and The glycerin 21 first let's start with Price and the glycerin 21 is the more Expensive of the two Brooks Shoes terms of fit you've got more Options for the go 16 compared to the Glitterin 21 which comes in just medium And wide fit Options wise the go 16 is the noticeably Lighter of the two shoes in a UK men Size 8 and there's a difference in the Drops with the glycerin having the edge In the stack Heights at both the heel And for foot it's nits versus mesh in The upper departments though they now Match in terms of Cushing Technologies With both using Brooks's Nitro injected DNA Loft V3 foam they're matched at the
Outsole 2 with both using Brooks's new Rotac outsole that uses Rubber and Silica to provide that grip and a level Of durability that should ensure they Can handle plenty of running time [Music] Comes to the fit of the two shoes I've Got the same size and both got a uk9 Which is a US 10 that is my normal Running shoe size for Brooks and other Brands and they both fit really well They've got the right amount of length In the front of the shoe nice Comfortable hold around the midfoot do Have some problems with the heels of the Shoes in particular the ghost 16 it is Such a structured and firm heel counter So much padding there that it did Irritate my achilles a fair bit on the Run now the glycerin also has quite a Lot going on at the back there it's also A very structured teal counter but During the run test of this sh I didn't Really have those problems it might just Have been at the moment I'm going Through a flare up and the Brooks Aggravated it and at the time with the Glycerin I didn't have that problem but Yeah I think with both of them I'd be a Bit wary of the amount of structure you Have at the back but with the glycerin It didn't seem to really affect me it Does feel slightly different does look a Little bit different to the one on the
Ghost so maybe the glycerin is okay and The ghost isn't but that was the big Problem with the fit for me with the Ghost it just start to aggravate my Achilles if I used it too much just cuz It is so firm at the back there so in Terms of fit I've had both of these Shoes in a UK size that's my typical Running shoe size I've also had them in The kind of medium width fit options That you get on both of these shoes now Obviously there's more width fit options On the ghost compared to the glycerin 21 So that's something to keep in mind if You want something a little bit more Accommodating now in terms of what I've Seen in these two shoes I would say that Going true to size has generally been Okay for me I would say with the Glycerin 21 it is naturally the more Accommodating of the two shoes Particularly when you look at what You're getting in the midford and also What you're getting up in the toes where I think with the BR Brooks go 16 I think It's been a little bit on the narrow and Short side for me in the toe box now it Has been an issue for me in my runs but I have noticed compared to the glin 21 Where I think the glitterin is a little Bit more roomy in general I think for Shoes that you're maybe going to run a Little bit longer in I think the glit 21 Is going to be more of a true to size
Shue where the GH 16 maybe there might Be an argument to look at maybe playing Around half size based on my testing Elsewhere it's very similar in terms of What you're getting on the shoe similar Lacing similar leather padding on the Tongue as well too all built for comfort And kind of that snug feeling in terms Of those uppers in that fit plenty of Padding in the hill colors as well Slightly different formations of those Hill colors now I know that the guys Have had some issues in terms of rabbit The Achilles I haven't had any problems On the go6 with that similar story with The glycerin 20 as well too so yeah I Think the main thing for me in terms of Taking away what I've experienced on the Fit is that I think the gliten 2020 is Naturally the more roomy more kind of Accommodating shoe even that kind of uh Medium kind of size fit for me was I Think with the go 16 it's a little bit In the more narrow side still pretty Accommodating but I found particularly In the toes it maybe comes up a little Bit short for me in my usual size so When it comes to fit I ran in a UK 8 and A half in both the ghost 16 and the Glycerin 21 overall I would say that the Ghost 16 has a little bit more room Across the top of the toe box it feels a Little bit more flexible up front it's a Bit more roomy overall but in this
You've got a good thumbs width here There's loads of wiggle room from these Nice flexy uppers going back into the Midfoot loads of sort of flexx here Around the toe Knuckles there's no Pinching and no discomfort I get good Lock down from the laces the padded Tongues are nice and comfortable and Plush heel collar again you know medium To well padded all good for heel hold The only problem I have is this heel Counter is very very stiff here it rises Quite high and there's a big kind of Roll top of padding and that has been Putting a bit of pressure on my achilles If you suffer from that that might be an Issue here but overall I'd recommend Going true to sizing those when you get Into the glycerin 21 it's a similar Story really there's loads of room at The end good thumbs width lots of room Across the top loads of wiggle room with These nice flexible uppers same across The kind of toen Knuckles area good lock Down in the laces similar big padded Tongues as well so you're getting Plushness here as well which is very Similar heel collar uh almost the same The one thing I would say there's not Quite it's still a stiff heel counter But I don't think it rolls over quite as High as on the ghost 16 so I'm getting Less of that kind of Achilles problem And for that reason I think I prefer the
Fit of the glycerin 21 overall But I would recommend going true to size In both of these [Music] Shoes I've done a lot of miles in both Of these shoes and I really enjoyed Running in both of them I have to say I Really like this DNA Loft V3 foam I find It's a foam that's just very much to my Taste I'm not going to claim it's like The best foam on the market or the most Amazing feeling on the foot it's not Super squishy or bouncy or anything like That but it's just a phone very much to My taste it's really balanced very well So it is comfortable but it's also got Enough firmness and resilience there to Give you a nice stable and kind of Responsive base to push against it if You want to do longer runs faster runs Where I prefer something a little bit Firmer like this than just an all out Squishy shoe like something like the New Balance 1080 v13 I find that a little Bit mushy if I'm going to try and do Longer runs after a while it just feels A bit too soft Under Foot get the extra Kind of bounce back from both of these Shoes cuz they've got the same foam now Now in the past the glycerin I think was Clearly a better shoe because the ghost Had the DNA Loft V2 foam which I didn't Think was particularly good it was quite A you know dead feeling foam to me but
They've now both got the same foam you Got small differences in the drop small Differences in the stack out actually do Come across on the run more than I Probably expected when I started testing The Ghost and then brought the glycerin Back out again to try them and I did a Run with both sheo at the same time you Know they are very similar feeling over Foot but you can feel the kind of Slightly smoother softer ride of the Glycerin I'd say like you got that Slightly lower drop Brooks is a very High drop shoot so it does give you a Little bit of a Slappy feeling at times As you rock through onto your forefoot If you're a heel Striker like myself Still get that bit with the glycerin It's not like it's a low Drop shoe it Does have a slightly smoother feel and The extra cushioning does come into play And it doesn't come at the cost of a Huge huge amount of extra weight I'd say So you end up with just a slightly nicer Feeling ride all round a lot of the Other elements on the shoes are very Similar including the fit at the back But again I think I slightly prefer that On the glycerin so you hav almost got a Classic brand cushion shoe lineup you've Got the slightly more expensive shoe That feels slightly better on the run And they are very close all around Though there's a lot of overlap here
Certainly more than there was before a Slightly lighter feeling with the ghost Which maybe get gives it that little bit Of extra versatility but I've done kind Of easy to steady runs in both shoes Moving in a decent Pace by the end of Them and they feel similarly good they Feel similarly great for long runs I Really like long runs in the shoe aside From the fit at the heel in the ghost They really comfortable throughout and Like I say they still feel nice and Consistent and balanced at the end of Those long runs so you can keep ticking Over it's not like the shoe hardens up Or gets mushy at all at the end it just Feels exactly the same at the start of a Run as it did at the end and I really Like that feeling for long run so have Found them very similarly enjoyable on The run I don't think the slight Differences in feel I noticed on the Glycerin amounted to a huge amount if I'd never tested both shoes at the same Time it's not really something I think That would come across as clearly but it Is a little bit softer and a little bit Smoother and it does kind of earn its Status as the premium cushion shoe in The Brooks lineup compared to the ghost Which is that a little bit cheaper so When it comes to the run test I have Done about 25 miles maybe more in the Glycerin 21 around the same amount in
The ghost 16 I've use them for the same Thing nice slow easy runs recovery stuff As well as some mixed pace and some Uptempo bits and pieces mostly on road Little bit of river pile thrown as well The usual drill for our testing here I've also just done a side by side Mile With one shoe on each foot two days After running the comrades Marathon so That was really Interesting thing is here I think the Most interesting point is actually Having done that mile I almost forgot That I was running them I ended up doing Two actually and I forgot I was running In different shoes so I think what You're getting here as a ride it's not An awful lot to distinguish between These two shoes which makes it really Interesting because obviously the gist 21's going to come in at a higher price Point and the question for me is can you Get away with going in a goh 16 now I'd Say they feel very similar on the foot The fit is similar there's not a huge Amount to choose between the way they Hold and the oval riness of the toe box The fact is you've got a similar stack Of that DNA Loft V3 means that the ride Is actually very very similar as well Now I actually like running in both of These shoes I think they're really Nicely balanced there's good cushioning Without it being overs soft or over
Cushioned I think the weight on the foot Feels quite nice these are easy easy Shoes to run into clip along they have Got a bit of energy there's you know They're not most energetic daily Trainings you're going to find but if You want to take them up a gear you do Get a bit back from that DNA Loft V3 Enough to sort of punch up I would say Not to my fastest Paces but if I'm s Pushing my sort of easy to middling Paces these guys do a great job it Certainly made the ghost a bit more of a Lively shoe and it's brought it much Closer to the glycerin 21 it' be Interesting to see how Brooks maybe kick This 21 on next having made the ride Very similar here now I mentioned it in The fit I think one of the differences I Noticed I think if you can see actually They've got quite similar heel quality Here but this one is a bit narrower and I think it Curves in a little bit more At the top and that has been putting a Little bit of pressure on my achiles so One distinction that I've made between These two shoes is definitely on the way That they fit and feel if you have any Trouble with heal counter slightly Aggravating the bottom of your Achilles The ghost might not be for you I think The glycerin Works slightly better but Overall I found it very hard to Distinguish between these two shoes on
That side by side mile like I said I Forgot I was wearing different shoes I Was kind of happy on very tired legs to Be running along in them which sort of Speaks volumes really for how Comparative these are and for use cases I think in terms of what I would use These for I think they're really good For Easy Clip along miles you might can Punch it up a little bit more I think They're just a happy easy well balanced Well cushioned stable nice landing Platform they've got all of those things That you want for and an easy kind of Cruising daily trainer and yeah I do Really like running in both of these Shoes I both both kind of quite Commendable for that I put them both in The same ballpark as got a good reliable Workhorse of a daily trainer with a Little bit of energy kicked in as well Initially I think the glycerin you know That was the one that felt more Energetic and if you were looking for Something a bit more lively I would have Said get that over like the ghost 15 but I think the ghost has stepped on now and It's a bit more lively a bit more fun But kind of still Rings true to what a Ghost needs to do and what you'll be Looking for you know my experience of The ghost line and the kind of Glycerin Line has been that I think with the Ghost I've always kind of seen it as a
No shoe not a massively exciting shoe But a very predictable kind of Consistent you know stable shoe to run In which you know doesn't sound like the Sexiest of shoes but I you know you know If that's the kind of shoe you want for Kind a Workhorse daily trainer something You can spend a lot of time in then that Is absolutely a you know a shoe that Kind of works for that I think the Glycerin has always been the more Interesting shoe for me particularly the Last few where you've had that DNA Loft V3 foam in there I think that just Elevated the feel and you know the Enjoyment of running in the glycerin It's a little bit more bouncier there's A little bit that plush feel that I like In a daily trainer as well too not Overly plush but enough there to just Make it a little bit more fun to run in Now obviously with the go16 you're Getting that DNA L E3 foam in here it's Not as much as what you get here in the Glycerin 21 but I think ultimately it is Enough here to make the go6 for me feel A little bit more memorable to run in I Think you know it's plush but not as Plush as the Gin 21 but it's enough There to let you sink a little bit in it Get a little bit of that bounce more Than you would get DNA LOF V2 kind of Version of that cushioning technology But also get something that still has
Those kind of ghost qualities it's still Very stable it's on a pretty stable kind Of you know reasonably wide base there Of this shoe and it's a smooth and kind Of comfortable ride it's very consistent When I and you know the other thing for Me is when I've tried to run a little Bit quicker in this and I would say kind Of moderate Pace not my kind of tempo Kind of marathon pace because you know I Just don't think it's built for that I Felt like it's been able to handle that Now while I think the glycerin Previously has been able to handle my More kind of moderate kind of uptempo Pace I don't think it's the same story Here now this is the heavier of the shoe There's more of that foam I do feel like You feel the weight of this shoe more When I've tried to run a little bit Quicker it just doesn't hasn't felt you Know natural for me to do and I felt It's more comfortable and I've been Running very very easy and you really Kind of appreciate that kind of bigger Stack of that DNA LOF V3 pH which is Sinking a bit more and it just feels More comfortable protective and softer Feeling well I think in the the Formulation of it here in the go 16 it Gives you a little bit of that but it Still gives you a ride that's still a Little bit on the Firma side just Because there's not as much of that Pham
It still means that if you want to run a Little bit quicker in this I think you Can do that you wouldn't be doing speed Sessions in interval sessions but I Think as I said moderate Paces this can Absolutely handle it other things I Think obviously outsole wise they're Using the same outsole technology um There's a lot of rubber here you running I'm not seeing terrible wear that's what I' would expect from a you know a Glycerin and a goou and I think from a Durability point of view I think they're Going to be very similar I think grip Traction side of things very similar as Well I've done lighter Trails on this so If you looking at something for Park Runs these going to handle going Slightly you know uneven surfaces it's Not going to be an issue so yeah for me I think yeah great that they've got or Both of these shoes have DNA l v V3 foam In here I think the best of Brooks is Kind to cushioning technology this one Is definitely for me feels like the more Comfortable one for slower longer kind Of easier paces and does Excel on that Front and the GH 16 can handle that can Run a little bit quicker um but Ultimately I think has a little bit more Its Locker just because of that kind of Droing weight compared to the GL 21 and Also giving that kind of the durability And the kind of comfort in that upper
That I think is going to still make it a Workhorse kind of daily train issue that You can definitely spend a lot of time [Music] In so on ride Fields I'd say it is very Similar across the board between the Glycerin and the ghost now that they Both have the same foam in there but I Do think the little changes that you Have with the glycerin that make me Prefer it slightly as a shoe it's got a Slightly smoother ride because of the Low Drop slightly more foam in the Midsole gives you a little bit more Softness without adding too much weight And taking away anything really in terms Of Versatility versus the ghost but if I Was just looking purely at ride field I'd be very happy to pick up the ghost Ahead of the glycerin for $20 less Because I really enjoyed running in this Shoe in terms of how it felt underf foot It's got a versatile feel a comfortable Feel for long runs does move quite well For your general daily training when you Are up the pace a little bit and it's a Little bit cheaper than the glycerin so I don't think the actual performance Benefits of the glycerin would amount to Me buying the shoe but I have had that Real problem with the heel design on the Ghost which I didn't have so much of the Glycerin and that would steer me towards The glycerin so whether that affects
Other people as much I don't know but it Is such a stiff he counter on The Ghost And it is on the glycerin too you can See I can't really make much of an Inroad there but just didn't really come Across in testing so there's some small Quirk with the heel design that means I've been okay in the glycerin and Wasn't okay in The Ghost and sometimes That can be the case of running shoes There's something very small it's really Hard to identify I'd probably go and try Both of these shoes on they are usually Available in running is shops to try on Especially if you have any kind of Sensitivity around your Achilles tendon Because there such structured heel Counters those work for some people do Not work for others I tend to not get on With them very well and I just found the Glycerins was a bit better so I would Get the glycerin of these two I think It's also the slightly better shoe but On performance alone if you get on fine With both in terms of the fit I think The ghost is good enough that I'd be Happy to get it for even the small Saving that is the difference in price Between them so verdict for me then These two shoes I find very similar for The ride the overall Comfort what they Do there's that small issue of the heel Colors that would be a distinguishing Factor and if you have a problem with
That I think you might need to go Glycerin over the GH 16 if you're going Purely on the ride and the capability And the use case of the shoe I don't Think there's that much to choose Between them and actually if you're Going to get a ghost 16 cheaper that's The one that I would pick yeah and for Me I think this is largely just going to Come down to price and value and I think For me on based on that I would go for The ghost 16 so my voted on whether you Should go for the Brooks G 16 or the Brooks gin 21 now I think these are two Very good cushion shoes I think this is Probably the nicest ghost I've used and I think the glycerin is more of the same But I do think it's slightly changed From previous glycerins and for that Reason I think actually and just with The changes that have happened with These two shoes I would probably be Wayway to go for the Brooks go 16 which Previously it would have been the Glycerin and I think what I put that Down to is I think that now that you Have that DNA L E3 foam in the go 16 While it's not as much as you what You've got on the glitterin 21 I do Think it's enough to make it a more Comfortable shoe to run in a more Comfortable shoe to run long in there's A little bit more bounce there's a Little bit more life in that midsole and
That overall ride but crucially it still Has all those qualities with the ghost It's still stable and comfortable I Think with the glycerin 21 I think it's A more of the kind of Max cushion feel Of a shoe I don't I don't think it has The same level of Versatility as the Previous glycerins have had for me and I Think if you're looking for a shoe That's going to protect feel really soft And plush and feel comfortable over Those longer distances than that as a sh You' get but ultimately I think you can Do that and get that in the G 16 plus I Think it's got something that can handle More moderate kind of easy to moderate Paces so slightly quicker runs because Of that lighter weight and also just Feeling that there's a little bit more In that ride for it as well so yeah I be Going for the Brooks go 16 it's cheaper I think it's got aspects of the glycerin 21 now but also has that lighter weight And still has those kind of qualities of What you'd want from a cushion shoe if You're looking for something that's Protective if you're looking for Something that's stable accommodating And has that kind of comfortable upper To make sure it has those kind of Qualities that you want from her sure You're going to spend a lot of time in But also maybe want something that you Know it's going to feel a little bit
More memorable which has not always been The case with the ghost shoes but I do Think you get that now here with the Go6 okay so there you have it that is Our take on how the Brooks go 16 Compares to this the glin 21 now Hopefully you found that video Insightful and helpful and helping you Decide between these two shoes now if You got any questions about either these Shoes or there are other compartive Videos you want to see with either this Or this do let us know in the comments As always like And subscribe hit that Little bell to find out about our latest Videos and yeah we'll see you the next Round Test's video
