The Brooks Glycerin line has been a staple for runners looking for comfort and cushioning over easy miles for over two decades. The Glycerin 20 saw some of the biggest developments seen in the line for quite some time, developing the shoe into a more versatile cushioned daily shoe than one designed purely for easy days.
Although the Triumph 20 saw a number of updates over its predecessor, the 21’s changes are largely made across the upper. The new design gets a revamped flat knit material to improve fit, as well as provide breathability, along with a modified lacing system for better lock-down.
The shoe features the same PWRRUN+ cushioning in the midsole and sockliner – an impressively balanced foam that manages to feel soft while still providing a good level of energy return, and there’s a generous level of outsole rubber to protect that foam and deliver a high level of grip across varied road conditions.
Tom, Kieran and Nick have been testing the shoes out to see which is worth spending your money on.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Stats
00:38 – Design
01:50 – How’s The Fit?
03:30 – The Run Test
11:48 – Verdict
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Hey Tomy from the Run testers with Another running shoe versus in this Video we are going to be doing a Comparison of the sakon trium 21 and the Brooks Glycerin 21 let's have a [Music] Look the Brooks Glycerin 21 cost £165 or $160 it weighs 283 G or 10 oz for men in A size 8 and the drop is 10 mm the sakon Triumph 21 costs £170 or $60 it weighs 280 G or 9.9 Oz for men in a size 8 and The drop is 10 [Music] Mm the Brooks Glycerin line has been a Staple for runners looking for comfort And cushioning over easy miles for over Two decades the glycerin 20 saw some of The biggest changes seen in the line for Quite some time developing the shoe into A more versatile cushion daily shoe than One designed purely for easy days the 21 Is a more subtle Improvement of the shoe Adding in slightly more DNA LOF V3 Midell cushioning a new upper design to Improve comfort and breathability and an Improved outs soole using Road Track Rubber to increase grip and protection For the midsole although the tri 20 saw A number of updates over its predecessor The 21's changes are largely made across The upper the new design gets revamped Flat nit material to improve fit as well As provide breathability along with a Modified lacing system for better lock
Down the shoe features the same power And plus cushioning in the Midol and Sock liner an impressively balanced Phone that manages to feel soft while Still providing a good level Lev of Energy return there's also a generous Level of outso rber to protect that foam And deliver a high level of grip across Varied road Conditions finally there's a heel lock Design to hold the foot in place and a Pull tab at the rear to make getting of The shoe easier to pull on and off the Shoe is also slightly heavier than the Previous Version when it comes to the fit of the Two shoes I was very happy in my normal Running shoe size got a uk9 in both of These which is a us10 for both Brands Really comfortable amount of room in the Toe box nice secure hold around the heel And midfi with these padded designs at The back there neither shoe had so much Padding it start to really irritate my Achilles I found that I probably Slightly prefer the heel design on the Socker KN but all around very happy with The fit in my normal running shoe size With both shoes so when it came to fit I Ran in a uk8 and 1 half in both of these Shoes the Triumph 21 and the Brooks Glycerin 21 and overall I would go Recommend going true to sizeing these Shoes I think they're both nicer room in
The toe box I have no problem with Finding good heel hold good lace lock Down yeah there good comfort you know The padding from the hill colors on both Of these office really good secure fit For me and across the top of the midfoot There's no that kind of lace pinch the Paded tongues take the edge off out on Both of those if anything I will say Here I think the glycerin 21 is the Roomier shoe that affords more room Across the top of the toe box there's More room and wiggle room overall in the Toebox I think there's a bit more space Towards the end of the shoe as well but Both of these shoes are nice and Spacious I think they both got quite a Good disappearing feel on the foot Overall and they're both super Comfortable for doing kind of long and Easy miles and I Rec recommend going True to size so the fit for me in these Two shoes I'm a size eight in the UK These are both size eights um I Definitely stick to my size in these Shoes if there's any shoes I've ever Tested that fit me perfectly and I have No issues of sizing up or down it's These shoes there's plenty of room in The forefoot they're designed for Comfort they're designed to have a Little bit of space the uppers are very Comfortable in both of these shoes um so Yeah I definitely stay to my size in
These shoes I've had no issues Whatsoever um and um they're very Comfortable So I'm just back from doing my side By-side mile I had the glycerin 21 on The left foot I had the Triumph 21 on The right foot the biggest difference For me and the overall kind of ride feel Comes down to that stack height you've Got a bigger stack overall on the Soccery Triumph 21 of that power run Plus foam so there's more foam in the Midfoot there's more foam in the heel I Think you really notice it more in the Heel what it does is when you're kind of Landing it just tilts you up a little Bit more even though these shoes have Got the same drop overall I think the Healing gaug is earlier in the Triumph 21 and that makes it feel like a Slightly kind of more sort of tilted Ride than the Brooks Glycerin 21 which Overall comes up a little bit flatter And because you've got a thinner wedge Of the DNA Loft foam in this shoe I Think what happens is you feel a little Bit more connected to the ground they're Both quite springy quite bouncy shoes There I think there's good energy out of Both the midso platforms there's good Cushion protection as well I think these Are really quite kind of capable shoes Overall there's not much to choose in Terms of the weight on the foot they
Come in almost identical in terms of Weight on the scales I'd say overall Maybe the Brooks feel slightly lighter On the foot just very marginally which Is or it runs slightly lighter I don't Know if that kind of DNA LOF foam has a Little bit more energy to it not really Sure they do feel slightly different the Rides there's there's a feel to the BS Glitering that I'm going to say it feels Like a sort of sort of more like a Slipper you know you don't feel like There's a rocked ride to it as much it Just kind of it feels like you're Landing whole foot and then you're kind Of having to drive off and create that Out of the Gin 21 than you are you the Triumph I think feels like it punches You forward a little bit more overall in The ride that's not to say I don't like The glycerin 21 I think it's a very Capable shoe and you our review you know I said it's really sort of happy shoe That could be used for a lot of Different kinds of run it's very happy Sort of running kind of pling along easy Paces I think the Triumph 21 probably Has a little bit more energy I think That would be a shoe that I would choose If I were going to do anything that was A slightly faster effort but yeah I I Think Comfort on the foot both of these Offer good Comfort maybe a little bit More room into the sort of toe box of
The glycerin 21 so if you like that kind Of rumor wider fit then go for that shoe You like it a little bit more dialed in Then go for the socky I think the good Thing about sakon if you like other Socony shoes and other socony fits I Think they've really nailed like a Consistent upper shaping and a fit in The socy shoes right through all the Range with the latest updates from the 21 here to this ride 17 to the speed 4 I Think what you're getting is something That you know what you're going to get With a so when you lace it on and that Is a good reliable comfortable fit and There's good disappearing Comfort Overall so yeah I think you know not a Huge amount to choose between the shoes But if you like socony I think you're Going to find that you know that fit Works really well here in this shoe as Well so these two options are shoes that We have compared numerous times in the Past with older versions of these shoes It's almost like the uh the blur Oasis Um Battle of the '90s uh these two shoes Are sort of the leading um cushion daily Trainers from both Brooks and from um Saky although there are other versions And newer shoes that are coming out from Both Brands now but these are the ones That have been going for a very long Time um and I really like both of these Shoes the type of Runner that I am I
Love cushioning I love soft shoes I love Shoes with a lot of Stack height in and Um these two shoes are have cropped up Many times in the past or versions of These shoes earlier versions um as some Of my favorite shoes to wear the latest Versions The s charm 21 and the Brooks Glycerin 21 again they're still quite Similar you're going to still buy these For the same sort of reasons um pre Previously these shoes in the earlier Versions were sort of Max shoes I know Nick talks about this as well and now They've become cushion daily shoes and They've developed along side each other In a very similar way both have updated The Foams both have had modifications Made to the uppers and things like that And the very very comparable shoes in a Lot of ways if you were going to if you Wanted a pair of um comfortable cushion Shoes that you you can use for easy runs And daily miles both of these would be At the top of the list and you you Cannot go wrong with them really so I Think the difference for me between These two shoes really comes down to That Midol foam so youve got the D DNA Loft in the Brooks G 21 and the paron uh Plus in the sakon Triumph 21 um and I Know Nick talks about the glycerin 21 Having a little bit more pop in it uh And possibly being a little bit more Versatile I think that's because Nick
Runs at a faster Pace than me so he's Really benefiting a little bit more from That slightly firmer mid midsole the way That I use the Triumph 21 is for my easy Runs I do find it to be a little bit Versatile as well but I do think there's A little bit more softness in this shoe It's a little there's a little bit of Energy return for me from that softness I definitely enjoy running in the trium 21 a bit more than the brook glycerin 21 Very very minor difference I I like Running both of these shoes I just Prefer the foam in the S trium 21 it Just feels a little bit softer me a Little bit more to my taste of um High Stack shoes with a little bit of energy Returning um I used both of these shoes For easy runs I actually raced in the Brooks Glycerin 20 um and I did find it To be uh surprisingly good at picking up The pace in it um especially for a shoe That's essentially a big cushion shoe um And I think that because that Mell foam Is a little bit firmer it does lend Itself a bit to running faster in it um And there's not been many changes to the 21 over the the 20 uh apart from a few Modifications but the foam and Everything is still essentially the same Um so I would say that the uh Bros GL 21 Does feel a little bit firmer and as a Result it's probably a little bit more Responsive especially running faster uh
The sakon tribe 21 I do think it's Nicely versatile but um for me it it's Just a little bit more enjoyable I just Get a little bit more energy return at Those slower Paces uh the outso on both Shoes is really really good um the I've Never had any issues with running in These shoes on wet roads and hilly wet Roads those sorts of things I think it's Very good solid cing of out soole on Both shoes um and no issues at all so I've been a long-term fan of both the Glycerin and Triumph lines I feel like In the past these shoes would have been The biggest most cushion shoes on the Market you know purely designed for Comfort but nowadays I think these two Shoes are both really cushion daily Trainers compared to some of the really Max cushion shoes out there that I think Are more focused purely on easy runs I Think these are more versatile cushion Shoes in general compared to most other Options on the market and I think they Have a lot of similarities between them The way they're set up the stack Heights The drops fact they both got quite Traditional rides padded ERS I do think They do the same job really quite well Which is to be a comfortable cushion Shoe that someone like myself I would Use as the easy run shoe in my rotation Easy and long runs in particular where These shoes Excel and then I think if
You're a newer Runner or someone who Just likes a really cushion daily Trainer you could use these for a bit of Everything they are like I said a bit More versatile have a bit more life in Them than many cushion shoes when it Comes too fast to running and they're Both a little bit lighter than lots of Cushion shoes as well I think it's it's Quite hard to split the difference Between them but a lot of it comes down Basically to the mid cell Foams and you Got the nitrogen infused DNA Loft V3 Foam on the Brooks and then obviously The power run Plus on the Triumph these Are both good phones but I prefer the Feel of the DNA Loft V3 on the Brooks I Just find it has a slightly more poppy Feel it's it's firm without in any way Being harsh but it does give you a Little bit more back and especially over Long runs i' I've always loved doing Long runs in the glycerin 20 and the Glycerin 21 felt exactly the same really Amazing for long runs where the foam Just retains its bounce really well Throughout the run it's not like it's a Very springy or soft shoe or anything Like that but it's a lovely resilient Foam and you can push against it really Nicely deep into runs keeps your feet Ticking over whilst being very Comfortable and that's probably why I Just give the glycerin The Edge on the
Run test like I do think it's a little Bit more comfortable for those runs and I think it feels slightly nimbler and Lighter even though all the stats are Very similar between these shoes the uh Don't think I get quite as much life out Of the power run plus phone which I Think you've got to put a bit more Force Into maybe if you was a slightly heavier Run you might get a bit more out of the Power run plus phone but find it's okay Well more than okay I think it's Actually a very good phone that does do A similar job to the DNA l v 3 but I Think I just find there's a bit more Life in the midsole of the Brooks over Those long runs and it makes it feel Just a slightly more enjoyable shoe for Me but yeah try I'm certainly a very Good all round shoe as well both have Got good outside too they gripped well In the wet for me throughout testing They are just very good solid cushion Daily trainers all around for Sure so my verdict on these two shoes It's a really tough one really because I'd be happy to pick up either of these And have them as my um easy run shoe Daily is run shoe I I definitely Wouldn't use either either of these Shoes if I was aiming to run faster I Would use something else like the sock And the Endorphin speed uh for things Like that um but they are fantastic
Shoes that skew more towards that Cushion side of things um if I the way That I use the shoes would be pretty Much always for easy runs um and both of Them do a good job at that I think at my Pace uh the s charm 21 is just a little Bit more enjoyable I think the foam is Just a little bit more forgiving uh and I'm not really looking for Responsiveness when it comes to a shoe Like this I'm looking for Pure Comfort Um and just enjoying the run as much as Possible the pace I'm running at in These shoes is probably probably about 5 Minute kilometers um and for me the tri 21 just wins at that pace very slightly If I picked up either these shoes I'd be More than happy and I think they're both Excellent shoes but I really just think It does come down to just that slightly Firmer midsole in the block gin 21 than The trium 21 um but they both do the job Excellent Um and for me uh there's very little in It so if it comes down to choosing Between these Sho shoes and you can find One um considered to be cheaper Definitely go for that because you're Not going to go wrong with either of These they're both both really solid Comfortable stable um cushion running Shoes that um will last you a good while So I don't think you can go wrong with Either of these shoes really so I think
If you see one a notable price Difference to the other the Triumph 21 Is a slightly older shoe the Triumph 22 I think is coming quite soon I think you Can jump in and grab that at a big Discount compared to the Brooks and not Really be worried that you're getting a Big drop off in performance both do the Same job really well like I say for me They are using them for cushioned easy Runs protective shoes they are very well Cushioned but not quite as maxed out and Soft as some of the max cushion shoes on The market which I don't love so much Just for knocking around easier long Runs and so as such they have a little Bit more versatility if you're can to Use them as a cushion daily trainer as Well I think obviously with Sak you've Got the ride 17 which is a good Competitor to the Triumph 21 now cuz has Quite a similar setup in terms of the Foams but is a little bit cheaper with The glycerin you could look at the older Glycerin 20 as well which is another Very excellent shoe with a similar feel Get a bit more cushion with the glycerin 21 I do think it tells especially on Long runs but quite similar shoes and These are expensive shoes on their RRP So looking around for older versions or Similar but different shoes might be a Good way to get a bit more value but if I was just picking purely based on
Performance how they feel on the Run I'd Give it to the glycerin 20 just because I do like the feel of that DNA Loft V3 Foam a little bit more than power run Plus which like I said I don't get quite So much out of it's quite dense Pham I Think it's a very durable Pham that Feels good throughout its life but I Think the same is true the DNA LOF we 3 And I find it just a lighter area Feeling on the run that gives me a Little bit more pop back and I find it Just easier to get a bit more from the Mido than I do with the Sak but like I Say both great shoes good cushion daily Training options I just give it to the Glycin myself verdict then and for me Because there's not much to choose on Price there's not much to choose on Weight I wouldn't say there's much to Choose on overall kind of stepping Comfort on the foot it's going to come Down to how you like that ride and I Think overall I think I prefer this Triumph 21 ride which is just a little Bit more immediate it just feels a bit More Punchy I'm quite happy to run in This shoe for easy runs as well as kind Of fast runs and it really kind of Suits My style where I I like a shoe to have Maybe a little bit kind of more Immediate response to rely a little bit More on the Rock ring and to feel like It's pushing you through your stride and
Your kind of gate quicker whereas I I Think the Brooks gin 21 it is a Comfortable shoe I have enjoyed running In it I can happily run easy miles in it It's just a little bit more ponderous For me it doesn't quite have that kind Of snappiness that you might get from The Triumph 21 I think that probably Gives the Triumph 21 for my running Style at least a little bit more Versatility overall I could see myself Running sort of fast in the shoe Although I sort of tend to use it for Slower stuff the glycerin 21 I can use For some faster efforts but I think I Have to work harder in the shoe for it And for that reason I think just based On that kind of Versatility and that Kind of ride profile with that kind of Higher stack and I think that sort of Slightly punch your feel I think for me If I were picking one shoe out of these Two it would be the triumph 21 so that's It from us on this versus thanks a lot For watching don't forget to like Subscribe click that little bell and Check the channel out for all the other Videos we've got coming up if you also Go into the caption below you can find a Link to our podcast which comes out at The end of each month thanks a lot for Watching catch you next Time
