The Brook Glycerin Max and Glycerin 21 share the Glycerin name, but are these new Brooks max cushioned shoes built the same and made for the same types of runs?
Testers Nick, Mike, Tom and Kieran have all spent plenty of running time in the latest Glycerin and new Glycerin Max, which sees Brooks introduce a new version of its nitrogen-infused midsole foam.
If you’ve been trying to work out how these two Glycerins compare, we take you through the key differences and then get into which one we’d be spending our money on.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Intro
00:26 – Price and what’s different
01:54 – How they fit
05:49 – The Run Test
16:19 – Brooks Glycerin Max vs Glycerin 21 – The Verdict
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Hey this is Mike for the rers this is The Brooks Glycerin Max and this is the Brooks Glycerin 21 two Brooks shoes that Share the glycerin name but are they the Same shoe and are they built for the Same types of runs those are the kind of Questions that myself Nick Kieran and Tom are all going to answer in this Video as we share our experiences both Shoes let you know what the key differen Are between these two and let you know Whether you should go for the Brooks Glycerin 21 or the new Brooks Glycerin Max [Music] So let's look at how these two glycerin Shoes square up let's start with price And the glycerin 21 is the cheaper of The two by quite a considerable amount And if you want fit options it also Offers both medium and wide fit options Along with additional GTS and stealth Fit versions in terms of weight the Glycerin Max weighed in heavier for us In a men's UK Size8 you're getting different drops With the max offering a 6mm 1 and the Glycerin 21 giving you 10 mm drop with The max putting more foam between you And your running terrain terms of that Foam it's Brooks's nitrogen infused DNA LOF V3 in the glycerin 21 with Brooks's New DNA tuned foam in the glycerin Max Which is also a nitrogen infused foam
Like the glycerin 21 the max uses that Large cell foam at the heel with the Smaller ones in the forefoot you're also Getting a rocker on the max for smoother Heel To Toe Transitions Max uses is an engineered Mesh upper compared to the knit kind on The Gin 21 with the similar laces and Padding on the tongue and heel collar The designs of the heel counters are Slightly different though with a more Narrow one featured on the max out so It's rubber for the max with similar Focus areas for the rubber while the Gion 21 uses Brooks's rotac outsole Which mixes Rubber and [Music] Silica comes the fit of the two Glycerins got the same size in both Which is a uk9 us10 I'd say that is the Right size for me it's a size I've used For Brook shoes for many years and they Fit me well I've got enough room in the Toe box plenty of space there without it Being too loose or anything like that Good hold around the heel and midfoot I Think the heel design on the glycerin Max is a bit better for me you've got This kind of squarer even stiffer heel Counter on the on the glycerin 21 and Just a bit too much structure at the Back of the shoe I don't like that Sometimes that kind of heel counter can Irritate my killes tendon as well you've
Got feels just a bit more spacious it's Still very you know structured you've Got a heel counter on the glycerin Max But the design suits a bit better and I Prefer the fit on the glycerin Max but In terms of what size to go for I would Get your normal size with both of these Shoes so in terms of fits I've got both Of these shoes in a UK size eight that's My typical running shoe size and Generally going true to size in Brooks's Shoes is generally the way forward for Me I've never really had to play around Too much ultimately and I would say my Experience across these two shoes is Very similar I think these are very much Glycerin shoes they are kind of unfussy Uppers you know kind of big level of Kind of padding um you know similar kind Of laces as kind of Spong spy laces and Kind of a similar amount of room in the Toe boxes as well too I think lengthwise They're about the same for me I think Maybe getting a touch more space on the Glycerin and maybe around the sides of The foot or the toes ultimately but I Don't think it's a huge amount in it I Think midfoot hold is very similar as Well too when you get back to the kind Of you know the heel area of the shoes I Think know level of padding again is Very similar on both of these shoes the Hill colors are slightly different in Terms of formations it's a slightly more
Narrow one so think going through to Size on these two shoes should be Absolutely fine for most people as I Said very similar experience very much Glycerin shoes kind a big level of Padding and kind of similar amount of Space and kind of plushness as well too Fit for me in these two shoes very Similar they're almost identical in size I'm a size eight in the UK I find this To be really really comfortable shoes There's plenty of space in the forefoot There's plenty of space before the big Toe and the midfoot is fairly wide as Well so if you got wider feet they're Probably quite comfortable um the laces And the upper both they're both very Plush very similar design to both of Them I would definitely stick to my size In the UK um and they're very Comfortable shoes so quick word on F I Am running in my regular UK 8 and a half That's a US 9 and A2 in the glycerin 21 Here and in the Brooks Glycerin Max Overall both These are nice and roomy There's plenty of room in the toe box This one actually feels even like There's a little bit too much space up Top towards the end uh but there's Plenty of room across the top lots of Wiggle room these uppers just sort of They're flexed they're nice it's all Soft it's a bit slipper likee on the Brooks Glycerin 21 really comfy I find
Them easy to get a nice lock down these Padded tongues take away the lace pinch Into those big heel collars and I find That's all good nice hold from the sort Of slight roll tops you've got here They're a bit softer the roll tops not Quite as pronounced but they hold nicely With this stiff heel counter and overall Apart from that slight bit of extra Length which I quite like but some People might not want I would recommend Going true to sizing these when you come Over to the BL glycerin Max it's a Similar story here in terms of that nice Roomy Airy toe box with lots of flex in These uppers they're a bit thicker I Think overall these uppers um nice Premium kind of jackard that you've got Here triple jackard there's no pinching On the toe Knuckles it holds nicely but Again there's nice wiggle room nice Flex Not quite as much clearance towards the End probably about a thumb there a Little bit more in the glycerin 21 I get Good hold across the top did have a Little bit of struggling with the Tongues bulging out but that seems to Have settled down the more that I've run In these the heels for me hold really Nicely lots of flushness no troubling With the Achilles that sort of flicks Back there again big thick padded Tongues all of that stuff is really good And in both of these shoes I think I
Would recommend going true to [Music] Size so been a longtime fan of the Glycerin I really like the DNA LOF V3 Phone you've had in the last couple of Versions in general I think it's just a Really solid daily trainer that's Comfortable you know stable like works Well in the long runs you get a really Consistent feeling from the phone that Doesn't bottom out it lasts a long time And you know it's just a really good Shoe and then the glycerin Max takes all Of those kind of classic Brooks features And does it with a new foam that I think Is a little bit better than the DNA LOF V3 foam and just in general a slightly Better experience all around with the Glycerin Max because of the way the Geometry of the shoe is set up like the Lower drop and The Rocker on the shoe Like it's quite an interesting rocker Because it really just you know doesn't Taper to all right at the end of the Shoe there it does deliver quite a and Smooth ride you can feel the softness at The back of this DNA tune midar and then A little bit more kind of responsiveness Out of the for foot like Brooks talks About do you know it's not a dramatic Change but it does feel quite squishy at The heel probably a bit more so than the Glycerin 21 I would say then you roll Through to get that slightly firmer
Feeling under your toes so you are Getting a little bit more kind of pop Off your toes it's not like it's a Really explosive feeling or anything Like that you do feel that difference in Density throughout the midsole and it Does work well and creating a Comfortable but still reasonably Lively Feeling underf foot G from 21 is just a Fair bit lighter and you have that kind Of more Snappy from the higher drop on The shoe the the foam is very Comfortable but you don't get that Difference in feeling so it's a bit Firmer at the heel than the glycerin Max Like I mentioned while it still feels Like quite a fluid transition from Heel To Toe it's not quite as smooth as the Rocket shoe with the glycerin Max and You certainly feel a lot less foam on The foot with the glycerin 21 like I've Just gone out and done a little run Wearing bow shoes at the same time and That's the really different feeling you Have here like the glycerin 21 feels Like tiny and really Nimble in Comparison to the glycerin Max which Obviously not something you'd really say About the glycerin in most other Comparisons but yeah it's a notably Smaller shoe and it's notably thinner Under the for foot than the glycerin Max Which is a real big block of foam there And like I said it really goes all the
Way to the for foot before the drop kind Of comes in so you definitely feel that Huge wedge of foam Under Foot as a Result the G 21 almost feels spritely Underf foot but you do feel that kind of More of a snap through from it and that Thin for it comes into play like I've Done long runs in the shoe and it never Really felt like there was too much Discomfort but I think if you go and run At like faster speeds over long Distances you will get you start to Notice the lack of foam under the Glycerin 21's for fo compared to the Glycerin Max which is really G up to Deliver a huge amount of shock Absorption and comfort over those long Distances like and it has done for me When I've done a 30k run in the shoe and Pushed to faster speeds in the last 10K And yeah you'll definitely getting a Load of comfort there don't think There's a big difference in versatility Though because although I think the foam Is a little bit better in the glycerin Max you know it's still pretty good foam In the glycerin 21 and it is a much Lighter and nimbler shoe I'd say or Round it does feel like if you're going To go out and run some intervals it's The shoe to do it in the glycerin Max Will probably have a bit of an edge if You're going to go and cruise at faster Speeds for a while but neither shoe is
Really set up for fast running these are Very much you know daily trainers geared Up towards easy and long runs I would Say and they both did that job really Really well but I think you probably got A slightly smoother and better ride from The glycerin Max for me okay so these Two shoes are both glycerin so as you Would imagine they are quite similar in A lot of ways um the biggest difference Between these two shoes is the midsole Obviously there's a lot more of it in The glycerin Max but uh it's a very Different midsole Pham so what you get With the glycerin 21 is a very sturdy Comfortable uh not soft mid sof which is What Brooks has generally been pretty Well known for in the past stable Comfortable um fairly balanced Midol Foams but it's not soft by any Strat of The imagination um it's also it's it's Quite a stable um ride it's got quite a Wide base on it um but really it all Comes down to that midsole the uh DNA Tuned is softer uh it's got a rocker a New rocker geometry in it which is Really does tip you forward and is very Very um uh good for consistent Pace uh I Would say that it's still very much uh They're both easy day shoes to Comfortable daily shoes but the uh Glycerin Max is a little bit better at Picking up the pace for a consistent Effort so um with the uh Brooks GL 21 I
Very much enjoyed it for daily running Um day daily training I think you can do A little bit more in this shoe cu the Foam is a little bit more responsive um And uh all in all it's a very good Sol Daily shoe that really veers towards That cushion side of things uh the Brooks Glycerin Max uh similar but I do Think there's a little bit more energy Return in this foam I do think um The Rocker geometry does make you run uh a Bit faster or a bit more consistently uh At a good Pace I would say it's a really Um it's veering more towards a Tempo Shoe than the glycerin 21 um but also is Better at easy days for me as well Because it is a little bit softer so um I think it's just got a wider span of How to use it the glycerin Max that and The glycerin 21 uh and both of them are Very stable shoes with really wide bases On them and have excellent outsoles so Um really tricky to compare these two Shoes but it really just comes down to The ride of that Midol foam so in terms Of my experience with these two shoes or These two glycerin shoes I would say That you know my experien overall has Been very good now I've spent more time More recently in the glycerin Max I have Actually been back out in the glycerin 21 as well too to see there is a market Difference between these two shoes and Obviously these are Max cushion shoes
And for me you know really prioritizing That protection um you know shoes that You're going to you know ultim I'm going To use where my legs are not in the Greatest shape I just want to bank some Mileage those are the the kind of runs I'd be turning to for these two shoes Now in terms of how they deliver that Experience I think first and foremost There not a huge amount in terms of fits In terms of General Comfort all the kind Of things I'd expect to see from a Glycerin shoe it's very similar across The board it's really down to what You're getting in that midsole on the Ride that you're getting what those mids Are really um how they really influence That ride and experience you get I think You know obviously talking about the Glycerin 21 OB has that DNA LOF V3 foam In it which I really like and I think You know I love the fact it's been Integrated or kind introduced to the um Goh 16 which for me is probably my Favorite of the kind of cushioned um Brook shoes or new shoes that it's Launched this year now in the glit 21 I Think obiously there's a lot of it there You know you you know you're getting Spread across a kind of broad base and You know going to get Comfort protection I just found that you know I labored a Little bit I you know I was hoping for a Little bit more in terms of the ride and
The experience and that's not really What I've got from the glycerin 21 Whereas with the glycerin Max I think It's a slightly similar story but Ultimately there's a key difference There that you have a rocker in this Shoe and I do think it makes a massive Difference in terms my enjoyment of Running in these shoes I still think I Would use them for easy and Recovery Style runs I think potentially you could Run a little bit moderately um quick in The glycerin Max and it's really down to The fact that you've got that rocker in There that just means you roll through a Bit more Nic ly from kind of Hill to toe Than I think you do in the glycerin 21 Now and that's you know the glycerin Max Is a heavier shoe for me when I've kind Of Wade my UK size eights but I haven't Really noticed the huge weight Difference between the two shoes when I've been out on them I think that's Really down to the fact that you know The enjoyment of the ride in the Glycerin Max just feels more provent I Think ultimately as I said I probably Would use it for slightly quicker Running but ultimately I still would be Using for those kind of easy recovery Runs where you know Comfort protection Are those priorities in terms terms of Kind of other things I mean outside wise I think ultimately you are probably
Getting a little bit more rubber on the Glycerin 21 there's not a huge amount in It but I think ultimately you probably Going to get a bit more protection There's exposed areas in both of these Outsoles but I think you know in terms Of being shoes that you know are going To last a long time give you a lot of Mileage out of them I think that there They're both going to kind of be kind of Suit and kind of fit that profile I do Think maybe the G 21 has a little bit More rubber there to maybe give you a Bit more protection um and gripping wise It's there not been a huge mount in it And I've run in Rainer conditions in Both of these shoes so yeah I think for Me both very good cushioned shoes I Would use for similar runs I definitely Think there's one that I would grab over The other and having now tested both of Them um which I'll get into in my Verdict so I've just done my side by Side mile I had the Brooks Glycerin 21 On the right foot I had the Brooks Glycerin Max on the left foot one of the Funniest things I thought these were Going to be really difficult to run in Side by side like that but actually the Difference wasn't as pronounced as I had Expected overall and I was able to run Fairly freely now I think a lot of that Is down to when you put those side by Side you realize just how much control
There is I think in the glycerin Max for Such a big stack shoe that stiffer out Sole sort of counterbalanced a little Bit that big massive stack so they are Cushion but you don't feel wobbly you Don't feel out of control I think the High stack feels broad enough and Balanced enough obviously Brooks known For its stability known for reliability Of the platform you're going to run off And you know you expect that from a Glycerin you're getting that absolutely As well from the glycerin m which if you Want a bigger stack and you want a bit More cushioning uh that's going to sort Of counterbalance that I guess some People raise the question about whether Or not you know the reason why you would Buy a Big Mac stack shoe would be to Have more of that sort of really soft Pillowy cushion and you don't really Notice that there's that much more Cushion and Road protection in the max Than the glycerin 21 the glycerin 21 Feels lighter on the foot it feels a bit More agile bit more energetic perhaps um But we're talking about sort of small Margins between these two shoes what's Really interesting is I think you could Probably do similar runs in both of These shoes cin 21 can certainly offer The cushion and comfort to go low and Slow and longer can also be a little bit More uptempo the glycerin Max you would
Think easy day shoe for sure nice Comfort slow easy runs just because of The weight on the foot I think it can Match the glycerin 21 probably for some Of those higher paced runs but up to Mid-range I'd say sort of mid Pace Beyond that you're probably not going to Want to have the weight on the foot but Yeah the big shock for me there from Doing the side by side was just how they Weren't as different as I thought they Would be in terms of the ride bit Flatter in the glycerin 21 uh it's Obviously a bit lighter on the foot There's great airiness in both the shoes They've both got kind of plush sort of Long run Comfort but yeah the big Surprise for me doing that side by side Is just how I thought there' be a much More marked difference in the overall Kind of ride and what you're getting Back from the midsole so I think it Raises two questions one it means that You know it could be looked at as a Positive because the glycerin Max can do Much of what the glycerin one can do Equally you might be thinking okay I Don't need to go glycerin Max with that Massive stack if I could just get the Same cushion comfort but with a bit more Range and versatility from the glycerin 21 and get it at a cheaper price so it's Going to be two ways of looking at I Think depending on what your priorities
[Music] Are comes to the verdict on the shoes Here like you got your kind of classic Brooks daily trainer here in the Glycerin 21 which I think does a really Good job of everything and I think the Glycerin Max is just a small upgrade Because I prefer the ride of the shoe Prefer the Extra Protection you get from The foam under f it feels very smooth it Feels really good especially over those Long distances and while the glycerin One does feel a bit nimbler and lighter I'd say they're both kind of equally Verstile which is to say not that Verstile they're very much shoes that I Think are geared up for comfort and you Just get a bit more of that from the Glycerin Max you also have to pay a bit More to get that feeling and I would say That the glycerin 21 is still a very Good shoe that would work very well for All the runs I would be doing in the Glycerin Mac so if you are seeing it in A sale in particular at a lower price I Wouldn't to get the glycerin 21 but that High drop is not something that everyone Is always looking for these days but Even though it is a high drop shoot like I do feel it has quite a smooth ride It's it's just not a smooth as the Really rocked and kind of lower drop Glycerin Max so yeah overall I do prefer The feel of the glycerin Max I prefer
The fit around the heel I prefer it for Long runs in particular because of the Extra Comfort under the for foot but the Glycerin 21 is still a great shoe one That I really like and yeah I wouldn't Necessarily paying a huge amount more to Get the glycerin Max over the glycerin 21 if if you are you stayed away from The glycerin line in the past because of The high drop but like the sound of the Features on it you know you've got that Comfortable foam that's still quite Stable it's not really soft and Squishy You gives you a little bit back and you Know a nice balanced platform underneath Getting all of that with the glycerin Max now in a large drop design with a More of a rocker and it might suit you a Bit better so yeah I do prefer the Glycerin Max but yeah I wouldn't pay a Huge amount more to get it over the Glycerin 21 okay my V on these two shoes Uh pretty easy one I'm going to go for The glycerin uh Max all the way I just Think the midsole is just a bit more Exciting there's a bit Ren in it there's A bit more softness to it uh I like the Rocker in it it's just for me it's all Around much better shoe now having said That the glycerin 21 that I'm not saying That's a bad shoe by any stret of the Imagination it is a fantastic shoe still Very very good accessible daily cushion Shoe that you can use for uh a lot of
Your daily sessions where that's easy All the way up to picking up the pce a Little bit it's not the most versatile Shoe in the world um but it is still a Very good shoe and especially for um More General Runners and beginners you Want something that's really stable Really solid um it's a great option for That uh the glycerin Max still very Stable um but just has a little bit more To that mid cell phone so for me my Starty of running I like soft bouncy Shoes it's not the bounciest shoe in the World but it does have more bounce than The glycerin 21 so I'm going for the Glycerin Max all the way verdict for me And I think this one's basically going To come down to price for me and Versatility those two things which I Think equates to value for me I probably Much prefer the slightly lower stack Slightly more agile slightly more rangy In terms of the paces that it will cope For Ride of the Brooks Glycerin 21 I put The glycerin Max into my best pick of The easy day shoes though I do love the Way that it offers nice cushion comfort But without being too soft I like the Way it looks I like the upper feels There's lots of room and all of that Kind of stuff and I probably like if I Was going just for a really sort of slow Shoe really easy sort of slow day Recovery run shoe maybe I would go
Brooks Max over it if you want a shoe That can just handle a bit more I think The Brooks Glycerin 21 Shades it in Terms of its range and Versatility and again if you don't want To be sat on top of a big old stack and You want to get this sort of cushion Protection with a bit of sort of up Paace potential then the glycerin Max is Going to deliver that it's obviously Cheaper I'm going to be fascinated to See what happens when we get the Glycerin 22 and if we see some of the Technology roll down through the shoes And how that might sort of perform in a In a slightly lower stack because I Think the DNA tuned foam feels really Nice um if you could bring a bit more Energy to it on a lower stack that might Be make the glycerin 22 a really Exciting shoe we will see but um yeah Overall I think if it came down to Choice if I could only pick one shoe for Me out of these two I think just for Value think I'm going to go glycerin 21 Though I do really like the glycerin Max As a shoe and I think it's quite an Exciting sort of shift in what um Brooks Is Fring in its rain so my vot on Whether you should go for the Brooks Glycerin Max or the Brooks Glycerin 21 now what I would say is obviously Keeping in mind that the glycerin 21 is Cheaper than the glycerin Max I think
Ultimately what it boils down to for me Is how I've used these shoes you know Kind of post the reviews that we've done I think ultimately the way I feel about Things is that I felt more compelled to Go out and spend more time in the glit Max and I put that down to ultimately Just the ride being a little bit more Enjoyable I think you know I would still Uses two shoes for the same types of Runs I don't think they're hugely Versatile for me but in terms of being More live enjoyable shoes um to running Or which one is the more enjoyable shoe To run in I think ultimately it's for me Is the glycerin Max and a lot is down to The fact you're getting that kind of new Phone which I think coupled with the Rocker you know the experience just Feels a lot more enjoyable overall I Think the Gan 21 is absolutely a solid Shoe as well too and a solid glycerin I Just think ultimately as I said I look At how I've used these shoes I've wanted To use these shoes after the kind of Review you know I haven't you know Grabbed to the Gin 21 that much over Other kind of kind of Big Max cushion Shoes which I would use for easy and Recovery style runs which I would use Both of these shoes for ultimately so Obviously you are paying a little bit More for the glycerin Max I do think It's going to give you more polished
Experience and if you are looking or do Like the glycerin and wondering oh you Know I would like this shoe but I'd like A little bit more kind of fun in that Kind of overall riding experience I Think that would be the reason to go for The glycerin Max I think from a Durability point of view I think you're Probably going to get a little bit more From the glycerin 21 overall um but yeah I don't think it's huge amount in it the DNA L V3 foam in here still very good It's still going to give you a very good Experience from a brck shoe I just think For me personally I prefer spending more Time in the glycerin Max and that's one I would be going for okay so there have It that is our take on how the Brooks Glycerin Max compares to the glycerin 21 Now if you got any questions about this Video or these two shoes or other shoes You want to see either the glycerin Max Or the glycerin 21 compared to do let us Know in the comments below as always Like And subscribe hit that little bell To find out about our latest videos and Yeah we'll see you for the next round Test this video [Music]
