I’ll be the first to admit that I had gotten a bit gratuitous with my use of carbon-plated shoes.

Ever since lacing up my first pair of “super trainers” last year, I was reluctant to go back to anything unplated in my marathon shoe rotation. But then I fractured my ankle this spring, and suddenly I was on the hunt for a high cushioned recovery and long run shoe that wasn’t too harsh on my injured joint.

Enter the Glycerin Max.

If the Ghost Max brought stiff yet crowd pleasing high cushioning to the Brooks lineup last year, the Glycerin Max builds on the shoe’s success with a softer, more responsive technology that will leave the most sensitive of feet feeling happy. Leveraging a new “DNA Tuned” technology in the midsole, the shoes manage to strike a nice balance between soft and responsive, meaning you’re not completely sacrificing the ability to pick up the pace in the name of feeling like you’re walking on clouds.

First Fit Impressions

As someone who is constantly drifting between women’s regular (B) and wide (D) width shoes, I love that Brooks has stayed consistent with the fit of this shoe, sporting a spacious toebox and midfoot while maintaining a secure, fitted heel. As has been my experience with other Brooks shoes, I needed to go a half size up from my regular shoe size to maintain a nice bit of space between my toes and the end of the shoe. 

But this is where the similarities with other Brooks shoes end.

The shoe’s upper material feels thick, airy, and soft, and the tongue screams “luxury”, with a thick, padded feeling that pairs well with the premium cord laces and padded heel counter. Standing in the shoes, you can’t help but notice the dramatic stack height in the heel, reaching a whopping 45mm, or 5mm higher than the World Athletics stack height restrictions! The GlideRoll rocker geometry is hard to miss as you shift your bodyweight forward and backward, but the shoe’s base feels wide and secure, setting it apart from other ultra soft cushioned shoes that I have tried in the past.

Taking Them for a Spin

I thought the best first test for this recovery shoe candidate would be to take it out on a morning when I was feeling extremely sore from a bike workout and long day on my feet at work the day before. As I set out on the uphill start to my 45 minute run, I couldn’t help but think, “whoa, these are not doing me any favours through this first little climb.” The plush heel foam had me feeling like I was sinking back into my heels, making the shoes feel all the more heavy through the first few minutes of the run. Despite the slow start, my knees, back, and ankles all stayed happy as I had hoped.

As I got deeper into the run and had some flatter and downhill segments ahead of me, the shoes really began to shine.

I could feel their rockered geometry launching me forward into more effortless, bounding strides, giving me excellent feedback with each footfall and even jolting me forward when I was slowing down after reaching a bit too hot of a pace on one of the segments. As someone who fluctuates temperatures pretty quickly while on a run, my only tiny gripe would be that I found the upper mesh to be a bit hot during my longer test run in the shoes.

Throughout my first couple of hours running in the shoes, I really appreciated their constant stability, which I feel is lacking in some of the other plusher, non-plated competitors currently in the market. It can be rare to find a good combination of responsive “pop” in a shoe and cushioning without the addition of a carbon plate. The nitrogen-infused, dual-sized cells that are unique to the Glycerin Max’s cushioning system definitely have me convinced that there is something special to the latest formula Brooks has cooked up! 

Key Takeaways

After a little over 20km in the Glycerin Maxes, I am happy to say that I may have finally found the perfect unplated recovery and even mid-to-long-run shoe candidate. I could see myself reaching for these on both days when I’m feeling pretty sore after a hard workout and when I’m heading out to do longer race pace intervals or fartleks to take advantage of the springy responsiveness of the DNA Tuned foam. I like that the cushioning remains pretty substantial under the forefoot of the shoe, as well, meaning that my metatarsal and the whole underside of my foot feel super fresh and supported, even after a longer time on my feet. 

When would I recommend leaving this model on the shoe rack? They won’t fare the best in a track workout, crowded 5k race, or in a setting where you need to be agile and make a lot of quick turns. While the stability of the shoes was noticeably better than other shoes of similar softness, I still needed to take slower, wider turns when I was rounding a corner, especially with my ankle’s unpredictability. I would also opt for lighter, more responsive shoes if I were taking on some hill repeats, as I’m not sure I could get over the draining feeling of sinking back into my heels over several challenging reps. 

All things considered, the Glycerin Max may just be your Goldilocks solution if you’ve found yourself unsatisfied with the other max cushioned shoes that have been on the market to date.

This new model offers a competitive and comfortable alternative to some of the stiffer and less supportive recovery shoes that are currently available, while maintaining that unbeatable Brooks fit that gives generous toebox space without sacrificing a snug fit at the heel. The high price tag that comes with the Glycerin Max as a non-plated shoe may turn some runners away, though marathoners and longer endurance race runners will likely agree the shoe is well worth its cost.

Specs

Midsole drop
Stack Height/Drop 45 mm in heel, 39 mm in forefoot (6 mm drop)

Weight
10.5 oz. (297 g) for a US M9 / 9.5 oz. (269 g) for a US W7.5

If you want to come try on these shoes we have some awesome shoe fitters you can visit in store, or you can buy them online.