In early September, an Instagram post by Brooks teased a future shoe release of 'endless energy'. More signs of an imminent product drop soon followed; on their podcast best Brooks running shoes for 2024, hosts Des Linden and Kara Goucher, American long distance runners, said they received a mysterious box with a lock that wouldn’t open until September 17 — the day the Glycerin Max was announced.
It’s been a couple of weeks since the Glycerin Max’s official release on October 5, and while we don’t have feedback yet from our full wear test team, we already have a few things to say about the brand’s plushest, boldest-looking shoe yet.
| Weight | 297.7g (M), 269.3g (W) |
|---|---|
| Stack height | 42.25mm (heel), 39.25mm (forefoot) |
| Drop | 6mm |
| Type | Road |
- Best for: Runners looking for a max-cushioned shoe with a bouncy, super foam ride
- For runners who like: GlideRoll rocker, 45mm stack height
- Midsole foam: DNA Tuned, nitrogen-infused foam with dual-size cell tech
- Key tech: Runners looking for a max-cushioned shoe with a bouncy, super foam ride
The shoe
Before I talk about the Glycerin Max, I first have to circle back to the standard version, which has undergone a slow transformation from max-cushioned recovery shoe to daily trainer. Some runners, including me, have embraced the new versatile Glycerin, which is supportively soft yet lightweight enough for all kinds of workouts. Others bemoan what the shoe has become and lament what it once was. The Glycerin Max was made for these runners — and everyone else who appreciates a brand that’s upped the ante on a smooth, bouncy ride. The shoe introduces a newly formulated midsole foam, nitrogen-infused DNA Tuned.
DNA Tuned
Nitrogen-infused foam goes through a supercritical foaming process where gas is injected into the foam, resulting in a lighter, softer, more responsive ride. This technique isn’t a new innovation; Brooks started infusing their foams back in 2020 when the Hyperion Tempo dropped with DNA Flash foam. The Glycerin 21’s midsole was recently updated with nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3 foam, and this year’s Hyperion 2 (a descendent of the Hyperion Tempo) showed off a speedier ride with DNA Flash v2. DNA Tuned presents a new element in Brooks’s foam formula: dual-cell technology.
'We created DNA Tuned which is really the engine of the shoe,' said Carson Caprara, Brooks senior vice president of footwear, on a video call. 'It’s a breakthrough in terms of foaming technology in that it’s allowing us to create different cell structures in the foam in the same process.'
At 45mm thick, the shoe has a towering stack height. This mattress-of-a-midsole harbours larger cells in the heel and smaller cells in the forefoot to provide what Caprara describes as 'dampening cushioning' to soften landings, as well as a springboard to promote a responsive toe-off. These cells also help to reduce weight, despite that gargantuan slab of foam. It’s that hefty thickness that some runners missed in the Glycerin, but its bounce matches the rebound of the Hoka Mach X 2, another high-cushioned trainer with trampoline-like energy return.
Caprara explained how the Glycerin Max’s midsole eliminates use of the seams, layers, and glue, which is usually used in advanced footwear.
'As you get higher, you start to feel like you either have to put a plate in it to make it feel fast or you just have to sort of be resigned to the fact that it’s only going to work for super easy days,' he said. 'And even then it takes a lot of energy because you’re just kind of not getting any out of it. It feels better on the joints but it’s not much fun to run in. And that’s what we wanted to solve.'
Brooks Glycerin Max: First impressions
My first run in the Glycerin Max was supposed to be a steady recovery run, a somewhat lazy, thoughtless trek around my usual neighbourhood loop. I had this mindset before my run because of how the shoes looked (that stack height adds almost two inches to my five-foot frame), how they felt (like firm pillows under my feet), and what Caprara said they’re intended for: easy recovery runs with a foam that will help you get in the zone. I must have misinterpreted what Caprara meant by 'the zone'; what I expected as chill, effortless zen pace, ended up being a jaunty, fast, 'maybe I could go race-pace in these skyscraper-high shoes.'
One thing I noticed is that when I'm walking around in these shoes, I have to be mindful to pick up my feet; the height causes me to scuff the soles. However, this isn't an issue running in the Glycerin Max — and I think that’s because of the GlideRoll rocker. The geometry works with the low 5mm offset, evenly distributing energy return not just in the heel but also throughout the shoe, causing that bounce during ground contact while running (and preventing me from tripping).
The inception of nitrogen-infused DNA Flash four years ago marked a turning point for the brand. There’s no question DNA Tuned — DNA Flash on steroids — ushers in a new era we’ll see with other Brooks shoes.
'I think in some ways it foreshadows the future for us,' said Caprara. 'We believe smart foams will be the next era. Now that we can go in and actually manipulate cells at different parts of the shoe the way we want to, that allows us to have a lot more versatility with the foam for different usages, and it allows that foam to deliver different benefits with the same shoe.'
The Glycerin 22 is set to be tuned up in spring 2025. We expect other Brooks models — of the speedier sort — will follow suit.
