Brooks Glycerin 22 Review
By David Salas
Brooks Glycerin 22Price: $164.95 at Running Warehouse
Weight: 10.2 oz, 289g (men's size 9), 9.1 oz, 258g (women's size 8)
Stack Height: 39 mm heel / 29 mm forefoot
Drop: 10 mm
Shoe Purpose: Daily Training, Premium Trainer
Pros: Well balanced training shoe for daily efforts, plenty of cushioning underfoot for long efforts, upper security is good.
Cons: Stiff heel for those sensitive to that. More responsive forefoot, but not enough to make up the difference for faster efforts
RUNNING SHOE SUMMARY
The Brooks Glycerin is a neutral daily training shoe in the "premium" category. The Glycerin aims at providing a large amount of cushioning underfoot and a plush experience. The Glycerin 22 has a big update in foam with a move to DNA Tuned, a nitrogen infused midsole. The foam uses both large and small cell formula to provide a more plush experience in the heel, and a more responsive experience in the forefoot. The Glycerin still maintains a familiar stack height and geometric profile, and is a pleasant continuation of the shoe lineage.
SIMILAR SHOES: Nike Vomero 18, ASICS Gel-Nimbus 27
PAST MODEL: Brooks Glycerin 21
FIT
(To learn how a shoe should fit, check out our full podcast on fit by Matt Klein.)
David: The Brooks Glycerin 22 fits true to size in my Men's 9.5. The fit is pretty well dialed in throughout. The heel and midfoot have a good hold and maintain a normal width, with a more spacious forefoot than previous models. The shoe has a good amount of volume through the forefoot, but this does taper into the midfoot. The upper is on the plush side, but does not like it runs overly warm. They do a nice balance of having comfortable materials, while still being breathable. The heel does have a pretty stiff heel counter that probably won't be for everyone, but it is padded and holds the structure of the area really well. The tongue is padded really well and I did have any issues with biting from the laces. The lockdown throughout the shoe is also really good. I had no issues with foot translation or heel slippage. This is one of the best fitting uppers that I have tried from Brooks so far, and I don't have any major changes that I would like to see at this time.
David's Typical Size: Men's US Size 9.5
Shoes that have fit David well: Nike Vomero 17, Saucony Ride 16, Puma Velocity Nitro 3
Shoes that have fit snug: HOKA Arahi 7
Shoes that have fit large: Salomon Aero Glide
Compared to GTS 22, Bach: I found the Glycerin 22 to be fairly similar fit to David. The shoe has a little bit more volume and a slightly better fit than it's GTS 22 counterpart. It feels more fitted throughout in a good way. Those who have wider feet will definitely want to seek their wide models first.
Doctors of Running Checklist
Is This a Good Shoe for Walking: Yes
Is This a Good Shoe for Standing: Yes
Is the Forefoot Flexible: Somewhat
How Flexible is the Shoe: Mild to moderate
Is This a Good Heel Bevel: Somewhat
Recommended for Haglunds: No
Recommended for Sockless: No
Durability Expectation: Average
PERFORMANCE
David: The Brooks Glycerin 22 was a pleasant surprise. I did enjoy the 21, but it did not feel like it transcended the "premium" price tag for me in the midsole. That does change in the Glycerin 22. The new DNA Tuned midsole is really nice and provides a more plush experience underfoot without feeling unstable. Brooks played around with difference cell sizes for the foam to deliver a targeted experience in different regions of the shoe. They used larger cell DNA Tuned in the heel to have more compliancy and a soft feeling, with smaller cell foam in the forefoot to provide a more responsive and snappy feel. I do feel that this comes across. With the weight of the shoe being at 10.2 ounces, this will still lean towards daily training. The geometry of the shoe follows a familiar high drop feel to it. The shoe does not have a dramatic rocker, but has some modest rounding. The forefoot is mild to moderately flexible under load. There are some gentle sidewalls through the midfoot, though they are not majorly noticeable. The shoe does have a good amount of sole flaring around it and does feel stable from a platform standpoint. In a lot of ways, this feels like what I wanted previous versions of the Brooks Glycerin to feel like. I like the more plush heel and slightly firmer forefoot. I do think the heel could probably be rounded a touch more to ease the transition at initial contact, but I am otherwise very happy with the ride.
STABILITY
(Learn more about stability in our full guide)
David: Despite being a neutral shoe, the Brooks Glycerin 22 runs pretty stable throughout. The shoe uses a lot of sole flaring and has a very trustworthy platform underfoot. The upper locks down really well and keeps you on that platform sturdy. The outsole traction underfoot is pretty good in most situations. There are some gentle sidewalls, but I am not sure those do much in their current capacity and shaping. The heel has a very sturdy construction with its heel counter and bucket like feel at step in. The foam in the heel is on the softer end, but the rest of the shoe stabilizes the ride pretty well.
Compared to GTS 22, Bach: The Glycerin 22 felt stable for me as well. The shoe is just a little bit softer and more flexible than the GTS 22, making it still a fairly neutral shoe. Like many high cushion shoes today, this one has a solidly wide base and some sole flaring which might make it enough stability for many. Those who really like a firmer ride and strong medial support will want to check out the Glycerin GTS 22. I personally found the Glycerin 22 ultimately better for me than the GTS 22 because of the overall fit of the shoe was much improved for my foot and the stability here being just enough to support my flat feet needs.
Thoughts as a DPT: Playing with Foams
By David Salas
Over the last few years, companies are playing with foam compounds more and more. Most of the press has been around compliant and responsive "super foams" that we are seeing in racing models. The daily training market has not seen quite as much buzz with this, but at Brooks we are seeing an active effort to have a premium foam for both. DNA Tuned is a nitrogen infused midsole that was first debuted in the Glycerin Max. The first iteration of the foam was incredibly soft and compliant, with a surprising amount of rebound. Brooks credits this to having both large and small cell variances of the same foam in the same shoe. In the Glycerin 22, the larger cell foam variants are in the heel, with smaller cell foam variants in the forefoot. The goal is to have a soft and compliant rearfoot, with a more responsive and snappy forefoot. Should companies be doing this?
RECOMMENDATIONS
David: I really enjoyed my time in the Brooks Glycerin 22, though I do have some small suggestions. I really enjoyed the ride of the Glycerin 22, but I do think the heel would benefit from a little more rounding and bevel to ease initial contact. I still got a small bump sensation in that area when landing, but the rest of the ride is smooth. The other would be to make for a more plush heel area. There is some padding on the heel counter, but that region is pretty stiff. For me it does not provide any irritation, but I could see that affecting someone in a way that puts unwanted pressure into the calcaneus.
WHO IS THIS SHOE FOR?
David: The Brooks Glycerin 22 is a daily training shoe that is for someone that is looking to have a traditional high drop trainer experience, with a little more compliancy in the foam. The DNA Tuned midsole is softer than previous versions and gives you a midsole compliancy that you don't see in the high drop market much. The shoe does not have a dramatic rocker geometry, and should agree with most people that like non-rockered designs. The Glycerin 22 will be best as a daily training workhorse and long run shoe for most. Those needing a little more stability with sidewalls can check out the Glycerin GTS 22 model.
GRADES
David
Fit: A- (Very fluid fit with good lockdown and space in the forefoot. Heel counter may be aggressive for some.)
Performance: A- (Great at daily training paces and efforts. Heel is more cushioned and forefoot is more responsive than previous models. Heel bevel could be improved slightly.)
Stability: B+/A- (Good stability through the heel and forefoot. Midfoot has a small sidewall, but it does not seem like it does much. Good traction. Softer foam takes away some stability in the rearfoot.)
Value: A (I don't really see this thing dying anytime soon. You should get your money's worth.)
Personal: A- (One of my favorite daily training shoes this year. I just wish the heel had a touch more rounding.)
Overall Design: A-
SHOP | SUPPORT DORBrooks Glycerin 22Price: $164.95 at Running Warehouse
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FURTHER READING
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