Brooks Women's Glycerin 19 Running Shoe

Product Information

Brooks got the comfort and luxury concept right with this shoe. As the opening line states, those who crave comfort will likely be pleased with this shoe. I’ve never ever thought of the Glycerin as a super soft ride. It’s always been one of the firmest max-cushioned trainers. A big difference between the two shoes is the flex grooves carved into the outsole. The grooves on the Glycerin 17 created channels that ran horizontally across most of the forefoot. But the Glycerin 18 shortened the channels and reduced the number of them from six to five. The Glycerin is a daily trainer, and for an experienced runner, the ride will feel a little bit slow on faster runs. However, the Glycerin has a more adaptive and snappy ride than other shoes with its level of cushion. The rubber outsole protects the midsole, and the lugs provide reliable traction for controlled movements on surfaces.

The big differences are that the Ghost has a combination of DNA Loft and BioMogo in its midsole while the Glycerin has a full DNA Loft midsole and the Glycerin has a softer, more comfortable upper than the Ghost. ADRIENNE: With this iteration, Brooks appears to be heading in a decent direction. Those who are fans of previous Glycerin models will likely be fans of this one as well. The 18 is lighter, weighing in at 9.0 oz for my size 9. It may not be a spectacle, ride-wise, but the cushioning is reliable, consistent, and the shoe doesn’t feel heavy on the foot or in the hand. The upper and shifts in midsole-outsole ratio are likely the reason why. The best running shoes make sure your feet keep up with your running ambitions. Find the most comfortable running shoes made for how you race -- with support to help you reach each mile marker. The Glycerin shoe collection is road running shoes designed to keep that fresh-footed feeling as you pound the pavement. The new, softer upper flexes with the foot better and feels even less constraining while on the run. And they were able to cut down on the weight of the shoe by using more of the DNA Loft foam in this design.The Glycerin 19 rides smooth, really smooth. It’s one of the smoothest-riding, max-cushioned trainers on the market due to its single density midsole and its outsole configuration. The tongue is soft and comfortable, and doesn’t move around much during runs. And one of the most pleasant surprises was the shoelaces. Yes, the shoelaces. The downside is that the rubber wears down faster than the norm. On my pair, on the outer lateral heel area, the rubber has already worn down 2-3mm so I expect to reach midsole foam by the time I hit 300 kilometres which is not ideal. As a shoe reviewer, I never have a chance to wear out my shoes; there are always barely used shoes laying around, but I couldn’t take my feet out of this pair. The Glycerin 14s and 15s had too firm of a midsole.

The BioMoGo part of BioMoGo DNA means that in an anaerobic landfill, the midsole will decompose within 20 years, compared to the thousands of years that it takes other midsole materials to decompose. The Glycerin also shines in transition. Heel strikers and midfoot strikes alike will find an easy transition from landing to toe off thanks to the smooth-ride foam and flexible feel. Even with the smaller grooves, though, Brooks says there wasn’t any perceived loss of smoothness in the ride.Designed for neutral pronators, it comes in a variety of colourways to choose from and is suitable for daily runs as well as longer distances, including marathons. Upper

There’s a reason the Glycerins are working on their 18th iteration. It’s because they are a superior product, and they hold up with each update. The place where Brooks put most of their attention is in a slightly updated upper. Although the look of the upper is very similar to last year, Brooks changed the mesh materials to use a double jacquard mesh. The redesigned mesh upper sports fewer overlays, and the sidewall pattern of the midsole is slightly different. Neither of those changes affect the overall ride. Brooks Glycerin 19 was designed to have all the comfort of its predecessor, the ultra-cushioned Brooks Ghost, but with a lighter weight and higher energy return. Through its DNA LOFT cushioning, this running shoe is built for smooth heel to toe transitions and its rounded heel offers better support and alignment to protect the joints.

What You Need To Know

Heavier runners and lighter runners alike will enjoy the Glycerin 18. The Glycerin works best as a daily road running shoe, but can really handle anything if you push it. The Glycerin has been using the same DNA Loft midsole foam for the past 4 versions with very subtle changes in midsole foam density in each version. Natural movement of the foot is enhanced with the flex grooves that support runners through their gait cycle and keep heel-to-toe transitions smooth as ever. As I said in the introduction, I put 5000 miles into a previous model of the Glycerin. Was that a good idea? No, but this does speak to the durability of the shoe.