Brooks Glycerin Max 2 Review | Why Distance Runners Love this Ultra-Cushioned Trainer

Our review of the max cushion Brooks Glycerin Max 2.

Giving the feeling of fresh legs without sinking into the shoe with each step, it’s a go-to for easy runs. But keep in mind it’s also a shoe that needs time in between runs to recover and feel plush again.

We’ve seen how the first Brooks Glycerin Max lived up to its hype – it got so much love. While the Glycerin Max 2 didn’t get the similar anticipation we’re still sure it’s going to be one that draws in runners. Let’s checkout what’s changed and what you need to know before buying.

Brooks Glycerin Max 2 Overview

When Brooks says “stacked to the max,” they mean it! This shoe sits at 45 mm in the heel, has a 6mm drop, with the forefoot at 39 mm, same as the first Glycerin Max.

Since the original version dropped, max cushion shoes have become more and more popular, so it wasn’t a shock to open the box and see it – we knew what to expect – but the sleeker design of the midsole was a pleasant surprise.

The way the Nitrogen-infused DNA TUNED foam is built – one layer with big cells in the heel and small ones in the forefoot – allows the shoe to absorb each landing, uses the GlideRoll rocker to match a step’s natural forward motion, then the small cells in the front aim to give a quick bounce up and forward feel.

For me, this kept the natural momentum of picking up my feet, even if it doesn’t provide much forward propulsion (because again, propulsion isn’t the main goal with this shoe).

It’s more like smooth transitions, instead of powerful toe-offs.

Something I loved is how my feet didn’t sink too much into the insole with each step. (For comparison, if you’ve worn recent versions of the Asics Gel-Nimbus, that’s a shoe that I feel I sink down a bit more.) As I wore it more, the inside did soften and my foot sunk in deeper – still not as much as other max cushion shoes.I think it’s important to note that this shoe might feel different depending on your foot strike – whether you land more on your heel, midfoot, or forefoot. A forefoot striker might feel that GlideRoll rocker and powerful toe-off a bit more, since they land a bit more forward on their feet and where the shoe’s curve up begins.

The Glycerin Max 2 is on the heavier side, like its predecessor, but that’s not something I noticed while wearing it! It’s such a great pair of trainers for easy runs, you won’t feel the weight of the shoe dragging your feet. It does feel like a lot when doing speed intervals, but that’s not what the shoe was designed for, anyway.

I’ve run short recovery runs of about 4 miles and long runs of up to 15 miles in them (strides at the end and some shorter speed intervals), and in just two weeks I’ve totaled over 40 miles in them. While I didn’t love to pick up the pace in these, I finished every single run feeling like my legs could keep going.

Coach Amanda: I’ve put in 4 to 5 easy run days in these already and can tell you they are going in my consistent rotation. It takes a lot for a shoe to enter that realm, but from the first mile these felt great.

Absolutely not designed to be fast, they are just a shoe that feels really comfortable for easy efforts. I’d probably cap my runs in them around 10 miles and go for something else lighter with longer days, but that’s not to say they wouldn’t work for all the way up to the marathon distance.

The looks are definitely an improvement to the already-loved Glycerin Max.

I love a neutral-colored shoe with a slight pop of color in the details, and Brooks did a great job making these wearable with any outfit – a shoe you can just reach for and put on without thinking about what you’re wearing first! One men’s color available is a bright orange, but all three women’s colors are neutral.

While it keeps that big, bulky shoe look from the first version, the Glycerin Max 2 manages to look quite a bit sleeker. The midsole design of the color portion tapering forward and upward definitely helps with this!

Brooks Glycerin Max 2 Fit

Normal size for Brooks and other brands, no need to size up or down for length.

It’s roomy in the toebox without it being too wide, and the tongue has some cushion but sits flush on top of your foot without poking out on top of the laces.

The heel tab is more rigid than most other shoes and it creates a narrow-looking heel space, but what it does is provide great heel lock. This hasn’t changed from the first version.

This is probably one of my favorite heel lock feels of any shoe – yay! It secures your foot but it doesn’t restrict it. The upper has some cushion on the inside of the heel and ankle areas that is a great combination for allowing movement while keeping your foot in place.

The heel tab makes this an easy shoe to put on, and while the laces don’t have any visible grip technology on it, it does stay securely tied.

I always notice this with Brooks shoes, but the laces aren’t super long. They worked just fine with a double knot, but anything more intricate would need different, longer laces.

There is plenty of room side to side in the toebox, although it seems a tiny bit smaller than the original Glycerin Max, and the top of my toes did rub on the upper at first. I was worried about having that constant rubbing or pressure during my runs, but no issues there.

I do usually prefer thinner socks for running, so keep that in mind the possible toebox area if you go for thicker socks.

Another feature I loved was the tongue. It has just enough padding to sit comfortably on your foot, but not too much that it pushes out through the laces. Brooks adjusted the shape of the top of the tongue and it added to the sleeker look as well.

Glycerin Max 2 Vs Original

Similar to the first model, the Glycerin Max 2 is a shoe that makes me want to keep running – the type of run where I want to let my mind wander, soak in the sunshine, or listen to an entire audiobook. It made my legs feel fresh on days where I normally would’ve dragged on those recovery runs.

Its biggest difference from the original is that you don’t sink as deeply into the insole and midsole with each step.

This is a feature I personally like, because while the cushion is still there, I don’t feel like I lose too much of my energy sinking down to then push off again.The treads are very similar to the original Glycerin Max, and the midsole – one large layer of Nitrogen-infused DNA TUNED foam – is decently exposed. I’ve already noticed some wear on mine, but this will vary from person to person depending on foot strike.

I also loved the name “Glycerin Max 2” off-center and smaller on the tongue – a big change from Brooks’ signature design down the center of the tongue. There is also a tiny Brooks logo under the ankle on the inner part of the shoe. These are the small changes that made the shoe more for everyday wear to me.

I love the more accentuated GlideRoll rocker, although in such a max cushion shoe it’s more for the seamless heel-to-toe transition than for powerful toe-offs. I didn’t necessarily feel the rocker when running, like I do in some race day shoes (Asics MetaSpeed or Nike Alphafly, for example) – and that’s okay because the purpose of this shoe isn’t racing or speed.

Brooks Glycerin Max 2 Feel

The shoe is a stable ride even with the stack height, same as the first version.

It’s chunky and you get that max cushion, but it doesn’t feel fluffy like stepping on marshmallows.

While the original Glycerin Max still wasn’t the most marshmallow-y shoe, this one is even less. Some people won’t love the less cushy feeling, but I think it was a good change to make the shoe what I think Brooks wants it to be – a more responsive max cushion shoe.

My ankles were happy for all the miles. They’re secure in the shoe, but still have some room to adjust as you run.

The upper feels like a cozy embrace – but I can also see that being a bit warm in the peak summer months.

Something to keep in mind: the midsole does need to recover in between runs, in my opinion. When I wore these two days in a row, I did feel less of that effortless transition.  The cushion was there but the responsiveness was very low.

So if you’re building a base with mostly easy effort miles and love these, I’d suggest snagging two pairs to alternate – although the price might be on the higher end of what most people want to spend with one shoe, let alone two.

Overall, I do love this shoe and will keep reaching for it on easy days and recovery runs. On any days where my legs feel tired, these will be the shoes I’ll put on.

Similar Shoes to the Brooks Glycerin Max 2

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