Brooks Glycerin Max 3 Review

The Brooks Glycerin Max 3 is Brooks’ most cushioned neutral road running shoe. Designed for easy runs and longer runs, the high level of cushioning and rocker profile take away some of the impact and stress of running. This can make easier days feel less demanding, leaving you fresher to tackle more challenging training.

The third version of the Glycerin Max oozes comfort, as you would expect from a running shoe that belongs to the Brooks Glycerin family. The Brooks Glycerin has been Brooks’ most luxurious and softly cushioned neutral road running shoe for over 20 years. The Max version of the Glycerin brings not only a soft level of cushioning but also adds a rocker/curved-shaped midsole. This helps to carry the runner’s foot through the gait cycle from impact to toe-off. This can help to maintain a higher cadence, keeping the runner more upright and helping to prevent easy days from becoming a slow plod with poor form, therefore reinforcing bad habits. Instead, the Brooks Glycerin Max 3 carries the runner along, making tired, stiff-legged days feel a bit more pleasant.

The heel cup is firm to give a high level of support and hold the heel in place above the thick midsole. The heel cup and cuff are nicely padded. The tongue also has a nice level of cushioning but isn’t too bulky, which allows it to mould nicely to the top of your foot when the laces are tied.

The laces thread through a tab on the tongue, which helps to hold the tongue in place and stop it from slipping to one side. There is an additional lace hole at the top of the laces, which can be used to make the heel fit tighter or to butterfly lace the shoes. The upper is made from a three-layer engineered mesh, which is soft and pliable. The fit is like other Brooks neutral running shoes, with a narrow toe box that is pointed in shape. There is no wide width available in the Brooks Glycerin Max 3.

The stack height is 45mm in the heel and 39mm in the forefoot. The 6mm heel-to-forefoot drop makes the Glycerin Max a suitable shoe for a midfoot or heel striker. The GlideRoll rocker carries the foot through the gait cycle from impact to toe-off. The curve of the rocker isn’t too aggressive, as the Glycerin Max is a shoe designed for easy running rather than speed. The curve at the toe has been increased slightly to allow for a smoother toe-off. When running, I was unaware of this change, but when walking in the shoes I could feel that the toe dropped away.

The midsole is made from a nitrogen-infused foam. This means that the foam is designed to retain its bouncy, cushioned feel throughout the run. The nitrogen-infused construction is also designed to help the foam maintain its cushioning over time. The DNA Tuned foam has been formulated to be softer in the heel to facilitate a softer landing and firmer in the forefoot to allow for a more positive push-off.

When running in the Glycerin Max 3, you are aware of the compression of the midsole on impact, but the rebound of the foam is quick, so you don’t feel slowed down by the compression or that you are ‘stuck in the mud’, as you do with some other softly cushioned running shoes. The bounce is noticeable but not overbearing, so you feel like you are making forward progress rather than being bounced down the road. The base of the shoe is broad. This gives the Glycerin Max a stable base. The foot sits inside the midsole, which helps prevent you from feeling as though you might fall off the edge. This also means that the foot is more effectively carried through the gait cycle by the rocker. When running in the Glycerin Max 3, you feel very stable despite the high stack, lack of ground feel and bounce to the midsole.

In a running shoe with such a high stack height, you don’t have much feel for the ground, so you have to be able to trust the traction to comfortably run along in the shoes. Runners who prefer a more natural feel, where they can feel and react to the road beneath their feet, may find the amount of cushioning a little excessive.

What differs between the previous Brooks Glycerin Max and the Max 3 is a softer and slightly more flexible feel to the midsole. This makes the rocker feel slightly less controlling and the ride feel plusher and more forgiving. Although the GlideRoll element of the midsole helps to stop you from plodding by encouraging a quicker cadence, which keeps your posture more upright, the feeling from the ride is that you are plodding along with little effort and little impact. This is great for a road running shoe designed for long runs and recovery runs. The cushioning and rocker can make these runs feel less demanding, potentially leaving your legs feeling fresher for the harder training days.

Whether the Brooks Glycerin Max 3 is the shoe for you will depend on what you want to use the shoes for. A highly cushioned running shoe with a rocker can reduce some of the stress on the body, which sounds good. However, for your training to be effective, you need to stress the body and then let it recover before stressing it again. The Brooks Glycerin Max 3 does a lot of work for the body, so perhaps wouldn’t be the best choice if it were your only running shoe. Brooks splits its shoes into two categories. The Max versions of the Glycerin and Ghost (Brooks Ghost Max 4 review) reduce some of the work the foot has to do, as the cushioning is so soft and the curved shape of the midsole helps roll the foot through the gait cycle. This may also change how much work the muscles, including the glutes and hamstrings, have to do. The non-Max versions of the Ghost (Brooks Ghost 18 review) and Glycerin (Brooks Glycerin 23 review) don’t have such a pronounced curved shape to the midsole, so the foot and lower leg have to do more of the work. These are likely to be a better option if you are looking for one running shoe to do the majority of your runs, particularly if you prefer a more natural running feel.

The Brooks Glycerin Max 3 is best used as part of a shoe rotation. A firmer, more responsive running shoe can be used for faster or speedier runs, with the Glycerin Max 3 being used for the recovery runs in between and the long runs when you are looking to train more endurance than the strength or resilience of the muscles. For example, if you do a long run the day after a hard track session.

A men’s UK 8 weighs 297 grams and a women’s UK 5 weighs 265 grams. They do feel like big shoes when you put them on, especially if you aren’t used to max-cushioned running shoes. However, once moving in the shoes, they feel lighter than you might expect and the effort of running feels reduced. As with all road running shoes of this type, they aren’t nimble and struggle to go around tight corners. They feel best on flat, straight roads where you can just cruise along. It doesn’t feel difficult to run uphill or downhill in the Glycerin Max, but you are more aware of the bulk of the shoes. Personally, I prefer a running shoe with a bit more ground feel and flexibility, but I can see the appeal of the Glycerin Max 3 for runners who want to make their easy miles feel as comfortable as possible.

Brooks running shoes are similar in length to Saucony, 361, Topo and Altra. If you use Karhu, Hoka, New Balance, Inov-8 or La Sportiva, then we would suggest trying half a UK size smaller to get a similar length. For example, a Brooks UK 11 is a similar length to a Hoka UK 11.5. The fit is similar to other Brooks running shoes, with a narrow, pointed toe box. There is no wide width option.

In summary, the Brooks Glycerin Max 3 offers a soft, cushioned ride, allowing the runner to glide through the miles easily. They are best suited to recovery days when slow, easy running is the requirement of the run. The high level of cushioning also makes them a good option for long runs, particularly when you want to reduce how much of a pounding your legs take compared with a less cushioned running shoe without a rocker or curved midsole. They won’t suit everyone, especially runners who like a more flexible shoe with plenty of ground feel, but for those looking for maximum cushioning and an easy ride, they have a lot to offer.

Alternatives to Brooks Glycerin Max 3

Topo Atmos 2: A broader more rounded toe box gives the feet more room to spread and function. There is a rocker/curved shaped midsole but the shoes are more flexible so it doesn’t feel as controlling. The midsole is soft but not as bouncy giving a more solid, grounded type of feel compared to a soft, bouncy feel of the Glycerin Max 3. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/topo-atmos-2-review/

Hoka Bondi 9: The original max cushioned neutral road running shoe. The midsole isn’t as soft as the Glycerin Max 4. The rocker is a bit more noticeable. The fit is a similar narrow width with a pointed toe box. A wide width is available. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-bondi-9-review/

Altra FWD Via 2: A broad rounded toe box gives the feet more room to spread and function. The rocker shaped midsole is much less controlling giving a more natural feel to the ride. The midsole is firmer and more responsive making the Fwd Via 2 a more versatile shoe suitable to steady or tempo runs as well as easy and recovery running. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-fwd-via-2-review/

Inov-8 Roadfly Max: Inov-8 haven’t followed the trend to produced high stacked running shoes so their Max cushioned running shoe has a much lower stack height. The broad rounded toe box allows room for the feet to spread and function in the shoes. The midsole is firm initially but gets softer as the shoes are broken in giving a soft ride with a bit of bounce. Available in a wide fit. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-roadfly-max-review/

Karhu Mestari 1.5: The Karhu Fulcrum plus a curved midsole gives the Mestari a high level of propulsion. It is quite controlling but together with the firmer more responsive midsole this makes the Mestari a shoe that can be used for more than easy and long runs. The Karhu Mestari is a good option for steady or tempo runs. The Fulcrum is a bit different to a rocker or curved shape midsole as it doesn’t carry the foot through the gait cycle but, encourages the runner to lift their heels up helping to promote a good running gait. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/karhu-mestari-run-1-5-review/