Brooks - Glycerin Max 2

Brooks Gylcerin Max 2 is easy to find on sale, durable and easy on the legs. They’re a tad heavy, but I’ve really come to love them.

I've suffered for years with back spasms for running so needed something with a fair bit of cushioning. I ran a full marathon two weeks ago at about 255/260lb in brooks glycerine max 2. Did all my training in them and had absolutely no problems.

The glizzy max 2 has an insane rocker for a max cushion shoe! My vote as well

I’ve been loving my MagMax 2’s for straight recovery runs. I picked it up as a long run alternative to my Superblast 2’s for when I’m doing easier long runs, and I’ve even run some hill sprints in them (due to travel it was all I had), and it did both brilliantly. But where I’ve fell in love with the shoe is on recovery runs. Perfect balance of cushioning and responsiveness. Not too squishy, not too firm, takes away the ground feel (which I prefer for recovery), lighter than other recovery shoes I’ve tried (glizzy max, Vomero 18, Bondi) so doesn’t feel like you’ve got cinderblocks on your feet weighing you down, very easy to turnover (which is why I think they are great for long runs and even medium efforts in a pinch). Gotten mine up to 80 miles in 3 weeks, been doing 4-5 days a week in them. 

If you like what your Brooks are doing, the Glycerin Max 2 would be my shout. Slightly cheaper the the SB3 and Megablast. Has a rocker that could help get you moving but not too much.

The Brooks Glycerin Max, the unsinkable ship. Having been a decades long Brooks wearer, with occasional ventures into Nike from time to time, the Brooks Glycerin Max would become my savior. I’d been a long-distance runner for years, before the break. Between COVID, injuries, chronic health problems, and the death of my brother and father, I’d hit a slump. If a several years long break qualifies as such. After much therapy, medications, titrating off medications, self-work, and the love and support of my Wife, I made it back. Back from the brink of darkness, but not yet ready to return to running. I purchased my first pair of Glycerin Max’s, my first running shoe purchase in years, the color way (Country Blue/Sky Orange), the max stack (who doesn’t love instantly adding two inches to your height?), the comfort of returning to an old friend. I primarily used them for walking and lifting weights at the gym. They were soft, responsive, not at all heavy, despite their gargantuan appearance. They served their purpose while exceeding my expectations. They were unique, which is to say, I appreciated that they stood out, but they did not always convey the message I intended to. Like the time, paired with a polo and chinos, I was asked if I was an art teacher. (No offense to art teachers, there’s far worse things to be presumed to be.) That’s the last time I wore them casually. I will say the durability of the sole is questionable, after hundreds of walking miles on rough asphalt, the tread and soles started to disintegrate, crumbling under the cheese grater roads. (Keep in mind I was and continue to be a heavier athlete.) Even after questionable durability, while researching my next shoe, I couldn’t refuse the allure of the Max Stack. I just kept coming back to the Glycerin Max. Somewhere along the way, rumors started to spread of a Glycerin Max 2. Then came the leaks, now I’m no fool to believe that Brooks is at the forefront of fashionable footwear, but this next generation felt like a massive misstep in the wrong direction. (To be fair, I’ve never seen the Glycerin Max 2 in person.) The update just didn’t have the same appeal, the same max stack appearance, it just fell flat for me. The Glycerin Max 2 was released and I patiently waited, even added to cart several times, just couldn’t pull the trigger. I wanted a new color way, something fresh, something new, despite the almost entire overhaul of the design, making version one and two look like entirely different models. Already a Brooks fan boy, loving almost every aspect of the original Glycerin Max, the sales popped up everywhere. A good friend of mine once gave me a piece of solid advice, “once you find a shoe you love, buy every pair you can, because they’ll be gone tomorrow.” I bought two more pairs. One in the Grey/Dusty Olive/Tea color way, which I almost instantly regretted upon their arrival, after some light playful mockery from my wife. (They sit, still in the box, untouched.) I got lucky and found a pair of Lime/Navy/White that served as the catalyst for my return to running. They once again served their purpose. As expected, my initial return was slow, short, and ultimately, one single mile at a time. The Brooks Glycerin Max was there for me, it enabled me to return to something I once loved, in a kind and gentle way. Then running became more regular, I started a run streak, I got faster, I started to love running again. The Glycerin Max was there for me. Until it wasn’t. The faster, stronger and further I went, the more the shoes started to feel like concrete slippers. I’ll state that during my return to running, I turned to Instagram for inspiration, for opinions, for support. I almost instantly became influenced by the EVO SL, between every other reel featuring them and the insane discounts, I gave it a shot, it was an absolute and utter failure for me. I wore them once, for one mile and instantly knew they were not for me. For the first time ever, the staff at Dick’s actually gave me a hard time about returning them, they almost didn’t accept them. Reflective of either the sheer volume of EVO SL orders and returns or the lack of durability of the shoe. Enter The Asics Super Blast 2. Not once had I ever considered Asics as a brand, but they are the best shoe I’ve ever worn. I won’t go into the details of the Super Blast 2; that’s another shoe for another review. This isn’t a dig at the Glycerin Max; it’s more of a lesson for the right shoe for the right time and purpose. Hokas give me blisters when I run in them, I can walk all day in them with no problems. The Glycerin Max’s are now restricted to walking as I would never wear my Super Blasts 2’s to walk in. We can debate the dangers of social media and influencers, about what is and isn’t “normal” in running, but what’s normal for me, is a rotation of shoes to serve their purpose. That and I love the thrill of the hunt for the right shoe at the right price. Happy Running!

The shoe is a little heavy for running. I personally found that the heel did not fit very securely for me, which would completely disqualify it for running. Ghost Max 3 has a much better rocker over the 2s, which I found terrible. I prefer the Glycerin Max 2 for running although I had to go an entire full size up.

Adrenaline 25 are great, Glycerin Max 2 even better. Vomero 18 or Plus!!! Ghost Max are all stable enough. Kayano 31 (not 32) due to their 10mm drop and uber stability. But the best stability I’ve used this year is absolutely the Mizuno Wave Horizon 8 🙌🏼 slow and a couple of grams heavy but they are tanks!!! I use them for up to tempo and they work great even though they’re not made for it.

I can relate to your situation and have been successfully wearing the shoes below. I did a fair amount of research and read reviews to help guide my options. In some cases, I intentionally purchased the prior version of the shoe because it had more cushioning, bounce and weight vs the newer/current model. New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 - these are my shoes for intervals, tempo runs and races. Absolutely love them and looking to buy another pair. I’ll be wearing them in my upcoming half marathon. Great cushioning, bounce, and super lightweight (6.3 oz). I purchased the v4 after reading a lot of reviews that claimed the v5 wasn’t as cushioned and people preferred the 4. The upper is super breathable and will be great for running in the summer/heat. Brooks Hyperion 2 and Max 2 - both super lightweight and cushioned with good bounce. Reviews have been pretty critical of the v3 in both models which steered me to the 2s. I like them both and use them in rotation with my two New Balance models. The Hyperion model are both speedier than the NB 1080. The non-Max Hyperion 2 is super lightweight and cushioned, but lacks the stack of the Max and NB Rebel, making it great for 400 - 800 intervals sessions. New Balance 1080 v14 - very versatile, cushioned and nice bounce, a little heavier at 8.3 oz. Upper is breathable, but more substantial for winter and cooler weather running vs NB Rebel. I wear these now in rotation with the NB Rebel v4. These feel a little speedier than my old ASICS GT-2000, and are great for peppy long runs.

I found the max 2s way too heavy for racing and was very disappointed as I loved the originals Max's, and love brooks. Try the Saucony Speed 4s. A far superior (non carbon) race shoe for heavier runners IMO..

I can’t find noticeable wear on my Glycerine Max outsoles.