Brooks Glycerin 8
	Full Name: Brooks Glycerin 8
	Category: Cushioning
	Weight: 13 oz. (380 gr.)
	Suggested Price: 130 $
	Recommended For: Heavier runners, high-mileage runners, beginners

• Brooks Glycerin 8 General Info:

I remember perusing a message board thread several months ago where posters were surprised to learn that Haile Gebrsalassie, the marathon world record holder who weighs in at a slight 123 lbs., was training in his sponsor’s most highly cushioned neutral trainer. The emperor’s response to questions regarding his footwear was that he needs the cushioning to protect his legs from the mega-mileage he runs. The Brooks Glycerin 8 fills this design niche in their running line, and I was keen to discover if this maximum cushioned shoe could protect my legs during my winter base phase.

The eighth edition of this popular high end neutral trainer comes with the new Brooks DNA cushioning technology. This cushioning system is designed to automatically adjust to the size and speed of the runner and offer a customized level of cushioning. While some shoe manufacturers have tried doing this utilizing computer chips and various other gadgetry, Brooks DNA is comprised of a “Newtonian Fluid” which works to distribute the ever changing forces of your foot strike during a run to cater to you. The idea is that the shoe firms up when you need it to during faster running, and softens during those easy recovery runs. Ever the skeptic, I am always eager to try out new shoe technologies and judge for myself whether they work by getting on the road and logging some miles. Throughout the testing of this shoe I logged approximately 82 miles on roads, crushed gravel trails, and through snow and on ice. Here are my findings…

• Brooks Glycerin 8 First Impressions:

The Glycerin 8 runs true to size and features a plush interior, roomy toebox, and just the right amount of room throughout the rest of the shoe to accommodate bulkier winter running socks if needed. The arch of the Glycerin 8 is much less noticeable than on past editions of this shoe, and the DNA cushioning felt softer than what I’ve come to expect from Brooks shoes in the past. This new edition of the shoe added nearly an ounce of weight and the Glycerin 8 weighs in at 12.7 ounces.

• Brooks Glycerin 8 Upper:

The upper of the shoe refers to all of the material that is attached to the foot bed, or midsole, and Brooks brought out all of the design bells and whistles. Fancy graphics overlays aside the upper is breathable, but not too open for cold weather, and reinforces the heel and midfoot section of the shoe. Brooks utilized flattened oval laces over a feature free tongue which offers ample padding to the top of the foot. Brooks did not leave anything in the design department with this shoe as it boldly states that it is a top of the price line, uber cushioned trainer.

Glycerin 8 Upper

• Brooks Glycerin 8 Midsole:

Here is where the DNA technology comes into play. Often times highly cushioned neutral trainers feels squishy, unresponsive, and bulky under our feet. I was pleased during my first few runs in the Glycerin that the midsole feels very well cushioned, but also provided some energy return and bounce in my step. As a skeptic I was ready to debunk this new technology and found that these pods of fluid did seem to offer just the right amount of cushioning for what I want in a high mileage neutral trainer. The midsole is also supportive and a softer layer of EVA foam sits within a firmer layer to offer some pronation support. The midsole also features a piece of plastic on the bottom of the middle of the foot which makes it much more rigid and limits twisting that can occur in the gait cycle. Some runners will appreciate this rigidity while others will hope for a more flexible transition from heel to toe.
The heel to toe drop of the Glycerin 8 is 10mm (24 mm to 14mm) which is less of a drop than past models of this shoe.

• Brooks Glycerin 8 Outsole:

Nothing too groundbreaking here, the Glycerin 8 sticks with what has been tried and true for them. The outsole is split into compartments to aid in flexibility which is hardly noticeable due to the rigidity of the plastic midfoot shank. The carbon outsole is durable and the miles I put on the shoe barely put any wear pattern on this outsole. Different reviews of this shoe complained of the outsole falling apart and wearing down faster than expected. I did not notice any of these issues throughout my test period, and although I only put 80 miles on the shoes, I feel they held up very well.

• Brooks Glycerin 8 Opinion:

The Glycerin 8 is a maximum feature neutrally cushioned shoe designed to provide the runner with a plush ride and some support for high mileage. This is not a shoe for minimalists and the $130 MSRP puts it at the same price point and competition as the Asics Gel Nimbus and the Nike Vomero. I expected to not like this shoe to a certain degree because I have always balked at the higher prices of these shoes. However, I found that I really enjoyed using this shoe on easy recovery runs and long runs on the roads to save my legs from getting beat up. The Brooks DNA cushioning offers a fantastic blend of cushioning, and although I will never know whether those molecules were catering to my every footfall, I did feel like the cushioning was plush, well distributed, and that perfect blend of firm and soft that I like. I would state that the cushioning feels firmer than a Nike Vomero, but a bit softer than the Asics Gel Nimbus. The Glycerin 8 also features excellent forefoot cushioning, something I see missing in a lot of these shoes that focus on heel striking.

Glycerin 8 Stride

The real difference I felt with this shoe is that it does offer a tinge more support than the aforementioned shoes which will be appreciated by larger runners or those logging big miles. The Glycerin 8 feels protective and did offer my legs some relief from the pounding from hard workouts in significantly less substantial shoes. The fit will please a variety of runners and the wide forefoot and lower arch support will accommodate a wider variety of runners. The Glycerin 8 will please bigger runners with forceful footstrikes, high mileage runners, and beginner runners hoping to get some relief from initial road pounding. Runners who are looking for a very flexible neutral trainer may find the Glycerin 8 too stiff as the midfoot shank limits flexibility.

Brooks continues to be the leader in ecologically designed running shoes as they are the only running shoe manufacturer with biodegradable midsoles in their entire line of running shoes. Their BioMoGo material biodegrades 50 times faster than those of other manufacturers and the knowledge that your worn out trainers aren’t existing in a landfill for the next 20,000 years should make you feel good.

Let us know what you think of this shoe in the comments!

Review by Tom Caughlan.

We thank the nice folks at Brooks for sending us this shoe to try. This did not influence our review of the shoes, written after running more than 80 miles in it.

• Brooks Glycerin 8 Price Comparison: