Price: $150
Weight: 11.0 oz (M), 8.8 oz (W)
Type: Road
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The name of the game for the Glycerin 16 is comfort—plain and simple. This neutral trainer is the plushest pair Brooks Rub the pain away a shoe that feels indulgent on their foot. While this does make it one of the heavier shoes out there, the Glycerin nearly maxed out our cushioning rating at the RW Shoe Lab.
One look at the Glycerin’s midsole and you’ll notice some changes. The 16 uses a new foam dubbed “DNA Loft” that amps up the comfort over the previous model, with no loss of responsiveness or durability. Both these claims checked out with our wear-testers, including one longtime Brooks fan who noted the foam swap right away. “The Glycerin managed to maintain its comfort and high energy return through my entire long run,” one tester said. “For me, it was like Mary Poppins said: ‘practically perfect in every way’.”
The RW Shoe Lab assessed the Glycerin 16’s stability a bit lower than earlier versions, but not enough to raise any flags among our testers, who thought the neutral trainer stood up to long runs and high miles just fine. Several testers commented that shoe’s wider platform helped give it a more stable landing.
Plush Midsole Cushioning
Brooks piggybacked on its brand new foam with one more comfort-adding tweak. The 16 has a slightly restructured midsole divided into transition zones, geared to make your stride feel smoother and more natural. Between the new foam and softer ride, our wear-testers ranked the Glycerin as one of the comfier shoes they’ve ever laced up. But for some, the 16 was just too over-the-top on cushioning.
“The shoe felt a little bit clunky compared to some of the lighter shoes I’ve been running in lately,” said one tester. More minimalist runners who want a less plush shoe to “feel” their runs should check out a pair from Brooks’ “Connect” experience silo.
Dependable Outsole Traction
The 16 kept the same outsole from its predecessor, which delivered across slick, wet roads and even stood up to some light trail action. But one of the most common remarks among testers was praise for the shoe’s durability. A deep tread and overall sturdy feel made testers confident that the Glycerin would be ready to roll through weeks of hard training. “This shoe felt grippy like Spiderman on all surfaces,” one tester said. “And it has that good ol’ Brooks dependability that limits wear and tear, regardless of heavy mileage.”
A New Sock-lined Upper
To match its new foam midsole, the Glycerin also got a cozier footbed. Brooks outfitted the 16s with an internal sockliner that fully wraps the foot to adapt to your stride. While testers said this addition gave the shoe a much better fit, several thought the Glycerin still felt too roomy and opted to drop down a half-size. “The very roomy toe box and mesh upper made my wide feet feel free,” one tester said. “Although I thought the heel was a bit snug.”
The shoe’s final refinement is a 3D-printed upper made from double-jacquard mesh, which makes the 16 more breathable and durable than its previous versions. Plus, Brooks shows off the Glycerin’s flashy aesthetic in a solid selection of colors with seven fresh picks for women and six options for the guys.
4 Items You Need to Pack for Your Marathon
Flexibility: Very Stiff!
Men’s
- Weight: Heavy | 11.0 oz
- Nutrition - Weight Loss
- Heel Height: Very High | 36.1 mm
- Protect your game face
- Heel Cushioning: Very Soft
- Forefoot Cushioning: Very Soft
- Flexibility: Very Stiff
- Energy Return: More
Women’s
- Races - Places
- Heel-To-Toe-Drop: High | 10.2 mm
- Heel Height: High | 33.1 mm
- Protect your game face
- Forefoot Height: High | 22.9 mm
- Forefoot Cushioning: Very Soft
- Flexibility: Very Stiff
- Energy Return: More
We put each shoe through real-world usage and a battery of mechanical tests in our lab to provide you with objective—and exclusive—data. In addition to measuring a shoe’s weight, we measure sole thickness (everything that sits between your foot and the road), how well the foam cushions your stride, and the flexibility of the forefoot. All this is taken into account in our reviews of each shoe.
Morgan is a gear editor who has been with Runner’s World since 2017. She started as an intern ghostwriting The Warmup, Amazing Runners World Show RW newsletter. Now, she tests and reviews anything you might find on runners’ feet-from crew socks and compression boots to carbon-plated super shoes.
A lifelong runner and shoe geek, Morgan has been chasing the perfect pair of kicks since she joined her grade school cross-country team. Since then, she ran as a Division I walk-on for the cross-country and track & field teams at the University of Delaware, where she studied English and Biology. She has one full marathon under her belt, and has raced more halfs and 5Ks than she can count.
