When a brand makes a substantial change to one of its “best seller” shoes, I won’t hide the fact that I always have a lot of curiosity because you never know what to expect. And Brooks, for its Glycerin 20 ( women’s version here), has made a big change introducing the new DNA LOFT v3 foam. I tell you about it in more detail here but I can confirm that it is not just an evolution of the foam but a brand new technology, thanks to the infusion of nitrogen into the already high-performance DNA LOFT material.
And I already want to tell you the result: great change, in this case, results in great achievement.
How is it
Aesthetically, the Brooks designers’ signature is immediately recognizable-you might recognize it among a thousand by perception of quality, materials used, and color choices. You get that same “feel at home” feeling when you first slip your foot into the Glycerin 20s.
The comfort is great and the upper does an excellent job of keeping the foot at the right temperature, even on the hottest days.
The toebox is very wide to facilitate the toes to spread in landing and rolling, so the lacing must be firm to prevent the foot from moving too much. Having found the right balance, the feeling is truly remarkable, almost an oxymoron, in which the foot is bound firmly to the shoe but the toes can move freely.
You stand up and immediately feel the smoothness of the new DNA LOFT v3. The feeling of comfort is really remarkable. But it is a dynamic comfort, in fact you can feel the ability of the new material to return the energy “bounce” of the stride.
You slip on your shorts and T-shirt and try them on right away.
How it perform
Right from the first few meters you can tell that Brooks has done a thorough balancing job for the new Glycerin 20s. On a perceptual level, they are the Glycerin you already knew with their characteristic structure that accompanies the foot always in the correct position. But, this time, with something extra.
Running sensations are amplified: more cushioning but also more energy return. This means an even better running experience. And the increased lightness can be felt with every step, also aided by the new DNA LOFT v3 midsole dynamics.
You immediately feel that you will be able to grind out a lot of miles and that it will accompany you on long runs or races without ever betraying you.
When you accelerate, the Glycerin 20 follows and accompanies you, with the limitations of a shoe that was created for long distances and for runners of any weight and pace. Of course, if you are looking for a shoe devoted exclusively to pure performance or for faster workouts, I would go for the Hyperion Tempo: different midsole in DNA FLASH but still with nitrogen infusion.
The sole does its job in any condition, and because of its thickness, I think it will be able to cover a lot of miles. But we’ll talk about that in a month when I’ve gone much further down that road.
Summing up
Running feel, comfort and lightness are undoubtedly the strengths of the Glycerin 20, that-because of their characteristics-will appeal to any type of runner looking for fun on every run, for many runs. And, if you want additional stability with the same dynamic behavior, choose the Glycerin GTS 20s, with the GuideRails system.
They are the flagship model and you can expect nothing but a great shoe from Brooks.
Drop: 10 mm.
Weight:
Glycerin 20: 258 grams(women) and 286 grams(men).
Glycerin GTS 20: 266 grams(women) and 298 grams(men)
For info: brooksrunning.com