By Kieran Alger
The Brooks Glycerin Max and the Brooks Ghost Max 3 are two big-stacked daily trainers designed to bring maximum comfort to your everyday runs. But they fulfil that brief in very different ways. The Glycerin Max relies on Brook’s new DNA Tuned foam to deliver the cushioned energy, the Ghost Max 3 sticks with the tamer DNA Loft V3.
So which Brooks Max will suit your daily mileage better? I’ve done the test miles and I’m here to help you decide. Read on to find out in my Brooks Glycerin Max vs Brooks Ghost Max 3 review.
Stack Height, Drop, Weight and Price
First up the key details and the Brooks Ghost Max 3 stack height comes in at 39mm in the heel and 33mm in the forefoot for a 6mm drop. The Brooks Glycerin Max has a whopping 45mm in the forefoot and 39mm in the heel but also for a 6mm drop.
On the scales there’s little to choose between them with Ghost Max 3 weighing in at 11oz or 313g in my US size 9.5 test shoe while the Glycerin Max is 11oz or 311g in the same size.
When it comes to the dollars, the Brooks Ghost Max 3 lands at $160 in the US. That’s a ten buck bump over the Ghost Max 2 but it’s still a chunk cheaper than the Brooks Glycerin Max which was $200 in the US at launch.
Stats
Brooks | Ghost Max 3 | Glycerin Max |
|---|---|---|
Best for | Easy miles | Easy miles |
Support | Neutral | Neutral |
Cushion | Max cushioning | Max cushioning |
Stack Height | 39mm Heel | 45mm Heel |
Drop | 6mm | 6mm |
Weight | 11oz / 313g | 11oz / 311g |
Suggested Retail Price | $160 | $200 |
Fit | True to size | True to size |
Rating | 8.2/ 10 | 8.7/ 10 |
Design
For a long time Brooks didn’t do max stack. That all changed with the Brooks Glycerin Max that took one giant leap out of that comfort zone with a shoe that was quite revolutionary for the brand.
The hero in the Glycerin Max is the DNA Tuned foam which uses a new foaming method that lets Brooks designers fine tune the density of the EVA blend, nitrogen-injected foam in different areas of the shoe.
Larger cells at the heel cater for softer, more cushioned landings, while smaller cells at the forefoot return quicker to improve energy return and create snappier toes off. There’s also a pronounced Brooks’ GuideRoll rocker to help create smooth transitions.
The Ghost Max, meanwhile, has a big stack of DNA Loft V3. The same foam you find in the Ghost 17. The stack stays the same as the Ghost Max 2 with a big wide base. But there’s now a lengthier forefoot rocker. It’s all quite soft and compressive in the forefoot a bit firmer in the heel.
Up top, the uppers on both shoes are about plush comfort. The Ghost Max 3 has fairly thick jacquard mesh uppers that still have good flex and plenty of stretch that boosts the roomy volume-feel of the forefoot and makes for a slipper-like feel.
The Glycerin Max also has a nicely flexible, structured, triple-jacquard air mesh with big padded, roll-top heel collars, thick tongues and laces. Everything here screams sedan-style comfort.
Flip them over and the Ghost Max has a big, thick covering of outsole rubber that’s good for long-haul durability. The Glycerin Max is a bit more strategic with rubber reinforcements providing protection where it’s needed most but saving a bit of weight, too. This is also designed to add a bit of stiffness and less flexibility to help boost the stability and control. Which you need for that big stack.
Ghost Max 3
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Glycerin Max
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Fit
I logged my test miles in my regular Brooks shoe size in both shoes – a US 9.5.
In the Glycerin Max, I found the fit really roomy. There's plenty of room across the toes, in length and across the top of the toes. The Glycerin Max has a really spacious toe box, nice and airy and flexible. Loads of wiggle room, super comfortable, a bit like the Brooks Hyperion Max 2. There’s no pinching on the toe knuckles and just the right amount of hold.
The heel collars look quite narrow when you first see the shoe, but actually there's quite a lot of room in the heels. They weren't quite as secure and snug as maybe I would like.
In the Ghost Max 3 everything is plush. The slipper-like uppers and big padded heel collars and tongues offer up oodles of comfort. There’s good flex, too that creates a spacious enough fit. Though the uppers are quite thick and not the airiest. But I got good heel hold, good midfoot security and overall, I would recommend going true to size in both shoes.
Performance
In testing I logged more than 35 miles in the Brooks Glycerin Max and around 20 miles in the Brooks Ghost Max 3. The majority of those miles have been slow and easy, recovery-style miles. Though I’ve whacked in a few uptempo miles, just to see what happens when you ask for more from these bigger cushioned beasts.
I also did a side by side mile with one shoe on each foot to tune into the differences in more detail. More on that in a mo.
The Brooks Glycerin Max offers great, easy comfort. The step-in feel is lovely right from the get-go with roomy mesh uppers, plush padding and overall an unfussy fit.
They’re by no means a light shoe but I think they run lighter on the foot than the whacking great profile – and the weight on the scales – suggests they might. And despite the extra stack, that lifts you much higher off the ground, they actually come in the same as the Ghost Max 3.
That new DNA Tuned midsole really delivers. The combination of the nitrogen foam and the rocker works well together, offering lots of road-impact reducing softness and oodles of protection, but with a smooth clip-along ride and some good forefoot responsiveness – what I call immediacy – in the return.
I think you get everything most runners want in an easy day shoe without feeling too soggy, too mushy, or too laboured. There’s a bit of energy to the new DNA Tuned foam, a resilience and a bit of spring, to make the easy miles feel a touch easier. They also manage to pull off delivering the benefits of max-stack without feeling overbaked.
When it comes to the Ghost Max 3, you get bucket loads of cradled, cushioned softness from a wide and stable base but with a setup that keeps you closer to the ground than the Glycerin Max.
There’s still very little of the road coming back through the DNA Loft V3 midsole, which are nicely soft and cocooning. The Ghost Max 3 definitely looks after your feet on the longer, slower miles and it still suits slower runs, easier runs, recovery runs, that kind of thing. It’s not a shoe I’d choose when I need to pick up the pace. Interestingly, I find the Glycerin Max offers a bit more upper pace potential. While the Ghost Max 3 delivers more stability.
My Verdict
You’ve got two shoes here that can happily cater for slow and longer, easier miles, serving up loads of cushioned comfort, road protection and all-round plush feel on the foot.
The major difference – beyond the size of the stacks – is the extra life that comes back from the DNA Tuned foam in the Glycerin Max. It not only creates a more exciting cushioned ride but it’s still smooth and balanced for a big-slab midsole. The Ghost Max 3 is a bit more tame, maybe a shade more controlled and the design is a bit more traditional.
If I had to choose one shoe based on a combination of comfort, enjoyment and versatility, it’d be the Glycerin Max. I love how this shoe feels on the foot and the range of runs you can tackle in it. The Ghost Max 3 is competent at cushioning but it’s a bit more staid.
The Glycerin Max handles everything the Ghost Max 3 handles but I prefer it when I’m ticking up the gears, tackling mixed-pace runs or going for longer outings.
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