Brooks Glycerin 12

Name: Brooks Glycerin 12
Brand: Brooks
Rating: 4.6 (27 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 11.7 oz · 10mm drop · 29/19mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Glycerin 13 replaced it

How it ranks

The Brooks Glycerin 12 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and cushioning are its strongest sub-ratings. Value scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 27 runner reviews and 12 other rated shoes in the Glycerin product line.

Very good

93/100

Overall

Very good 93

Comfort

Exceptional 98

Cushioning

Excellent 96

Durability

Excellent 96

Appearance

Decent 77

Value

Bottom-tier 55

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

93/100

High 93

What runners say

“I've had this shoe for more than 8 months, and it still feels great.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw came from the adidas Supernova Classic

“Durable enough to last 500 miles, with no negative impact on form.”

4/5 Full review came from the ASICS GT-2000 2

“Heavy and clunky, but great extra cushioning for long and recovery runs.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a marathon

“The uppers have a nice mid-foot feel, with a nice "hug" around the foot.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw came from the adidas Supernova Classic

“For all the cushioning, it is still a nice light shoe and very flexible.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw came from the adidas Supernova Classic

“It has been 300+ miles now and they still feel amazing.”

5/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Paradox

“By far the best for the money in comfort and durability.”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw came from the ASICS GT-2000 3

“It has great mid-foot to fore-foot transition.”

4/5 Full review 25 mpw came from the adidas Supernova Classic

“Great cushioning. Very good heel to toe transition.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon

“Higher arch than most neutral shoes; pressure on arches first week or two with orthotics.”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw came from the Brooks Defyance 5

Prefer this shoe over another

44% 7/16

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers value the cushioning on long marathon-training and recovery runs.
Three reviewers report hundreds of miles before it feels worn out.
Two reviewers with surgery or injury histories name it as what finally works for them.

Cons

It lists at $150, three reviewers call it expensive, and value is the lowest-rated dimension at 3.7 out of 5.
Two runners call it heavy and clunky at 11.7 oz.
Two reviewers want more forefoot cushioning, and one finds it unresponsive.

Glycerin 12 rates 93. This shoe has high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Brooks Glycerin

Each dot is one version of the Glycerin, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

87 93 2014 96 95 89 2017 96 98 2019 79 96 2021 97 97 2023 94 93 2026

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Glycerin 23

2026 · 4 reviews

93 Excellent

79 Confidence
Glycerin 22

2025 · 4 reviews

94 Excellent

84 Confidence
Glycerin 21

2023 · 19 reviews

97 Excellent

92 Confidence
Glycerin 20

2022 · 50 reviews

97 Exceptional

97 Confidence
Glycerin 19

2021 · 4 reviews

96 Excellent

85 Confidence
Glycerin 18

2020 · 2 reviews

79 Decent

49 Confidence
Glycerin 17

2019 · 21 reviews

98 Exceptional

96 Confidence
Glycerin 16

2018 · 21 reviews

96 Excellent

94 Confidence
Glycerin 15

2017 · 17 reviews

89 Good

91 Confidence
Glycerin 14

2017 · 3 reviews

95 Excellent

85 Confidence
Glycerin 13

2016 · 3 reviews

96 Excellent

82 Confidence
Glycerin 12 This shoe

2014 · 27 reviews

93 Very good

93 Confidence
Glycerin 11

2014 · 16 reviews

87 Good

86 Confidence

Reader Ratings

27 ratings

5/5 16

4/5 11

3/5 0

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 11.7 oz
Release: 2014
MSRP: $150
Stack Height: 29mm heel - 19mm toe
Drop Height: 10mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Reader review

4/5

Overall

I had been running with asics, but none of the shoes would last me more than 100 miles. The brooks glycerin is durable enough to last me 500 miles, and it does not have a negative impact on my form.

celticrunner11 · Apr 3, 2015

came from the ASICS GT-2000 2

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

4/5

Overall

I just posted a blog about the Glycerin 12...here is part of what I said (I am coming off a long period of injury, but was never injured prior to this period in time): "Anyways, the Brooks Glycerin has a slight different feel than the Classic, but it is a delightful shoe to run in. When I was ready to start walking/jogging from my most recent foot injury, I was heartbroken when I found the Glycerin hurt my foot! Was only temporary, thankfully! I bought the Brooks Ghost as a temporary measure until I was ready to try the Glycerin again. The Ghost is a good shoe, but I found it wore out much faster than I expected. Here is my list of "Pros" for the Glycerin: *It is very cushy, but at the same time it doesn't feel too soft. *For all the cush, it is still a nice light shoe and it is also a very flexible shoe. I haven't done too much track work since I've been back running, but I am confident I would feel comfortable running fast paces in the shoe. *The shoe has lasting power. My old Glycerin 11's are certainly not dead. They are now used for my everyday walking and hiking. I've had this shoe for more than 8 months, and it still feels great. *Brooks has a ton of color options, which is pretty awesome. *Lately and because of my foot/ankle injury, my focus is on how my foot lands and progresses through my stride. My right ankle / talus bone was out of place for many years, effecting my foot strike during running, walking, standing, squatting. While the talus bone is now in the correct place, I need to train my foot's behavior and strengthen my tendons to ensure it is strong enough to do what is meant to do (and not move outwards like it has been doing for years). I feel like the Glycerin is helping me with this, as it has great mid-foot to fore-foot transition. *The Glycerin's uppers does have a nice mid-foot feel, where it has a nice "hug" around my foot. Cons: *It's a little pricey, but I honestly think it is worth the money. "

Dizziness · Apr 3, 2015

25 mpw came from the adidas Supernova Classic

Comfort: 4/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

5/5

Overall

higher arch than most neutral shoes, and coupled with orthotics get some unneeded pressure on the arches for the first week or two in the shoe.

2020mexican · Mar 22, 2015

30 mpw came from the Brooks Defyance 5

Comfort: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

5/5

Overall

Great.

Anonymous runner · Mar 21, 2015

40 mpw came from the Nike Air Pegasus+ 30

Comfort: 3/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 4/5

Reader review

5/5

Overall

I've been running since 1979. Knee surgery ten years ago and two foot surgeries in the last six years. This is absolutely the best shoe I have ever had!!! My feet feel the best now since 2007! Brooks has done a great job.

Anonymous runner · Sep 22, 2014

45 mpw training for a half marathon