Brooks Glycerin 21

Name: Brooks Glycerin 21
Brand: Brooks
Rating: 4.5 (8 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 9.4 oz · 28/18mm stack · 10mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Glycerin 22 replaced it

How it ranks

The Brooks Glycerin 21 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Comfort and durability are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating is based on 19 runner reviews and 12 other rated shoes in the Glycerin product line.

Excellent

Overall

Excellent 93

Comfort

Exceptional 97

Durability

Exceptional 97

Cushioning

Excellent 96

Appearance

Good 80

Value

Decent 79

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 is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

91 High

High 91

External retailer ratings

We break apart ratings from mass-market retailers and specialty running shops since they serve different audiences.

The middle of the bar marks the typical shoe at each type of retailer. The dot shows where this shoe ranks in comparison.

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

What runners say

“These shoes are so comfortable, I could sleep in them.”

4/5 Full review 15 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 27

“These are a bit soft in that department so I had to purchase a new pair of shoes before the usual amount of miles.”

4/5 Full review 15 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 27

“Cushioning is good and firm.”

5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860 v13

“The Brooks Glycerin 21 meets all those needs.”

5/5 Full review 55 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 28

“Heel striking not cushioning as advertised.”

2/5 Full review 6 mpw came from the Brooks Ghost 16

Prefer this shoe over another

57% 4/7

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Oct 22.

Pros

Reviewers praise the comfort, and one calls the cushioning good and firm.
Durability averages 4.5 out of 5, and one reviewer logs 40 miles a week for ten weeks without trouble.
One reviewer at 72 and another who describes themselves as heavy both say it lets them get their mileage in.

Cons

Appearance and value are the weakest dimensions, at 4.2 out of 5 each.
One heavier reviewer wears the sole out before the usual mileage, and another says it does not cushion a heel strike as advertised.

Glycerin 21 rates 93. This shoe has high confidence. 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

76 2014 83 89 2016 86 81 2017 88 91 2019 85 92 2021 94 93 2023 91 95 2026

Release year

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

Glycerin 23

2026 · 4 reviews

95 Excellent

75 Confidence
Glycerin 22

2025 · 4 reviews

91 Very good

77 Confidence
Glycerin 21 This shoe

2023 · 19 reviews

93 Excellent

91 Confidence
Glycerin 20

2022 · 50 reviews

94 Excellent

98 Confidence
Glycerin 19

2021 · 4 reviews

92 Very good

80 Confidence
Glycerin 18

2020 · 2 reviews

85 Good

80 Confidence
Glycerin 17

2019 · 21 reviews

91 Very good

96 Confidence
Glycerin 16

2018 · 21 reviews

88 Good

96 Confidence
Glycerin 15

2017 · 17 reviews

81 Good

96 Confidence
Glycerin 14

2017 · 3 reviews

86 Good

86 Confidence
Glycerin 13

2016 · 3 reviews

89 Good

84 Confidence
Glycerin 12

2014 · 27 reviews

83 Good

96 Confidence
Glycerin 11

2014 · 16 reviews

76 Decent

90 Confidence

Runner Ratings

19 ratings

5/5 13

4/5 5

3/5 0

2/5 1

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 9.4 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 10.0 oz · Women's 8.8 oz
Release: 2023 Q4
Stack: 28/18mm
Drop: 10mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Solid Trainer

5/5

Overall

Great everyday trainer, definitely not the fastest shoe, but definitely a reliable choice

Anonymous runner · Feb 3, 2025

30 mpw training for 5K and 10K

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

5/5

Overall

Anonymous runner · Dec 8, 2024

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

Excellent Shoe, Firm Cushioning

5/5

Overall

I’ll definitely buy these again. Solid trainers. No issues running 40 miles/week for 10 weeks. Good traction on most surfaces. Cushioning is good and firm. Some trainers make it feel like you’re running on a sponge. Not these ones.

Anonymous runner · Dec 7, 2024

40 mpw training for 5K and 10K came from the New Balance Fresh Foam X 860 v13

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

Great sure, love the fit, feel and performance.

5/5

Overall

I’ve always struggled to find a good running shoe that fits my feet in width for the toe box and heel and still provide comfort, cushioning, and durability. The Brooks Glycerin 21 Mets all those needs.

Anonymous runner · Nov 16, 2024

55 mpw training for a marathon came from the Mizuno Wave Rider 28