It’s not hard to see what the fashionable approach to making running shoes is right now, because any sneaker you look at has a huge stack of foam in its midsole.
Almost all of the best running shoes released these days follow this maximalist trend, and I for one am a big fan of highly-cushioned shoes, many of which have rockers to roll you through your footstrike. This style of shoe is not to everyone’s taste however, and the stiff, rockered rides of these cushioned shoes are quite prescriptive in how they hold the foot and guide your frunning gait.
In a bid to create a more flexible, natural feel, Brooks has launched the Glycerin Flex running shoe today at The Running Event in San Antonio. It’s built to offer the comfortable ride the Glycerin line is known for, while also being more flexible and giving more feel for the ground while you run.
I tested the Brooks Glycerin Max out with a 10K at the launch event, and it certainly feels different to other cushioned shoes like the Brooks Glycerin Max 2 in particular. Here’s what you need to know about the shoe.
Brooks Glycerin Flex: Price and availability
The Brooks Glycerin Flex will cost $170 and will go on sale 1 February 2026. It’s priced in line with the standard model of the Brooks Glycerin, and is cheaper than the Brooks Glycerin Max 2.
The flexible ride is noticeable
To create the more natural ride of the Glycerin Flex Brooks uses grooves and cutouts on the outsole of the shoe, with the most important being a S-shaped groove in the midfoot that separates the heel and forefoot of the shoe so they can move independently.
I noticed the flex on the new shoe mostly when running at my easy pace, when I could feel the different parts of my forefoot hitting the ground, rolling through from the midfoot.
This allows your foot to roll through without the high level of guidance you get from very rockered shoes that are also usually quite stiff, so the foam in the midsole doesn’t flex or bend much.
I noticed the flex on the new shoe mostly when running at my easy pace, when I could feel the different parts of my forefoot hitting the ground, rolling through from the midfoot.
This extra ground feel isn’t necessarily a good or a bad thing, but in creating a different feel to most cushioned shoes out there, the Glycerin Flex stands out and will appeal to runners who don’t like the ride feel of highly rockered shoes.
It’s still a comfort-focused shoe
While flexible, the Brooks Glycerin Flex is not a minimalist shoe — with a stack height of 36mm at the heel and 30mm at the forefoot for a 6mm drop it offers a high level of cushioning and comfort, as you expect from a Glycerin shoe in general.
The midsole is made from Brooks’ DNA Tuned foam, which is also used in the Brooks Glycerin 22 and Glycerin Max 2. This is a dual-density foam that has a softer feel at the heel for comfortable landings, then a firmer, more responsive feel in the forefoot to give more energy to your toe-offs.
I found the shoe comfortable for a 10K run out of the box, and it’s also a naturally stable shoe that will be good for racking up a lot of easy miles in.
Reliable grip and a padded upper
The Glycerin Flex has a more flexible upper than Brooks’ other cushioned shoes, most notably having a less stiff internal counter, but it still offers the padding and comfort you expect from the brand. It held my foot securely on the run and the Glycerin Flex fit well in my normal running shoe size.
There is a thick layer of rubber on the outsole of the shoe that provided good grip on some slick paving during my first run, and it looks built to last many hundreds of miles.
Despite having quite a thick outsole the Glycerin Flex is quite a lightweight shoe at 8oz/227g for the women’s shoe and 8.8oz/249g for the men’s.
Brooks Glycerin Flex: Outlook
The Glycerin Flex is an interesting addition to the Brooks line-up and does offer a different feel for your daily training than most cushioned running shoes. It could be a good option for a running shoe rotation just to provide a different kind of impact on your body than a typical max-cushioned sneaker.
Crucially, it still offers the classic elements you expect from a Glycerin shoe, which is to say a lot of comfort and a naturally stable ride, as well as a durable design.
I’ll have more to say about the performance of the shoe in our full review once I’ve done a lot more running in it, but based on my first run, I’m looking forward to racking up the miles in the Brooks Glycerin Flex.
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