A few months ago, I perused a comments blog where people were surprised that the world record holder in marathon, Haile Gabresalasie, with a slight figure of 125 pound trains in the heavily cushioned trainers from his sponsors. His response to questions about this was that he needed the cushioning to keep his feet secure for the long mileage he covers. This design niche is covered by the Brooks Glycerin 8 and I wanted to if my feet could be protected by this cushioned shoe during the winter.
This eighth edition of the popular trainers come equipped with a new cushioning technology called Books DNA. This is a cushioning system which helps in adjusting the runner's speed and size while offering a customized cushioning level. While this has already been tried by other shoe makers using electronic gadgetry and computer chips, the Brooks DNA system comprises of a Newtonian Fluid which works by distributing the ever-changing pressure from the strike of your foot to increase running comfort.
This means that the shoe can firm up as needed when running fast and soften during slow runs. Always the skeptic, I always prefer trying out any new technology in shoes and give my own judgment after clocking some miles with them on the road. When test running this shoe, I covered close to 83 miles on snow, ice, crushed gravel and asphalt and here is my take
These shoes are sized accurately and the interior is very plush with a roomy toebox. The amount of room afforded through the rest of the shoe can accommodate the thicker socks used during winter. The glycerin 8's arch is a little smaller than previous ones and the new DNA cushioning gives the shoes a soft feel that was not previously associated with Brooks's shoes. Almost one ounce of weight has been added to this shoes' new edition hence the Glycerin 8 weigh about 12.7 ounces.
For any shoe, the upper consists of any material attached onto the midsole or foot bed and in this regard, brooks went all the way with the designs. The sides of the upper feature fancy graphics, there is enough room for breathability while enough protection is provided for the winter. Brooks used a tongue free from any features apart from enough cushioning to protection the foot's top while being held in place by flat oval laces.
This is where the benefits of the DNA technology get into play. Most of the time, neutral trainers with a lot of cushioning feel bulky and unresponsive on the feet. I was pleasantly surprised after the first run to discover that not only was the midsole well cushioned, but also offered some bounce. My earlier skepticism had been unfounded; this technology offered me just the correct degree of cushioning to sustain my long runs. Some support for pronation is added by the soft layer of EVA foam sandwiched in the firmer layer. The there is a rigid piece of plastic in the midsole to enhance its rigidity hence limiting the amount of twisting that can occur during the gait cycle. Some runners prefer this kind of rigidity while others want a softer one for easier transition from the toe to heel.
The glycerin 8 has drop of 10mm from toe to heel, a slight reduction from previous models.
Brooks uses the same outsole from previous versions. The flexibility of the outsole is enhanced by splitting it into compartments. The material used is hard wearing carbon which hardly exhibited any wear after long use. Other reviews of the shoe had claims that outsole easily falls apart and wears down quickly. I noticed none of these on my shoes after putting in about 80 miles.
The glycerin 8 is a maximum shoe with enough cushioning to give the athlete a stylish shoe with good mileage. At $130, the shoe is clearly not for minimalists and it is in the same bracket as Nike Vomeros and Asics Gel. A fantastic cushioning blend is offered by the Brooks DNA technology, it is well distributed and was the perfect blend of soft and firm. This cushioning is a little firmer than the Vomeros but softer than the Asics gel nimbus.
Brooks continues leading with their ecologically designed Brooks Glycerin 8 shoes since they are the only shoe makers using biodegradable soles. The material used, BioMoGo, degrades many times faster than those from other manufacturers. I hope that knowing that your Brooks running shoes won't be posing as a hazard for over 20,000 years will comfort you.
