Brooks Glycerin 22 Performance Review

The Brooks Glycerin 22 releases in early February 2025 and continues a long-running, high cushion line. It tends to be the favorite Brooks daily trainer among our running reviewers mostly because of its all-around comfort. While that all-around comfort hasn’t changed with the 22nd iteration, several technical aspects of the shoe have.

Let’s take a look at what’s different and how the Brooks Glycerin 22 performs on the roads.

What is the Brooks Glycerin 22?

According to Brooks, you’ll “feel limitless in this super-soft running shoe”, and “softness has never been this powerful. Experience DNA Tuned, our new nitrogen-infused cushioning in the midsole that delivers plush landings and responsive toe-offs with every step.”

That’s some good marketing speak, but it does tell us that the cushioning on the Brooks Glycerin 22 is all new. DNA Tuned, the same type of foam used in the Brooks Glycerin Max, replaces DNA LOFT v3 (another nitrogen-infused foam). Brooks also says it’s created using dual-cell technology. That means larger cells of foam in the heel help with cushioning heavy heel landings, while smaller cells in the forefoot improve responsiveness when pushing off the ground.

We loved the way DNA Tuned made the forefoot of the Brooks Glycerin Max something special, so it’s exciting to see it translated into one of Brooks’ standard-bearing daily running shoes.

The midsole sculpting is also new and signals that Brooks is working on making its shoes look sleeker and faster, likely trying to appeal to a young demographic while hoping they don’t alienate longtime fans. The new sculpting looks good and still looks Brooks-y while bringing some pizazz to the table.

The outsole is different, with a looping pattern replacing the more traditional pattern from the Glycerin 21. There’s slightly more rubber coverage at the midfoot but the rest of the foot is covered in a similar manner to last year’s version. There are still plenty of flex grooves to keep this highly cushioned shoe flexible and adaptable to the wearer’s footstrike.

And finally, the upper still brings that plush feel of a Brooks Glycerin but used an engineered double jacquard knit upper in place of last year’s engineered warp knit upper. Though Brooks talks about it being different, it’s similar to last year’s fit and feel in practice.

How did the Brooks Glycerin 22 perform?

“Feels a lot like last year” is probably my headline for the Brooks Glycerin 22. The midsole is a little bouncier in the forefoot thanks to the DNA Tuned cushion, but heel and midfoot strikes offer lots of protection and some squish (but not too much). And this is all done without any extra foam underfoot versus last year’s Glycerin 21…which is what many brands resort to in order to add that extra squish.

Also, unlike some other brands’ comparable models but like its forebears, the Glycerin 22 can pick up speed when necessary. That’s a nice bonus that other daily trainers priced at $160-170 don’t always have. Speeding up won’t feel easy like it does in more speed-focused shoes; but once you get to cruising speed, the Glycerin 22 does well at maintaining the chosen speed.

Below the new midsole, the outsole feels pretty much the same in terms of traction in various conditions. I did see wear accumulating quickly in my high wear areas, so long-term durability looks to be less than the Glycerin 21 and Glycerin 20. There is still enough rubber to last a long while, but topping 400 miles may not be in the cards for this year’s model.

Finally, the upper. It feels different to the touch but on-foot maintains that Brooks feeling of padded plushness all around. I like the reworked heel collar and elasticized pull tab (both basically copied from the awesome heel collar of the Asics Gel-Nimbus 25, 26, and 27), and the comfort around the ankle is fantastic. Normally, I’d chide a brand for stealing a feature…But, since this is done to take ankle and heel comfort to the next level, I’ll forgive it (though Asics might not, lol).

Pros

• All-around comfort
• Bouncy DNA Tuned forefoot
• Stable, plush heel for soft landings
• Super plush heel collar and pull tab

Cons

• Outsole durability

Is the Brooks Glycerin 22 wide foot friendly?

The length of the Brooks Glycerin 22 was true-to-size, and length/width was consistent with Glycerins of the past. The ample room in the forefoot means some wide-footers will get by going true-to-size in the standard width. Wide (2E) and extra wide (4E) versions will be available as is typical for the Glycerin line.

Is the Brooks Glycerin 22 worth $165?

With $165 being the new going price for highly cushioned daily trainers, the Brooks Glycerin 22 delivers enough value to justify the price.

However, it’s not all that different from the Glycerin 21. So I’d recommend continuing to buy the Glycerin 21 until you can’t find it anymore and then move over to the Glycerin 22. True, the Glycerin 22 is slightly better, but you’ll be able to save good money by waiting a few more months for the extra forefoot bounce.

Brooks Glycerin 22 Summary

The Brooks Glycerin 22 is another strong entry in the Glycerin line and will take its usual place as WearTesters’ favorite daily trainer in the traditional Brooks lineup. The forefoot bounce basically ensures that and overcomes the slight decrease in outsole durability. The Glycerin 22 continues to be a reliable, accommodating, and plush daily trainer, and we’ll once again see it on a lot of runners’ feet in 2025.

How does the Author Run?

Drew Whitcomb (age 43, 6’6″ 195lbs): Runs daily with a once a week rest day. Runs a lot of miles due to testing needs and a growing affinity for long-distance races. Regularly competes in marathons, half-marathons, 10k, and 5k races.

Annie Keris (age 39, 5’0” 117lbs): Typically follows a “two days on, one day off” running routine. “On” days include daily miles, speed work, and long runs. An “off” day usually involves yoga and mobility/recovery work. Enjoys occasional racing but perhaps enjoys the training process even more. Gravitates most toward the half marathon distance, but ventures into the 10k and 5k as well. The marathon is thus far uncharted territory…

Disclosure

While Brooks did provide pairs of the Glycerin 22 to facilitate this review, the company had no involvement in this review, didn’t receive an advance look at it, and has not attempted to influence it.