Now that I’ve had my Glycerin 12‘s for a few months and have run a decent amount of miles in them, I feel like I’ve spent enough “quality time” with them to post my honest review of how I’m liking them.
For starters, they’re beauti-ful! I am so in love with the blue and purple combo!!!
These are my first pair of Brooks running sneakers, but not my first pair of Brooks kicks. Growing up I almost exclusively wore Brooks sneakers and already knew them to be well made and comfortable. Typically, my feet are pretty easy going when it comes to running sneakers. I have a neutral gait, medium arches and an average width so I’m pretty lucky there. But getting new sneakers is always a little bit of a gamble, especially if you are ordering online without trying them on in advance.
The Brooks website is a dream come true when it comes to fitting yourself for new sneakers. Not only will it suggest a sneaker based on your current running shoe,
But it will also assist you in finding the right size. All you do is click “show me how it fits” and you can choose your current sneaker from a huge list of options
and it will show you three different views of how the shoe you’ve chosen will fit in comparison:
So cool. But enough about the purchase process – let’s talk about the shoe!
The first two times I ran in them I ran on the treadmill just a couple miles. I did notice that my left foot seemed to slide slightly to the left in the shoe as I ran because I could feel the side of the insole and the sneaker. I attributed this to them being slightly wider than my old Saucony’s and didn’t worry too much about it. Since then I’ve run in them outside a few times, and haven’t noticed my foot sliding around at all, so now I’m wondering if it is more of an issue of my stride while on the treadmill rather than the shoe itself. Fortunately, I rarely run on the treadmill (unless forced 😉 ) so either way it’s pretty much a non-issue for me.
As for the review itself it’s going to be pretty short. I love them. They are lightweight and comfortable. I need a shoe with lots of cushion and these fit the bill perfectly. Now that I’m off the treadmill I don’t notice any slipping in the mid-foot at all and I feel like the transition from my Saucony’s has been flawless. I was expecting to have to switch back and forth a few times while my feet adjusted to the new sneakers but no – from the day they arrived I’ve run exclusively in my Glycerin 12’s.
And as weird as it might seem, one of my favourite things is that that have flat laces! After so many years of round laces that won’t stay tied it might seem like a small thing but such a welcome change!
Cons? Besides the initial foot slipping I have nothing negative to say. I got a little worried on my first long run (I jumped right from 3 miles on the treadmill to 7 miles outside after taking the winter off) when my feet started screaming at me during the last mile or so, but I crossed my fingers and hoped they were just mad due to the jump in mileage and not the new shoes. Since then I ran another long run (8 miles) without any issues at all so I think that it was the sudden increase in mileage that made my feet mad and not the shoes.
P.S. It was foot muscle pain, not bone or joint pain. When I got home I rolled my feet (which was super hurty!) but they immediately felt better.
I am so in love with these sneakers it’s crazy. I’ve got a pair of the Launch 2’s coming, I’m not sure if I’ll use them exclusively for running as a second pair, or if I’ll use them for more everyday use but if I go the running route, I’ll let you know how I’m liking them later this spring or summer.
Disclosure: I did receive these sneakers free of charge as part of my ambassadorship with Brooks Running Canada, however I was not expected to write a positive (or any) review of the sneakers. All opinions and views expressed are entirely my own, they are not for sale.