
If you are in a training block where clocking high mileage is the priority or running a hundred-day streak, a comfortably cushioned shoe is your ally.  Right from its inception, the Brooks Glycerin series is known for its soft cushioned, and comfortable ride. Glycerin series is one of the first running shoes to use gel pads to offer a softer ride. In its 18th edition, Brooks Glycerin 18 continues to uphold its original goal. 

Glycerin 18 is a well-cushioned, neutral, everyday running shoe that is built to last. It performs exceedingly well on easy, long runs, and even marathon-paced efforts.

##### What makes up Brooks Glycerin?

<ShoeCard shoeCode="007003018M"></ShoeCard>

**Midsole**

The Glycerin uses a full-length DNA LOFT midsole. DNA LOFT is a modern foam, a mix of EVA foam, rubber, and air. Air adds the softness and rubber brings durability to otherwise traditional EVA foam. First introduced in Glycerin 16, DNA LOFT is the softest foam among the foams offered by Brooks. It is heavier compared to DNA Flash (which is the lightest). So don’t expect it to be used for speed work or racing.  If you are looking for speed check out, DNA Flash foam, which is used in Brooks [Hyperion Tempo (check our review](https://shoegeeks.in/review/brooks-hyperiontempo-007006000/)).  

**Upper**

Upper is an engineered mesh, and is stretchy, and is highly breathable.

**Bottom sole**

Brooks has used a durable rubber outsole. This rubber offers an excellent grip on dry road surfaces. 

<div class="col-12 col-md-6 px-1">
    <LightBox src="/images/bg-heelpadding.jpg" caption="Plush and breathable upper" alt="" ></LightBox>
</div>
<div class="col-12 col-md-6 px-1">
    <LightBox src="/images/bg-bottomsole.jpg" caption="Bottom sole offers very good traction" alt="" ></LightBox>
</div>

**Stack Height**

With 31mm at the heel and 21m at the forefoot, the shoe offers a 10mm offset, which works very well for midfoot and heel strikers alike.

**Weight**

At 290g (in US size 9) it is on the median when it comes to neutral daily trainers.  The Nike Pegasus series also weighs around the same. 

##### Why did I consider this shoe?

My quest for a worthy successor to Ghost 13 ended with Glycerin18. **The right amount of cushioning, comfortable fit, and durability were my key asks **from the Ghost’s successor. All I wanted was a comfortable pair of daily trainers that I would predominantly use for my **easy, MAF** and **weekend long runs**. 

The Glycerin18 looked great; its design would offend no one. I read some rave reviews about how comfortable the Glycerin18 is and with Glycerin19 in the market now, there were some great discounts on offer so it was an easy decision to make. 

##### Ride In Glycerin

At the time of writing this review, I have clocked 100kms on the Glycerin. I have used it for the weekend long runs, easy and recovery runs.  These shoes are great for long slow distance runs, MAF sessions, short recovery runs, and marathon paced runs. At higher paces, the ride feels a tad squishy – it lacks the pop and feedback that a fresh pair of Pegasus offers. The build of the midsole prioritizes comfort and cushioning over energy return so I would not use them for any tempo or interval sessions. There is absolutely no feet fatigue at the end of a long run thanks to the supremely well-cushioned midsole and airy upper. 

##### Fit & Comfort

The fit is so great that you wonder whether the shoes are trying to adapt themselves to hug the feet once you wear them. With a wide toe box, your feet are going to be absolutely comfortable during long runs. There is absolutely no heel slippage or feet movement inside the shoe when you run. Right from the word go, they feel comfortable – I did a short treadmill run before taking them on a 21K long run and they behaved very well! 

<div class="col-12 col-md-6 px-1">
    <LightBox src="/images/bg-forefoot.jpg" caption="Wide toe box offers excellent room for the foot" alt="" ></LightBox>
</div>
<div class="col-12 col-md-6 px-1">
    <LightBox src="/images/bg-rear.jpg" caption="Heel is well padded and supports well" alt="" ></LightBox>
</div>

##### Stability

Glycerin 18 is a neutral road running shoe. It offers a degree of stability, that you can consider as a stable neutral trainer, but if you are in the market for high levels of stability (pronation control), you can give it a miss. 

##### Road Grip

The shoe offers great comfort and cushioning that you would expect from a premium daily trainer with superior grip and traction. I wore them for a 21K and ran in the rain -  on wet tarmac and slushy patches. At one point I had to make a quick maneuver to save myself from a reckless biker and the shoes held themselves nicely preventing a slip and fall.

##### Aesthetics

The Glycerin18 looks great; its design would offend no one. The shoe scores top marks for the look, especially in the red colorway that I have. The design is sleek and has a universal appeal; it does not look chunky like the Ghost. After the rainy day run where it gathered some dirt and mud on it, all I did was wipe it with a damp cloth and it was all good. 

Disclaimer: I am somewhat of a Brooks fanboy but this is as neutral a review as it gets :-).

##### Review Summary

<ReviewSummaryCard shoeCode="007003018M"></ReviewSummaryCard>

<ProsCard
  title="PROS"
  pros={[
    "Works great as a neutral daily trainer.",  
    "Plush ride without letting you lose the ground feel.",
    "Looks & fits great; wide toe box and no heel slip.",
    "Very durable and built to last.",
  ]}
/>

<ConsCard
  title="CONS"
  cons={[
    "The midsole is not as responsive as some of its competition.",
    "A bit on the heavier side, and not suitable for speedwork.",
    "Relatively expensive & availability.",
  ]}
/>

<InfoCard title="RECOMMENDATION">
 There is a lot going for this shoe – be it the comfortable ride, near-perfect fit, grip, and traction it offers, or the sheer good look.  Recommended for easy/ long runs. Can also be used for marathon-paced effort. However, this is definitely not a race day shoe so you’d need another pair for speedwork (I use Hyperion Tempo) and races (a carbon plated beauty, maybe?).  
</InfoCard>


A comfortable daily trainer for those long and easy runs

Brooks Glycerin 18


The trend of the high-stack and maximalist shoes has really caught up.  Runners who want to go the distance and yet like the comfort of cushioning prefer the maximalist shoes. In the past, only drawback used to be the weight because of high-stack. But the modern lightweight foams allowed the shoe designers to increase the height of the midsole and yet keep the shoe weight in check. Till recently maximalist shoes have been high-priced super shoes.  

__Saucony Axon brings the high stack design (35mm) to entry-level segment__. Axon is the new addition to Saucony's budget line-up landing at ₹ 6500 - 7500 (within 100 $) in India. At this price point and with its stack height, Axon has no competition in its segment. Axon has far more cushioning than any other shoe in this segment. It has a clear advantage over its competition such as Brooks Revel 5, Nike WinFlo 8, Asics Evo Ride, and other budget-neutral trainers. 

##### What makes up Saucony Axon?

Axon uses a rocker design inspired by Saucony’s Endorphin line of shoes.  If you keep Endorphin Shift and Axon side by side, you can see the similarities very clearly. Rocker design allows the foot to move smoothly, despite the higher and inflexible midsole.

<ShoeCard shoeCode="006011000M"></ShoeCard>

**Midsole**  
Saucony Axon uses generous amounts of PWRRUN foam which is a lightweight EVA foam. It is the same foam used in [Saucony Kinvara 12 (check out our review)](https://shoegeeks.in/review/saucony-kinvara12-006003012/). PWRRUN foam is much firmer and denser compared to PWRUN+ foam used in [Saucony Hurricane 23 (check out our review)](https://shoegeeks.in/review/saucony-hurricane23-006007023/). So don’t expect too much bounce. Midsole stack height is 35mm under the heel and is 31mm under the toes, with a 4mm heel-to-toe drop.

**Upper**  
The upper unit of Axon is a very simple, breathable, mesh. There are no overlays and keeps the weight in check. The published weight of the shoe for US 9 Men is 264g and for the women is 232g. This mesh is light and moves well with your foot as you move in the run.

**Heel**  
There is plenty of padding at the heel, which locks the heel very well.

**Bottom sole**  
Saucony has used a durable rubber outsole. This rubber offers an excellent grip on dry road surfaces. 

<div class="row">
    <div class="col-6 px-1">
        <LightBox src="/images/sax-heel.jpg" caption="Heel fits well and is stable" alt="" ></LightBox>
    </div>
    <div class="col-6 px-1">
        <LightBox src="/images/sax-bottomsole.jpg" caption="Bottom sole is good for dry road surfaces" alt="" ></LightBox>
    </div>
</div>

##### Why did I consider this shoe?

In the past, most of my shoes lacked the cushioning for me to comfortably run longer distances beyond 21 Kms. With that in mind, Saucony Axon hits the mark well. With all that cushioning under the foot and quality PWRRUN foam, I was able to use it comfortably for 5, 10, and 21 KMs. I also was able to dial-up speeds for tempo and fartleks due to the roll design. It feels very good and 'natural on foot' on the longer runs and recovery days. 

##### Ride In Axon

I got the 'Future Pink' and loved the initial impression. I have run 100+ Kms in this shoe already. So far, I have used this shoe for Easy runs, Tempo Runs, and Long runs. I am yet to run a race in this. It is value-oriented 'Training shoes', and is reasonably versatile.

##### Fit & Comfort

When I put them on, I loved the cushion but was surprised about the balance from the heel to the toe. On the initial run in them, I went for a 16 KM run with 5 KM  at tempo pace. It was not a scheduled run, but I wanted to see what would happen with some tempo and distance. They were great and felt like they were already broken in and ready to go. When I first ran in it, it did feel like on the firmer side, but when you start running, and when you get it underfoot, it softens up quite a bit, with a really nice underfoot experience. 

Midsole cushioning is very comfortable, effortless feel on foot. You can use it for a wide variety of training needs. Bounce is decent, and makes you go faster, and yet stable. The post-run feel in Axon is really smooth. No blisters or soreness.  

<div class="row">
    <div class="col-6 px-1">
        <LightBox src="/images/sax-forefoot.jpg" caption="Roomy toe box" alt="" ></LightBox>
    </div>
    <div class="col-6 px-1">
        <LightBox src="/images/sax-topview.jpg" caption="Upper mesh is highly breathable" alt="" ></LightBox>
    </div>
</div>


##### Road Grip

The shoe is very good for road running. I have also run on a fairly wet surface, and there were no issues with the grip so far. However, this shoe is best for dry surfaces. If you usually run on dry surfaces, you should absolutely look into getting a pair of these as an option for your running closet.

##### Aesthetics

I have picked up 'Future Pink' and it is absolutely gorgeous! It has a sleek and breathable air-mesh. It is easy to clean as well.

##### Review Summary

<ReviewSummaryCard shoeCode="006011000M"></ReviewSummaryCard>

<ProsCard
  title="PROS"
  pros={[
    "An execellent price point for a maxiamlist shoe.",  
    "Plenty of cushioning that makes those long runs very comfortable.",
    "Rocker design, that also lets you go fast for those speed sessions.",
    "The upper mesh is very breathable.",
  ]}
/>

<ConsCard
  title="CONS"
  cons={[
    "It is a bit stiff initially, but softens up quite a bit as you break-in.",
    "Traction on wet surfaces can be better.",
  ]}
/>

<InfoCard title="RECOMMENDATION">
    Axon is is a maximalist shoe in the budget. If you are looking for a high value trainer with comfort during long runs as the primary objective, and yet want to have some speed, then Axon is highly recommeneded.
</InfoCard>


Saucony Axon is maximally cushioned neutral shoe in the budget. It has a rocker design, balancing comfort and smoother ride for those longer runs.

Saucony Axon Review

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Reviews

Brooks Glycerin 18

Saucony Axon Review