Shoe Review: Brooks Glycerin 4

Having bought this shoe during the recent Breakfast Bonding Run in Klang, I've had only 1 chance to run in them - a very fast 3 lapper with a visiting runner from the States. JC has natural speed (a very fast 5:30 lapper at the KLCC track) and being out of action for such a long time, I had so much problem keeping up with her. Indeed she was running a few steps ahead of me and was comfortably chatting while I was huffing and puffing away like the Big Bad Wolf. Anyway, I was too beat to pay too much attention to the shoes except that they felt very very responsive. This is a shoe to be worn for a fast 21K! A marathon? I guess it would suit many but I would know once I manage to put in some more runs. Meanwhile here's my take on the shoe after the second run.

Brand/Model/Price:
Brooks Glycerin 4 - RM258 after a 30% discount.

Construction:

It's weight is sub-12 oz which puts it lighter than the Pegasus '05 (a fave of mine). Built on Brooks' Universal Platform (which suits a neutral runner like me), there are large reflective strips on the front, lateral and medial, and rear sides of the shoe ensuring good visibility. Mesh throughout with minimal overlays. The HVAC insole is reportedly laced with silver to conduct heat away from the feet. I can vouch for the shoe's breathability. The laces, though longer than the ones that came with the Pegasus, are still short. Looks like I'll have to swap them with the NB's.

 

Feel:

Low-profile, firm to walk in, since it's not yet broken in. The Brooks distributor said that the hard HPR outsole in the heel results in better durability but at a firmer feel. When running, it wasn't so bad. The forefoot cushioning were pretty good - blown rubber combining with the Substance-257 midsole and the Hydroflow system. When worn, the shoes felt very light.

 

Break-in period:
Read in the RW forum that the break-in period is considerably long, so I'm definitely not there yet. But I hope it will turn a little softer.

Run:
KLCC 4-lapper. Weather was very cool, extremely nice to run. The first 2 laps were very easy while the last 2 were pretty tough. In my unfit state, I was gasping for air. Such is my present condition. Nevertheless I was pleased as punch that I completed the course just as the skies opened up. My lap times: 8:27 > 8:10 > 7:28 > 6:46, Avg 7:43 which wasn't so bad after all.. Total time was 30:52 which meant that I averaged 6-min pace over the 5.2K. Incidentally there was a slim and attractive caucasion girl who was running some intervals. I wanted to make some small talk but she was nowhere to be seen after I was through with my workout.

The shoes felt really good. The forefoot cushioning was very good - cushioned yet responsive. The heel too felt good. The whole package felt better than the Mizuno Maverick 4 which I was a bit disappointed with. With some breaking in, I think this shoe will be a performer especially over the half marathon distance. I'm going to continue wearing it for the next few runs and will observe the wear and tear at the heels (HPR Plus material) . This should be interesting as I wear out heels very quickly.

 

 

 

 

By the way the orange colour is the version brought into the country.