Brooks Glycerin Max vs Brooks Glycerin Max 2:
Which to Choose

Start with what's identical: both are 6/6 maximum cushion, both use nitrogen-infused DNA Tuned foam, both run plateless with a GlideRoll rocker, both cap out honestly around 5:15–5:30 min/km before the foam goes vague, and both are unabashed comfort tools rather than speed shoes. The changes in the Max 2 are real but incremental. The biggest is the foam layout: the original uses a uniformly soft, pillowy tune that soaks up impact, while the Max 2 goes dual-cell — a plusher heel for soft landings paired with a firmer forefoot that keeps toe-off from feeling mushy. The Max 2 also sits taller and rides higher-drop: roughly 45mm heel / 37mm forefoot at an 8mm measured offset, versus about 42mm heel / 36mm forefoot at 6mm on the original (both are marketed at 6mm). That extra height and a more padded triple jacquard air-mesh upper push weight up too — the Max 2 lands around 318g in a men's US 9, a bit heavier than the original's ~305g, so it feels like the more substantial shoe underfoot. Where it gets interesting is stability and range. On paper you'd expect the successor to be steadier, but the original actually grades as the more planted, stable-neutral shoe (5/6) with a broad base that quietly settles the stack, while the taller Max 2 is a straight neutral ride (4/6) that can feel slightly tippy in quick direction changes. The original is also rated for longer efforts — its sweet spot stretches to the marathon-comfort long run — whereas the Max 2's happy zone lands at 10K to half distances run relaxed. In short: the Max 2 trades a touch of the original's soft, planted, go-long character for a firmer, more defined forefoot push and a more rockered, higher-drop feel.