New Balance Fresh Foam X Balos v1 vs Brooks Glycerin Max:
Which to Choose

On paper these two are near twins: identical 6mm drops, max (6/6) cushioning, above-average (4/6) responsiveness from soft non-super foams, no plate, and the same optimal easy-to-steady band of roughly 5:30–6:30 min/km. Both are cruisers that go vague if you push hard past about 5:15–5:30 min/km. The clearest real-world separator is weight: the Balos lands around 261g in a men's size 9 while the Glycerin Max is a notably heavier shoe at roughly 309g — close to a 50g gap — which the Balos uses to feel more willing to roll at a steady clip, while the Glycerin Max feels more substantial and planted underfoot. The second difference is stability. The Glycerin Max rates higher (5/6, stable-neutral) and leans on a broad base plus its GlideRoll rocker to steady the tall platform; the Balos is a straightforward neutral (4/6) that relies on a wide platform alone, so it feels a touch less locked-down for runners who wander under deep foam. Underfoot character is similar but not identical — the Glycerin Max's DNA Tuned nitrogen foam with its rocker gives a smooth, guided roll-through, while the Balos's Fresh Foam X feels pillowy and a little springier but less overtly rocker-driven. Finally, use case: both nail the half and full marathon at comfortable effort, but the Balos is rated down to 10K too, making it the slightly more versatile of the pair, whereas the Glycerin Max is focused squarely on the long, easy, marathon-comfort end.