Puma Magnify Nitro 3 vs Brooks Glycerin 22:
Which to Choose

Start with the specs, because they're remarkably close: both sit around a 39–40mm heel stack (Magnify roughly 40/30, Glycerin roughly 39/29), both run a traditional 10mm drop, both use a nitrogen-infused midsole foam (Puma's dual-layer Nitro versus Brooks' DNA Tuned) with no plate, and both lean on a wide, sidewall-supported base for neutral stability without any medial post. That means the cushioning depth, the heel-toe geometry, and the "soft but grounded, not propulsive" character are genuinely the same tier — neither is plusher or more protective in any way that would decide a purchase. The two real separators are weight and ride personality. The Magnify Nitro 3 is the lighter shoe, landing around 260g versus roughly 289g (about 10.2 oz) for the men's Glycerin 22 — close to a full ounce, which the Puma spends on feeling a touch more nimble and grounded underfoot, with a firmer, more rolling turnover that holds together slightly better when you nudge the pace. The Glycerin, in turn, trades that weight for a softer, more pillowed step-in and a famously accommodating, comfort-first upper; it's the more forgiving, plush-feeling of the two for pure easy mileage, where the Magnify reads as a hair more settled and businesslike. Both go flat past about 5:00 min/km — neither is a tempo or 5K tool — so they're not competing on speed, they're competing on how you want your easy and long runs to feel.