Skip to content
SoleSuccessor

Brooks Glycerin 19 vs Glycerin 21

Two versions apart. Updated September 10, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.

Amazon links on this page pay us a commission. It never changes your price. Details

THE SHORT ANSWER

Two updates and 2 years separate the Brooks Glycerin 19 from the Glycerin 21. Net change: 0.4 oz lighter, 7 mm more heel stack, a new midsole, $10 more at list. The Glycerin 20 is where the character changed, and that is the update Glycerin 19 owners notice first.

Brooks Glycerin 19, men's shoe, side profile
Glycerin 19 · 2021
Brooks Glycerin 21, men's shoe, side profile
Glycerin 21 · 2023

The two updates in between

Each step has its own page with the full change list and the verdict on that update.

  1. Step 1Glycerin 19 to Glycerin 202022Changed character
  2. Step 2Glycerin 20 to Glycerin 212023Refined, same shoe

Glycerin 19 vs Glycerin 21: every spec, side by side

The net of both updates. Per-update change notes stay on the step pages above, because they explain changes measured from a different starting point than this table uses.

SpecGlycerin 19Glycerin 21
FIT AND WEIGHT
Weight10.2 oz9.8 oz
WidthsD, 2ED, 2E
UpperEngineered meshEngineered warp knit
CUSHIONING GEOMETRY
Heel stack31 mm38 mm
Forefoot stack21 mm28 mm
Drop10 mm10 mm
MATERIALS
MidsoleDNA Loft, softer densityNitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3
VALUE
List price at launch$150$160

Or buy the Glycerin 20 instead?

The Glycerin 20 is worth a look only if you want the ride it introduced, because that is the update that changed the shoe. Buying it to soften the jump does not work: you would be adapting to the same change either way, just at an older spec.

Buy the Glycerin 20

Sizes running out

Discontinued at retail. Amazon carries what remains, so treat an in-stock size as a closing window, and expect prices to swing.

Availability last checked Aug 3, 2026.

Questions runners ask

Can I go straight from the Brooks Glycerin 19 to the Glycerin 21 and skip the Glycerin 20?
Yes, but going Glycerin 19 to Glycerin 21 means taking one change in a single step: the Glycerin 20 is where the ride moved. Drop holds at 10 mm, so the difference is foam and fit rather than geometry: DNA Loft, softer density to Nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3.
How much did the weight change across these two updates?
0.4 oz off in total, 10.2 oz to 9.8 oz in a men's US 9. The Glycerin 20 took it to 10.5 oz first.
Is the Glycerin 20 the better buy than either of these?
On paper it splits them: 10.5 oz against 10.2 oz for the Glycerin 19 and 9.8 oz for the Glycerin 21, on a 34 mm heel and a $160 list price. Whether that is worth chasing depends on what the Glycerin 20 update actually did, which the section above works through.
Did the Glycerin get taller between the Glycerin 19 and the Glycerin 21?
Heel stack went 31 mm to 38 mm, by way of 34 mm on the Glycerin 20. Drop held at 10 mm throughout, so the extra foam sits under both ends.
Where does the Glycerin 21 sit in the Glycerin lineup now?
Two versions on from the Glycerin 19, and already replaced itself: the Glycerin 22 arrived in 2025. If you are shopping old stock anyway, price the Glycerin 21 against it before deciding.