What replaced the Brooks Glycerin 18?
Updated August 3, 2026. Specs are men's US 9.
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THE SHORT ANSWER
The Glycerin 19 replaced the 18 in February 2021. It kept the DNA Loft formula in a softer density on a wider platform, trimmed a little weight, and cost the same $150. The same season, Brooks killed the Transcend and folded it into this family as the Glycerin GTS 19, a GuideRails support variant of the same shoe.
- Brooks Glycerin 19Sizes running outMen's at AmazonWomen's
Availability last checked Aug 3, 2026. Prices and stock change without notice.
At a glance
- Weight is unchanged
- Drop is unchanged at 10 mm
- New midsole foam
Every spec side by side, with the reason behind each change: Glycerin 18 vs 19.
Stay on your shoe, or switch?
Refined, same shoeA gentle polish of a shoe Brooks was not ready to change. RoadTrailRun scored it up to 9.4 and said it gets almost nothing wrong, with the wider, softer midsole stealing the show; the dissent on the same review called it honed but flat and monotonous. Both were right. The 19 is remembered fondly as the last of the classic DNA Loft Glycerins, and remembered accurately as a bit lifeless.
Stick with the Glycerin 18 if
- You prefer the slightly firmer, narrower feel of the 18; the 19 is softer and wider
- Your 18s work and you see no reason to pay the same $150 for a small polish
Old stock is gone; see alternatives below.
Move to the Glycerin 19 if
- You want the plusher version of the same shoe with a roomier platform
- You ran in the Transcend; the Glycerin GTS 19 is where Brooks moved that shoe
Where the Brooks Glycerin is now
Four generations separate the Brooks Glycerin 18 from the Glycerin 23 (2026), so the gap is wider than any single update suggests:
- The Glycerin 23 is 0.4 oz heavier
- 7 mm more heel stack
- Drop moved from 10 mm to 8 mm
- New midsole foam
- List price up $25
What loyalists said about the update
Fondly remembered but with an asterisk. Years later, runners still cite the 19 as an early favorite (one called it their third real running shoe and said they loved it), while the same retrospectives describe the classic DNA Loft era as comfortable but dead underfoot. The bigger 2021 story was structural: Transcend owners lost their line and were pointed at the new Glycerin GTS 19.
Still want the original?
Buy remaining Glycerin 18 stock
Old stock goneAmazon's stock of the Brooks Glycerin 18is gone in both men's and women's sizes, and discontinued stock does not come back. The best current match is the Nike Vomero 18.
Ready to move on?
Beyond the Glycerin 19, these come closest to what the Glycerin 18 did.
- 10.5 oz
- 10 mm drop
- 46 mm heel
- $150 list
The Vomero is the other premium plush neutral, and reviewers run the head-to-head every year. The Vomero 18 is softer, taller and $25 cheaper at list; the Glycerin is firmer, smoother-rolling and less of a commitment to maximal stack.
Against your Brooks Glycerin 18: 0.3 oz heavier, 15 mm more heel stack, the same drop.
- 9.9 oz
- 8 mm drop
- 43.5 mm heel
- $165 list
The Nimbus is the pillowy take on the premium cruiser and the Glycerin is the composed one: firmer, lower, a touch heavier. Runners who find the Nimbus too tall and soft tend to get along with the Glycerin.
Against your Brooks Glycerin 18: 0.3 oz lighter, 12.5 mm more heel stack, 2 mm less drop, $15 more at list.
- 9 oz
- 6 mm drop
- 40 mm heel
- $170 list
The 1080 does the plush flagship job at nearly two ounces less weight, and it turned soft and bouncy with the v15 foam swap. The Glycerin is the steadier, more traditional ride of the two.
Against your Brooks Glycerin 18: 1.2 oz lighter, 9 mm more heel stack, 4 mm less drop, $20 more at list.
Questions runners ask
- Is the Brooks Glycerin 18 still available?
- No. Amazon's stock of the Brooks Glycerin 18 is gone in both men's and women's sizes, and old-model stock does not come back. Your move is the successor or a close alternative.
- Is the Glycerin 19 a downgrade from the Brooks Glycerin 18?
- No. Most runners rate the Glycerin 19 as the same shoe done slightly better. The changes are real but none of them alter what the shoe is.
- Is the Brooks Glycerin still made?
- Yes. The current version is the Brooks Glycerin 23, released in 2026, 5 versions on from the Brooks Glycerin 18.
- What is the closest current alternative to the Brooks Glycerin 18?
- The Nike Vomero 18. The Vomero is the other premium plush neutral, and reviewers run the head-to-head every year. The Vomero 18 is softer, taller and $25 cheaper at list; the Glycerin is firmer, smoother-rolling and less of a commitment to maximal stack.