Glycerin 21 vs Triumph 24

The Brooks Glycerin 21 is a max-cushion daily training shoe built for one job: making your everyday miles feel soft, calm and comfortable. This is the plush end of the Brooks range, a neutral running shoe that leans into cushioning rather than speed. At 280g it is not light, and it will not snap you through a fast finish, but that was never the point. What you get is a deep, forgiving underfoot feel that holds up well over long easy runs and recovery days, and a 10mm drop that suits heel and midfoot strikers alike. We rate it as a dependable cruiser for runners who want protection and a smooth, quiet ride over anything sharp or racy. If the £165 price gives you pause, the cheaper Brooks Ghost 16 covers similar daily duty with a touch less plush. But if soft comfort is what you are after, the Glycerin delivers it honestly.

The Saucony Triumph 24 is the brand's plush, do-everything max-cushion running shoe, the one you reach for when comfort matters more than the clock. At 250g with a towering 43mm heel stack, it is genuinely light for how much foam sits underfoot, and that is the story here. The new IncrediLUX A-TPU midsole is the soft, springy kind of cushioning that soaks up long miles without feeling dead or mushy. This is a neutral daily training shoe built for easy runs, recovery days and marathon-distance base miles, not a firm tempo tool and not a racer. In a max-cushion field that includes the Nike Vomero 18 and the Asics Gel Nimbus 28, the Triumph 24 leans into a livelier, bouncier ride than most. We rate it as one of the most comfortable plush trainers you can buy, as long as you want cushioning first and speed second.