Glycerin Max 2 vs Triumph 23

The Glycerin Max 2 is Brooks going all-in on soft, tall, protective cushioning. This is a max-cushion daily training shoe built for one job: swallowing up easy and recovery miles so your legs feel fresh the next day. With a 42.3mm heel stack and dual-density DNA Tuned foam underfoot, you sit high off the road and the landings are pillowy rather than snappy. At 305g it is a heavy running shoe, and it never pretends to be quick. There is no carbon plate and no pretence of speed. What you get instead is a big, forgiving platform and a smooth, rockered roll from heel to toe that keeps long slow runs comfortable well past the hour mark. In our view it sits at the plush end of the daily-trainer market, up against the Hoka Bondi 9 and Nike Vomero 18. If you want cushioning first and pace last, it delivers.

The Saucony Triumph 23 is the brand's premium max-cushion daily training shoe, built to soak up big weekly mileage in comfort rather than chase a fast time. It sits at the plush end of the neutral daily trainer market, with a tall 42.3mm heel stack and a soft, protective ride that rewards easy runs and long steady efforts. This is not a shoe you buy for speed. At 272g it is on the heavier side, and the 10mm drop plus generous cushioning steer it firmly towards comfort miles. What you get in return is a running shoe that stays kind to your legs at the end of a marathon block, when tired joints want padding more than pop. In our view it is one of the more dependable premium cushioned trainers you can buy, and a natural home for runners who log most of their week at conversational pace. If you already run the Triumph 22, the 23 is a familiar, refined step on.