A new shoe launch is always interesting for us at Men’s Running. I’ve been to so many now that I know the drill well – however I wasn’t prepared for the top-secret invite that arrived in my inbox from the good people at Brooks. Wednesday 7 June was to be the day for the big reveal, and I’d be whisked off to Malaga for the pleasure. It’s a hard life, but someone had to do it.
The day arrived and I jetted off on an early-morning flight from Gatwick with a handful of other British journalists. Upon landing we were taken to a Malaga hotel to gather with a group of European sports journalists for what we thought would be a standard pre-demo, press conference.
Brooks management team gave a brief presentation announcing a massive endorsement deal with two runners. Myself and the other journalists googled these two athletes frantically, confused that we didn’t recognise them. Finally we realised they weren’t actually top athletes, just regular runners – just like you and me. It was then that all hell broke loose…
Brooks were on a mission to show us that when you lace up their Glycerin 15 running shoes, we should all feel as fabulous as big shot athletes.
To make sure we were feeling the love, they kitted us out with top to toe Brooks kit, including a pair of Glycerins of course. We were then told that for the next 24 hours we would be treated like rock star athletes, and be transported from the downtown Malaga hotel to a super luxury hotel in the hills above Marbella.
To get the full superstar experience, we were ushered to the hotel in a stretch limo, hounded by ‘paparazzo’ all the way, and taken for a mountain road run to test the Glycerin 15. Stepping out of the hotel foyer onto immaculately manicured lawns, our next transport arrived – two helicopters, of course.
We were whisked skyward over the millionaires playground of Puerto Banus, and touched down in the mountains for a cheeky 7K run down to a waiting speedboat on the harbour, naturally. The sun was out, and there are worse places to run with your colleagues than the twisty tarmac running between the leafy mansions of Marbella down to the harbour.
The shoe didn’t disappoint. If you know Brooks, then you know that the fit is exactly the same each time a new shoe slips on. The Glycerin 15 is a neutral shoe with a 10mm mid-sole drop. I’m a mid-foot striker, and I found that a combination of the Super DNA midsole cushioning with the plush transition zone on the sole eased my stride from mid foot to toe each step. It just felt natural and smooth from the off. Actually, because of this DNA midsole cushioning, the drop didn’t feel much different to my normal 5/7mm personal preference. The new air mesh upper gives plenty of ventilation while maintaining a snug streamlined fit. Straight out of the box the Glycerin 15 delivered on Brooks promise to deliver a ‘custom made’ feel and adapt to the way I run.
Post-run, we were ushered back into the limo and driven down to Puerto Banus for dinner at a particularly nice restaurant where the ‘paps’ had been waiting for us, drawing a crowd in the process. How surreal it felt to step out of the car and see flash bulbs and iphones going off all over the place as regular folk craned their necks to get a glimpse of the ‘stars’… Us! Strange, but I could definitely get used to it.
Before we knew it, Thursday came, the limo turned back into a pumpkin, and it was time to go back to reality standing in the customs queue at Malaga airport. I wouldn’t have changed a single moment of the last 24 hours though – and we got to keep the Glycerin 15s. Nice!
Want to know what all the fuss is about? Visit www.brooksathlete.com to become a Brooks endorsed athlete. In addition to bragging rights, you’ll receive a contract and access to exclusive content from Brooks experts.
