ShoeGeometry

Brooks Glycerin Flex vs Hoka Mach 7

Two shoes compared on measured geometry. Each cell carries a provenance badge; open a shoe for sources.

heel boneBrooks Glycerin Flex: heel 36 mm, forefoot 30 mm (drop 6 mm); toe rocker 39 % of length, radius 61 % of length; heel bevel 10 % of length, 13 mm high at the back, ending behind the heel bone (only the back edge is rounded).Brooks Glycerin Flex: toe rocker 39 % of lengthHoka Mach 7: heel 37 mm, forefoot 32 mm (drop 5 mm); toe rocker 38 % of length, radius 45 % of length; heel bevel 10 % of length, 17 mm high at the back, ending behind the heel bone (only the back edge is rounded).Hoka Mach 7: toe rocker 38 % of length
  • Brooks Glycerin Flex36/30 mm · toe rocker 39 % · heel bevel 10 %
  • Hoka Mach 737/32 mm · toe rocker 38 % · heel bevel 10 %
Illustrative profiles, not photographs: drawn from published stack heights and photo estimates of the unloaded shoes on a common length (300 mm), heels aligned, toe to the left; dots mark where each toe rocker starts; the dotted vertical line is under the heel bone (12 % of length), so a heel curve reaching past it is a bevel in front of the heel bone. Dotted lines use typical values where a shoe has no measurement. Exact values are in the table below.

Which suits you

If you wantPickBecause
A smoother roll at toe-offHoka Mach 738.6 vs 38 % toe rocker; 41.9 vs 47.6 mm toe tip
More cushioning under the heelAbout the same36 vs 37 mm heel stack
More under the forefootHoka Mach 730 vs 32 mm forefoot stack
A lower dropHoka Mach 76 vs 5 mm drop
A stiffer, snappier forefootHoka Mach 722 vs 33 /100 stiffness
A firmer, more stable feelAbout the same75 vs 82 /100 firmness
A wider base under the forefootAbout the same115.7 vs 115.5 mm forefoot base
Less weightHoka Mach 7250 vs 241 g

From the values below, with differences inside measurement noise shown as about the same. This describes the shoes, not what is right for your feet; comfort in the first few runs decides.

MetricBrooks Glycerin Flex
Daily trainer · Road
Hoka Mach 7
Daily trainer · Road
Heel-to-toe drop6 mmDerived5 mmDerived
Heel stack36 mmStated37 mmStated
Forefoot stack30 mmStated32 mmStated
Weight250 gStated241 gStated
Toe rocker39 %est.38 %est.
Rocker radius61 %est.45 %est.
Rocker rise angle24 degest.28 degest.
Rocker angle at toe49 degest.54 degest.
Toe tip over ground42 mm*est.48 mmest.
Visible rocker lift onset72.6 %est.73.8 %est.
Toe spring (relative)17.2 %est.20.1 %est.
Heel bevel length9.6 %est.9.7 %est.
Heel bevel height13 mm*est.17 mmest.
Midsole width (forefoot)115.7 mmMeasured115.5 mmMeasured
Midsole width (heel)97.2 mmMeasured93.3 mmMeasured
Toe box shape74 %est.—
Interior forefoot width93.9 mmMeasured92.5 mmMeasured
Toebox width69.1 mmMeasured72.9 mmMeasured
Longitudinal stiffness22Derived33Derived
Midsole firmness75Derived82Derived
PlateNo plateNo plate
Primary foamDNA Tuned (dual-density supercritical)supercritical EVA
List price$170$145

Key differences

  • Brooks Glycerin Flex's heel-to-toe drop is 6 mm, 1 mm higher than Hoka Mach 7's 5 mm.
  • Brooks Glycerin Flex's heel stack is 36 mm, 1 mm thinner than Hoka Mach 7's 37 mm.
  • Brooks Glycerin Flex's forefoot stack is 30 mm, 2 mm thinner than Hoka Mach 7's 32 mm.
  • Brooks Glycerin Flex's weight is 250 g, 9 g heavier than Hoka Mach 7's 241 g.
  • Toe rocker is about the same: 39 % of length for Brooks Glycerin Flex, 38 % of length for Hoka Mach 7.

Read more about both shoes

We measure the shape. For how they feel over many miles, and for lab tests of cushioning, grip and fit:

Brooks Glycerin Flex

Hoka Mach 7

Independent sites; we are not affiliated with them.

Brooks Glycerin Flex details · Hoka Mach 7 details · Add more shoes