I am a novice runner at best, but thoroughly enjoy the sport so far. I started out using the Brooks Adrenalin series shoes and loved the comfort and durability. I decided after about my first year of running to step up to a "better" shoe and purchased the Glycerin 9. The shoes started out very comfortable, but with 30 miles (3 runs) I noticed holes in both shoe where the pinky toe rests. After shelling out $130 for these thing I was pissed to say the least. I had the shoes for 3-4 months before I even wore them the first time, so I cannot return them for a refund. I am struggling with buying Brooks shoes again (fearing their quality has disappeared). I would not recommend these shoes to anyone searching for quality an durability.