REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable upper
Stable ride
Good traction
REASONS TO AVOID
Harsh ride
Unresponsive
Heavy
Brooks Ghost 15 Review
A comfortable upper is the best part of this shoe, but it feels dated compared to competitors
Credit: Brooks
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Our Verdict
If you're looking for a comfortable upper and a reliable, no-frills daily trainer, the Brooks Ghost 15 is an option. The lower, traditional stack height provides decent stability with enough cushioning to get the job done. Unfortunately, we think the forefoot padding is significantly too thin, and the overall ride is much harsher than the competition. It's not a bad shoe, but there are better, more enjoyable options for the money. We think this is a solid pick for walking or just wearing around, but not for serious running.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Ghost is a classic shoe that hasn't changed much over the years. It's a great option for wearing around and standing in, but once you start running, we think the ride falls short compared to modern competition. The upper is fantastic, offering a luxurious feel and great retention, even if it does run a little warm.
Performance Comparison
We prefer the Ghost as a casual shoe for running errands - not running roads.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Cushioning and Landing Comfort
Brooks markets this shoe as a high-cushioning daily trainer. We disagree. Compared to our favorite daily trainers, the Ghost 15 has a slightly lower stack height, particularly in the forefoot. We measured 35mm in the heel and 23mm in the forefoot, giving 12mm of drop. The heel cushioning is adequate but harder than we'd expect. The forefoot cushioning is almost laughably poor.
When landing mid to forefoot at faster paces, we consistently felt rock strikes, and our lower legs took a beating from the lack of impact mitigation. That's not a feeling we should have in a shoe with 35mm of foam and a 12mm drop. In fact, this shoe felt significantly more fatiguing on our lower legs than a lower, zero-drop shoe.
We thought the cushioning on this shoe was the worst in the test. It was passable when landing farther back on our heels, but far from the soft and smooth ride we expect from a shoe with 35mm of modern, DNA Loft V2 foam. Instead, it was harsh and overly firm.
On the other hand, this shoe provides great agility. We thought it did well at landing on uneven surfaces, providing enough stiffness that we were comfortable maintaining pace. Similarly, the traction provided by the rubber outsole is solid. If you're a heel-striker and aren't expecting a soft ride, then you won't be disappointed (but you probably won't be blown away, either). Mid/forefoot strikers should avoid this shoe.
For how much foam is underfoot, we thought the Ghost had very poor levels of cushioning, especially in the forefoot.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Responsiveness
When a shoe has firmer foam and a lower stack, we expect it to feel responsive. Unfortunately, that isn't the case here. Sure, it doesn't get in the way when you initially start to put power down. However, the significant weight of the Ghost 15 quickly starts to get in the way at faster paces.
The Ghost feels heavy and clunky at threshold paces and actively worked against us at paces faster than that. To be fair, our testers like a snappy shoe for workouts — but we also have had better experiences at 5K paces in heavy, maximally cushioned trainers than we had in the Ghost. Unfortunately, the firm ride compromises comfort but does nothing to aid in the shoe's responsiveness.
It's not soft... and it's not responsive either. The Ghost feels clunky and brick-like at faster paces.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Stability
This shoe provides a good amount of stability for a neutral daily trainer. Thanks largely to the lower ride and stiffer foam, we felt that there was both good lateral stability on uneven terrain and good medial motion support as well. This isn't a stability shoe, but we would be comfortable recommending it to walkers who want a slightly more supportive ride.
For a reasonably narrow shoe, we felt the Ghost did a good job of providing some lateral support.
Credit: Jessica Riconscente
Upper Comfort
As much as we dislike the ride of this shoe, we love the upper. It isn't performance-oriented, but neither is the shoe. Instead, Brooks used a soft, padded material to line the interior. We never experienced any hotspots and thought the upper was great when wearing this shoe.
The soft heel collar and knit upper of the Ghost hugs our feet well and feels very comfortable.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
While the forefoot of the Ghost 15 is breathable, the rear runs a little warm on hot days. But lockdown is good through the forefoot and heel, and lacing is easy.
The forefoot of the shoe feels very breathable thanks to a little less material. The rear of the foot can get warm.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Weight
The luxurious upper comes with some weight penalties. Weighing in at 10.22 ounces for a men's size 10.5 US, this isn't a light daily trainer. But it also isn't outside the normal range for a shoe meant to be used for most runs.
While it might add weight, we appreciate the solid outsole. It provides good traction on a range of surfaces.
Credit: Nathaniel Bailey
Should You Buy the Brooks Ghost 15?
In short, we don't think you should buy this shoe for running. This is a comfortable shoe for walking in or spending all day on your feet, but it is not a great running shoe. We think there are significantly better options for most runners that also come in at a lower price point. This shoe fell to the bottom of our lineup based on its performance, although we did find the upper to be very comfortable and the ride to provide good stability.
What Other Running Shoes Should You Consider?
The Puma Velocity Nitro 3 is a great value option, providing a smooth and cushioned ride with good responsiveness that the Ghost does not. It's a great, affordable daily trainer. The Hoka Mach 6 is a more cushioned option that is a great all-around daily trainer.
—Nathaniel Bailey
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