Brooks Ghost 17 Review

Comfort and Fit

The Ghost 17 utilizes plush padding and soft-touch materials to offer ample comfort for your feet. There's an elevated pull tab that makes slipping the shoe on easy and prevents the heel collar from rubbing against the Achilles. The heel cup is rigid, meant to provide support. We didn't find it uncomfortable during testing. Along the top of the shoe, where it dips under the ankle, there's a stiff material inside the shoe that felt a little odd on the first run. We believe it's intended to provide heel lockdown, but we're unsure if it's necessary.

The tongue is padded and not gusseted, but we didn't experience any issues with it moving during our runs. The lacing system is simple and effective, allowing for easy lockdown. We didn't experience slipping during testing. The interior of the shoe is pretty soft, and it feels good on the foot.

Length sizing is accurate. The toe box runs a little narrow, and our pinky toe would come into contact with the edge of the shoe, particularly when wearing thicker socks. This causes some minor rubbing. The midfoot of the shoe is average, as is the heel. Brooks offers the shoe in narrow, medium (which we tested), wide, and extra wide. We recommend runners with even slightly wider-than-average forefeet try before they buy, as the wide size might be a better option.

Cushioning

The Ghost 17 has mediocre cushioning; it is solid, even if it doesn't stand out in any way. It's a significant improvement over the previous iteration, which we found to be choppy and lacking adequate forefoot protection. Brooks increased the stack height of the 17, moving to 37mm at the heel with an 11mm drop to the forefoot. The slightly increased protection under the forefoot makes a huge difference. The shoe felt a little firmer than the average shoe in our lineup, but didn't leave our legs feeling any more beat up than usual. The Ghost 17 isn't a shoe we'd choose for recovery days when we want a ton of insulation for sore legs, but it's perfectly fine for everyday running.

The firmer midsole foam gives the Ghost a planted feel. When paired with the snug and pretty structured upper and some minor sidewalls along the inside of the heel and arch, it's a pretty stable and supportive shoe. It's no stability shoe, but we think runners who prefer some support will like the way the Ghost feels, especially when compared to other daily trainers that feel a bit looser.

Pace changes aren't really the Ghost 17's forte. While the midsole foam has a bit more resilience than standard EVA, it doesn't feel exceptionally responsive during the run. If anything, we think this version is actually less responsive than the previous model. It rolls more smoothly underfoot, but feels a little less direct, responding slightly slower to changes in pace.

Breathability

The plush and comfortable upper comes at a cost. It's a fairly hot shoe with poor breathability, making it a less-than-ideal choice for summer running. Especially in the midfoot section, our feet got much sweatier than usual.

Traction

On the other hand, the Ghost 17's traction is above average. There's a lot of rubber outsole, providing great grip throughout the footstrike. The grooved pattern provides good bite on loose surfaces, such as crushed gravel or snow, and the small siping in the lugs helps with wet traction. We had no issues on wet and cold pavement or any other surfaces.

Should You Buy the Brooks Ghost 17?

We think this is the best version of the Ghost in a long time. If you're a committed Ghost fan, this is a great purchase. If you're a runner looking for a reliable and straightforward comfortable shoe, or a new runner, we think the Ghost is a solid choice. While it may not offer the fun and engaging running experience of key competitors, it's supportive, stable, and predictable, making it a great choice for runners who are less concerned about pace changes or bouncy rides than they are just getting through the first few runs. However, we believe some competitors offer more value, providing improved comfort or versatility at the same price or cheaper.

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