After resisting the max-stack trend for a couple of years, Brooks has jumped in with both feet. The Brooks Ghost Max hits heights of 39mm at the heel and is the most cushioned shoe in the company’s range.

Though they share a name, the Brooks Ghost Max is quite different to the Brooks Ghost 15, and I found the Max both more comfortable and smoother to run in. It’s one of the best cushioned running shoes available, though it’s still bettered by other maxed-out options I rate as the best running shoes in this category, like the Asics Gel-Nimbus 25 or Saucony Triumph 21.

Brooks Ghost Max: Price And Availability

The Brooks Ghost Max launched in September 2023 in the US and goes on sale December 1st 2023 in the UK. It costs $150/£140, which is $10/£5 more than the price of the Brooks Ghost 15. However, the Ghost Max is actually at the cheaper end of its category, where many max-cushioned running shoes cost more than $160/£160.

How I Tested This Shoe

I've run 36 miles in the Brooks Ghost Max ahead of its UK embargo, using it for a mix of training including a 13-mile long run. I have also tested the Brooks Ghost 15 and older Ghost models, as well as the Brooks Glycerin 20, plus a wide range of the best cushioned running shoes available from other brands.

Design And Fit

Standing 39mm tall at the heel and 33mm at the forefoot, the Brooks Ghost Max is the most cushioned shoe Brooks has ever released. The regular Ghost 15 has a stack height of 35mm at the heel and 23mm at the forefoot, so the Max has more foam and a substantially lower drop of 6mm, compared with 12mm on the Ghost 15.

Despite all the extra foam you get, especially under the forefoot, the Ghost Max is not that heavy at 10.7oz/304g in my UK 9 (the Ghost 15 is 10.5oz/297g in the same size). The foam used is Brooks DNA Loft v2, which is fairly soft but not particularly bouncy.

The GlideRoll Rocker geometry in the shoe is designed to create a smooth transition from heel to toe and ease the impact of running on your legs. High stacks can make running shoes feel unstable, so the Ghost Max has small sidewalls of foam and a broad base to counteract this.  There’s also an internal heel counter to help with stability. The rocker and a groove running through the outsole also help to support a neutral transition from heel to toe.

Most of the outsole is covered with a thick layer of rubber that has gripped well on wet pavements covered with slick leaves. This outsole should be durable and I’ve seen zero signs of wear after 36 miles in the shoe, and Brooks’s DNA Loft v2 foam is also known for being long-lasting.

The engineered mesh upper has a lot of padding around the collar and tongue. The Ghost Max fit me well in my normal running shoe size, the same size I have for the Ghost 15 and Glycerin 20.

Running Performance

The first shoe to use the moniker Max in Brooks’s range was the Brooks Hyperion Max, which is not at all a max-cushioned shoe. If anything it’s quite a low-profile option.

The Ghost Max lives up to its name, though, and feels very cushioned and comfortable to run in. The rocker is the star of the show though, because it creates a smooth and agile ride that belies the size of the shoe.

It feels great when rolling through long and easy runs. I particularly enjoyed using it on my Sunday long run of 13 miles, especially on flatter sections when the Ghost Max helped me to tick along on tired legs after a big training week.

It’s not a speed-focused shoe, but when I have run faster in the Ghost Max it’s performed OK. I did a progression run finishing at around 6min/mile pace and ran long sections of the half marathon I did in the shoe at 6min 25sec/mile pace, and it didn’t feel too big and heavy. 

I’d certainly pair it in a running shoe rotation with a faster, lighter shoe, but newer runners and those less concerned about speed could use the Brooks Ghost Max as an all-rounder.

The foam is not as soft and springy as some, like Nike’s ZoomX or the FF Blast+ in the Asics Gel-Nimbus 25, but it is comfortable and this slightly firmer feel helps with stability. If you have no concerns about stability, however, there are max-cushioned shoes with livelier, more enjoyable rides, like the Gel-Nimbus 25 or Puma Magnify Nitro 2.

Brooks Ghost Max Vs Brooks Ghost 15

The lower drop and rocker on the Ghost Max give it a much smoother ride than that of the Ghost 15. The Ghost Max is more comfortable too, especially under the forefoot, owing to the greater amount of foam

While the Ghost 15 will remain popular as one of the few 12mm drop shoes on the market, I much prefer the smoother feel of the Ghost Max, which is more in line with the wider trend of giving cushioned shoes high stacks and rockers. I’d prefer to use the Ghost Max for any type of run and it’s certainly more comfortable over long distances.

Is The Brooks Ghost Max Worth It?

The Brooks Ghost Max is one of the top options for those seeking a stable max-cushioned shoe, whether you want an easy-run option to add to a rotation or a protective all-rounder. I rate it among the best Brooks running shoes as the best cushioned option, because it’s better all-round than the Ghost 15 and a bit more comfortable than the Brooks Glycerin 20, though the DNA Loft v3 foam in the Glycerin has a bit more rebound to it on faster efforts. 

Part of me thinks it might be worth holding out to see if Brooks launches a Glycerin Max in the near future, because I do think the foam in the Glycerin is a little more impressive and it would be interesting to find out how it feels with a bigger stack.

There are some excellent max-cushioned shoes out there already though, and I prefer the Asics Gel-Nimbus 25 to the Ghost Max, because of the slightly softer and springier ride of the Asics. The Saucony Triumph 21 is another great option and one of the most versatile max-stack shoes if you want a highly cushioned shoe to use for everything, including faster runs.

Both of those are more expensive than the Ghost Max though; the main rival around its price is the Puma Magnify Nitro 2. The Puma has a more impressive, bouncier foam than the Ghost Max, and it also has an outstanding outsole. The Ghost Max rocker creates a smoother ride though and it is probably a touch more comfortable, especially under the forefoot.

For 15 years the Brooks Ghost line has proved popular with runners of all levels. It’s not a flashy choice and it’s rarely one I’d add to my list of the best running shoes, but it’s a reliably comfortable and durable daily trainer.

As a result, it’s not a shoe that Brooks tends to make sweeping changes to. And despite a new midsole foam, that remains the case with the Ghost 15, which feels and looks very similar to past versions of the shoe.

Brooks Ghost 15: Price And Availability

The Brooks Ghost 15 went on sale in November 2022 through Brooks and third-party retailers, and it costs $140 in the US and £130 in the UK. That’s the same as the original RRP of the 14 .

That price puts it in the mid-range of Brooks running shoes, with prices ranging from $85 to $250 in the US for the Brooks Hyperion Elite 3, and £100 to £155 for the latest Brooks Glycerin in the UK.

Design And Fit

The main change Brooks has made with the Ghost 15 is that the midsole is now made from a softer and lighter version of the company’s DNA Loft v2 foam, which in turn is lighter, softer and less dense than the foam used on the Ghost 14.

To confuse matters, this is not the nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3 foam used on the Brooks Glycerin 20, another very popular shoe line.  

Otherwise the Ghost 15 sticks to the Ghost 14 blueprint. It has the same 12mm drop from heel to toe, which is higher than on most contemporary shoes, and the same thick rubber outsole with Brooks’s segmented crash pad, which is designed to smooth the transition through your footstrike.

The upper has been tweaked to provide a more secure fit, but feels similar to me, with ample cushioning around the heel and collar, and a solid-plastic heel counter to create more stability. The Brooks 15 comes in a wide range of sizes and widths, and fits me true to size.

I was hoping the Ghost 15 would be lighter, but at 10.4oz/297g in my UK 9 it’s a very similar weight to the Ghost 14, so any improvements in the ride would need to come from the updated midsole. 

How I Tested This Shoe

I have run 52km in the Brooks Ghost 15, using it for a variety of training runs at easy and steady paces. I have also tested several past versions of the Ghost, along with the Brooks Glycerin 20.

Running Performance

I am a big fan of the Brooks Glycerin 20 and hoped that the new Ghost would also use DNA Loft v3 in its midsole, so was disappointed to see it had stuck with the DNA Loft v2. However, a softer, lighter version of DNA Loft v2 still appealed.

On my first couple of runs in the Ghost 15 it did seem a little softer than its predecessor, and also smoother in the transition from heel to toe. After extended testing, however, I felt that softness disappeared, and while it’s not uncomfortable at all, the shoe feels very similar to the Ghost 14.

It’s good for easy runs, as long as you appreciate the higher-than-average 12mm drop. The cushioning is not squishy or particularly bouncy, but it protected my legs well and the outsole is excellent, providing reliable grip on wet pavements covered in leaves.

I did not find the Ghost 15 versatile though. It was cumbersome when I tried to move beyond easy paces, even just to steady or tempo efforts, and the foam gives little back when you are running quickly. 

It doesn’t feel like much has changed in the shoe at all, and while long-term fans of the Ghost line will be pleased about that, it means the shoe has fallen further behind in a market full of innovative daily trainers that use livelier, lighter foams (such as the nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3), or even insert a plate into the midsole to create a more propulsive ride.

Is The Brooks Ghost 15 Worth It?

The Ghost 15 will do the job as a durable shoe that you can use to rack up easy miles, and it’s a good pick for newer runners who value protection from the impact of pavement-pounding. But even in this area there are several shoes I rate more highly, and there are many better daily trainers that are more versatile.

If you’re looking for a cushioned, protective shoe then the Brooks Glycerin 20 and Saucony Triumph 20 both have more enjoyable rides than the Ghost 15 while protecting the legs just as well. For cushioned daily trainers, the Puma Velocity Nitro 2, Nike Pegasus 39 and Reebok Floatride Energy 4 are all cheaper than the Brooks Ghost 15 and outperform it for any kind of run.

The Ghost 15 will probably remain one of the most popular shoes available by virtue of its high level of step-in comfort and deserved reputation for reliability, and if you’re an existing fan of the line the new shoe will suit you well. For me, however, there are simply better options out there that make use of the advances in midsole materials in particular to create more enjoyable and versatile shoes.

Brooks Ghost 15 vs Brooks Ghost 14

On paper the Brooks Ghost 15 seems a substantial update on the Brooks Ghost 14, the brand having changed the midsole material to a new version of its DNA Loft v2. Brooks says the foam on the Ghost 15 is lighter, softer and less dense than the one used on the Ghost 14, all of which sounds great. However, in practice I didn’t really feel much difference in the ride, and the Ghost 15 weighs a very similar amount to the Ghost 14 and has the same 12mm drop.

It’s the same story with the changes made to the upper of the shoe, which has been tweaked to improve the fit. Once again I didn’t really notice this change, and both the Ghost 14 and Ghost 15 fit me well in my normal running shoe size.

Overall the two shoes performed the same role equally well for me during my testing, and both will work fine as a workhorse daily trainer with a higher drop than most shoes on the market. I’d look to snag a deal on the older Ghost 14 if you can, since it’s more likely to be in sales than the newer shoe and is equally good.

This review was first published in December 2022

They say that once you turn left on a plane, you never go back to economy. I can’t testify to that, having never turned left on a plane, but I will say that having experienced the feel of Brooks’s latest DNA Loft foam – the DNA Loft V3 cushioning in the outlandish-looking, limited-edition Aurora-BL shoe – it’s hard to go back to the more basic version of the foam.

That more basic version is what you’ll find in the midsole of the Ghost 14, and that’s a pity, because I hoped this might be the first major Brooks shoe to feature the new nitrogen-injected EVA DNA Loft v3 – ideally in a more traditional-looking shoe than the Aurora-BL.

There are some updates on the previous edition of the Ghost. The midsole is entirely DNA Loft, rather than a mix of that and the firmer BioGoMoDNA foam. It’s also Brooks’s first carbon-neutral shoe, with recycled materials reducing the environmental impact of making it, and the company offsetting any carbon emissions produced.

But in reality the Ghost 14 reverts to type. The long-running line is well established as a cushioned daily training option that is also versatile enough to tackle some faster running, but leans more towards comfort over pure speed. If anything, the Ghost 14 has tilted further towards comfort. That leaves it in an awkward spot, since Brooks’s Glycerin 19 is more comfortable if you are after that cushioned feel, while many other brands’ shoes offer more versatility.

I’ve run around 85km in the Ghost, the bulk of that being easy and steady runs during a period of relatively high-mileage marathon training. This should be the shoe’s bread and butter, since it offers plenty of protection while still having a little speed in there for steadier paces, but mostly I finished runs wanting more from the Ghost 14.

It didn’t feel as plush and comfy during easy runs as the Glycerin or the Nike Invincible, while on steadier efforts it didn’t have the lively ride you’ll find on other daily trainers like the Hoka Mach 4, New Balance’s FuelCell Rebel v2 or Fresh Foam 1080v11, or the Puma Velocity Nitro. I found all of those shoes more or less as comfortable as the Ghost 14, but with the advantage of having more responsive foams in the midsoles.

Then there’s the Brooks Aurora-BL and its modern take on DNA Loft cushioning, which again offers a faster, more impressive ride than the Ghost 14 while still being comfortable for long runs.

The Ghost 14 gets the job done, and it has a great upper that holds the foot snugly and an outsole that gripped well for me in all conditions on the road as well as canal towpaths. But it’s a shoe that lacks pizzazz, and Brooks doled out pizzazz in spades with the Aurora-BL.

If you’re a long-term fan of the Ghost line, rest assured that the 14 will tick the same boxes as past versions. It’s a highly cushioned daily trainer that offers step-in comfort and will last you many miles. However, the Ghost 14 lacks the wow factor at a time when there are many terrific alternatives available.

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“If Goldilocks ran, this would be her shoe,” is how Brooks rounds off its description of the Ghost 11 running shoe, a neutral daily trainer that aims to hit the sweet spot between cushioning and responsiveness, making it an equally good pick for easy runs and tempo efforts.

Of course Brooks is not the only manufacturer aiming for the Goldilocks zone with their best running shoes – it’s been a bumper year for all-rounder running shoes. We loved the cushioning on the Saucony Ride ISO, while the Nike Zoom Pegasus Turbo blew us away with its soft, responsive ride, and the Asics Dynaflyte 3 shone over long distances.

However, there’s a reason the Ghost line has long been one of the most popular in this bracket. The 11th edition of the shoe is keeping pace with the fierce competition and even makes a compelling case for being the best cushioned daily trainer out there.

The first time I ran in the Ghost I switched to it halfway through a 10K training run, having covered the first 5K in Brooks’ highly-cushioned Glycerin 16. I love the plush comfort of the Glycerin 16, but as soon as I swapped it for the Ghost the Glycerin’s speed-related shortcomings were made clear. The Ghost is no lightweight racer, but it has a speedy heel-to-toe transition and feels far more responsive than the Glycerin, which is purely designed for comfort.

That said, the Ghost is still on the cushioned end of the daily trainer range. The Nike Pegasus and Pegasus Turbo are lighter and feel better suited to races and fast training sessions, as does the Saucony Ride ISO. The Ghost feels lighter on the foot than its 300g-plus weight, but I wouldn’t reach for it ahead of a 5K or a track session, while the Pegasus Turbo in particular is a responsive all-rounder that shines on race day.

What it loses on that front, however, the Ghost makes up for when it comes to easy running, with ample cushioning and a smooth ride, I suspect that’s especially true for heel strikers like myself. Heavy, slow runners will be well supported by the Ghost on long runs, and runners of all stripes will feel comfortable racking up big mileage in it at a range of speeds.

The mesh upper offers a close fit without being at all oppressive, and for those who truly hate wet feet there’s a waterproof version of the Ghost with a Gore-Tex upper. Just remember that waterproofing will quickly turn against you if you splash through a puddle deep enough that the water gets into your shoe via the ankle.

In a year stacked with impressive all-rounders, where you rank the Ghost 11 among them will depend heavily on your running style. Lightweight runners constantly lining up for races might find it a mite too sluggish compared to other options, but as a comfortable shoe for everyday running that is also fit for tackling the occasional race and speed session, it’s an excellent pick.

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