Brooks wasn’t messing around when they released their line up this year with two brand new shoes, which might be why they also decided to play it safe with the beloved Brooks Ghost 18.
We’ve already given you a preview of the Brooks Ghost Amp coming this Fall (so exciting) and done a full review on the new Brooks Glycerin Flex, basically their big WOW moments for the year. After that we’ve been sharing reviews of all the updates and now we wanted to give a heads up on the Ghost 18.
We know that a lot of you love this shoe and after some big changes last year will be relieved to hear this year is more about letting you settle in than throwing you for another curve.
Checkout our full review of the Ghost 18 now available>>
Brooks Ghost 18 Specifications
Here’s what we know about this shoe from our time talking with the Brooks team at The Running Event in San Antonio. As soon as we receive them for testing, you’ll get a complete review with any updates to weight or colorways!
- Heel toe drop: 10mm
- Weight: 9.0 oz women’s, 10.1 oz men’s
- Stack: 36 mm
- Available in six colors
- Available in Wide, Narrow and Extra Wide in select colorways
- Available from Brooksrunning.com for $150 in May 2026
See our current Brooks Ghost 17 review – as of right now we’d absolutely say stock up when it goes on sale since the changes appear to be minimal!
You may have also noticed the Brooks Ghost Trail review, they are really honing in on the love of this shoe to expand your options. Which is again why we think the Amp is going to be something a lot of folks love.
What’s New and Different in Ghost 18
The Ghost 16 to 17 had a big change when they went from the very traditional 12mm heel to toe drop to 10mm. Our team generally rejoiced this as it seems better for the mechanics of the majority of runners, but we know some Achilles struggling folks weren’t quite as happy.
That being said the team decided it wasn’t appropriate to make another big set of changes to the DNA Loft foam or anything else in the midsole.
I think this is partially because many haven’t yet upgraded from their older Brooks Ghosts and an off year of updates gives them a chance to keep the spotlight on the other shoes we mentioned above.
What they did focus on was changes to the upper and the tongue. Going with a light yarn upper (triple jacquard mesh) it should be more breathable which we always appreciate on longer runs and summer miles.
Additionally they made some adjustments to make the tongue more comfortable and ensure it stays in place. Small changes to the sock liner, a little bit of room to add volume to the forefoot and other little tweaks that we may need to feel versus get you super excited about with details.
Ghost is one of the top selling daily trainers and we think these updates will keep it there.
It’s got great rubber coverage, that moderate cushion and moderate stack to make it approachable for so many.
Who is This For?
- Wide Feet: Available in 4 different widths, so there’s an option for everyone.
- Heavier Runners: A stable ride underfoot, but you may want a shoe with more cushioning.
- Long Runs: It’s a winner for easy-paced, longer runs!
- Front of the Pack: While it won’t hold you back from tempo runs, it’s not a fast shoe.
All right that’s our Brooks Ghost 18 preview, short and sweet because this one isn’t over the top. Love to hear your thoughts from the 17 was it a hit for you with the updates or a miss because you liked the older versions?
Brooks Running Shoe Line Up
If you’ve ever wondered what the line up looks like because it feels like there are now A MILLION shoes from every brand, here’s a quick way to think about it:
- Brooks Ghost 17 (soon 18) – Moderate cushioned neutral daily trainer with 36mm stack height
- Brooks Ghost Max 3 – Max cushioned recovery run shoe or great walking shoe with 39mm stack height
- Brooks Glycerin 23 – Max cushion that can pick up the pace a little bit, has more bounce, more premium feel
- Brooks Glycerin Max 2 – Seriously cushioned and bouncy, more premium foam than Ghost
- Brooks Adrenaline 25 – Firmer feel of the shoes and can feel more stable
- Brooks Hyperion Max 3 – super trainer, lightweight, fastest of these training options
What to read next?
- Best Daily Trainers for Runners – that moderate cushion sweet spot
- 7 Best Lightweight Running Shoes | Amp Up Your Speed
- 9 Best Treadmill Running Shoes
Best Running Jackets for Women (All Weather Options)
I felt like the Ghost 17 was narrow in the toe area. I liked the style of the 16 better.
I ran on the Ghost since the Ghost 11. With the Ghost 17 I ran blisters on my left foot on the right side from the forefoot (part before toe starts). I switched to the Ghost Max 3. But these are not my shoes, too heavy. When the Ghost 18 is still to narrow, I will switch to other shoes from another brand.
Same experience for me. Have run on the Ghost since Ghost 11, never any issues until now with the Ghost 17 I get blisters in same area as you describe. Now looking for replacement from another brand as my trusted Ghosts are not the same.
I love Ghost Brooks , have the 17 now .. the thing I hate is color choice for women ! Always light colors like powder blue , white, peach or pink ! Terrible colors for anyone that walks or runs ! Where are the bright colors or Black with bright contrast ? The shoe colors are like for wearing inside ! Def need to change that . I won’t be buying 18 unless they get better color choices !
Like the Ghost 17 hated the 16 and despised the Ghost Max way too cushiony I sank in them too spongy the 17 is more firm which I love I get hip and butt pain and side if the knee if not firm enough each step is a struggle so far 17 is the best I found in all brands
17s were unwearable for me after years of LOVING the prior Ghosts. Before that I wore Launch. But the new one was cut higher and scraped by ankles in a way that made them unusable. The tongue was also hard to control (it didn’t flatten out well) and was also “scrapey” … in other words, in rubbed the wrong way. I was SOOOO surprised. I love the look. I bought the white/rose gold/black ones and was beyond excited to wear them (it never even occurred to me that I would be able to). In fact, I wanted them to work for me so badly that I kept them for a month and did some treadmill runs and elliptical indoors in an effort to learn to love them. Finally yesterday I went online and got a return label. I was so sad. I will give the 18s a try, but now I’m a little worried….
KMM
I’ve been with Ghost since the 11. The 17s are unwearable. The collar is too high and there’s something weird about the cushion and tongue. I wanted to love them because of the lower drop. Nope. I searched the internet like crazy and found a pair of 16s to hold me over until the Amps come out. Fingers crossed. Also, the colors for the 17 and 18 are just downright ugly so the 18 doesn’t even tempt me in the slightest. I bought 5-6 pairs of the 15s that I didn’t even “need” because there were so many cool purple variations.