Brooks ghost 17

Brooks is launching the new Ghost 2 on June 17 – exactly one year after the introduction of the Ghost 16 and more than 2,5 years after the Ghost 15. Why all these numbers? Read on to find out why.

Workhorse

The Brooks Ghost series has always been known as a great all-round running shoe. No frills or special techniques, but just a comfortable neutral stable running shoe. A real workhorse, just make nice kilometers without having to think whether the shoe will continue to run well.

The downside? The shoe was used almost exclusively as a quiet endurance running shoe. The Ghost 15 also fell into that category and even stayed in the collection for a year and a half – quite a long time for a running shoe.

With the arrival of the DNA loft V2 in the Ghost 16, things changed. The shoe felt firm, but provided considerably more cushioning compared to the Ghost 15. In addition, the shoe 'came to life' when you started walking at a faster pace. A big improvement.

Now there is the Ghost 17.

Ghost 17, what's new?

Brooks has clearly thought about this shoe and has given it a thorough overhaul. The appearance has been thoroughly overhauled and the shoe now looks fresh and modern. Technically, the shoe has also changed considerably. The heel drop has gone from 12mm (classic endurance running shoe) to 10mm. This makes the shoe slightly more dynamic in the gait and it feels stable. In addition, the forefoot has been given 3mm extra foam and the heel 1mm extra. This ensures a comfortably soft shoe. The upper has also been slightly modified with a new type of mesh. This makes the shoe fit a little more tightly around the foot. The tongue has been slightly modified. The heel construction has been changed, giving it a better enclosure. New type of DNA Loft, V3 in this case. The foam is softer and more responsive.

How does the shoe run?

So much for the theory, but how does it feel in practice? Colleague Joris from RunX Haarlem tested the shoe extensively:

“As a true Brooks fanatic I ‘had’ to try the new Ghost 17 of course. When I put it on it was immediately clear that this is a Brooks shoe. Characteristic fit, comfortable around the foot. When running away the shoe feels different from the Ghost 16 that I normally run on. The shoe feels more active and what I really like is that the shoe rolls straight. In the past Brooks had a number of models that steered quite hard towards the big toe. This gave me an unstable feeling and sometimes even painful knees after a long run. The Ghost 17 goes nicely straight and therefore rolls very smoothly. You can feel that the shoe has more cushioning material, without it being a mushy, soft shoe. During a quiet long run the shoe feels comfortable around the foot. No real special features, except for the comfort of the cushioning. As soon as you start interval running with the shoe the shoe feels different. The feeling becomes a bit more direct and the shoe can be kept up to speed well and runs easily through the bends, even at higher speeds. All in all a very good update or should I say upgrade of the Ghost 16.”

Curious? The shoe will be available at RunX stores from June 2nd, so you can try it out for yourself and see if it is indeed a good successor to the Ghost 16.

The Brooks Ghost 17 at RunX