With the Ghost Trail, Brooks introduces a hybrid shoe that falls exactly between a road and a trail shoe. Thanks to the 3 mm tread, the shoe offers more grip than a road shoe, while the thicker sole retains the comfort of a long-distance running shoe. With this, Brooks targets runners who want to be able to run off-road with comfort.
Ultrarunner and RunX Groningen Ambassador Maurice Kram hopes to qualify for the Backyard Ultra World Championship and the UTMB next year and tested the new Brooks Ghost Trail for us. Read his experiences here:
As an ultra trail runner, I have a decent list of worn-in (trail) shoes, so I think I can give a good impression of the shoe. The moment I saw the shoe, I was immediately impressed; the dark blue color with the gold-bronze finish looks chic. I then tested the shoes by running from Roden to Groningen (on asphalt/off-road) and then participating in the Parkrun in the city park, a 5-kilometer off-road run.
Test
Upon unpacking, the stylish design immediately caught my eye: dark blue with gold-bronze accents gives the shoe a luxurious look. The comfort was also immediately noticeable upon putting it on. The slightly thicker tongue wraps the foot softly and securely without pressing. It had frozen overnight, so grip and stability were immediately put to the test. The route to the city park in Groningen is 15 kilometers, and I didn't experience any slippery conditions along the way. The shoe is also comfortable on the off-road sections around the Onlanden region. Throughout the entire run, you feel like you're wearing a running shoe. While trail shoes often feel a bit stiff or bumpy due to the coarse tread, this shoe feels like a regular endurance shoe.
Parkrun, a free event held every Saturday morning in Stadspark, takes place. You participate in a 5k route (three laps). The course was slippery and has many bends. When I started, I immediately noticed I could run faster than the other runners. Only on icy surfaces do you notice a slight decrease in grip. After three laps, I crossed the finish line in 17 minutes and 45 seconds. So, you can run at a good pace.
Ready to see how Snowflake works?
The Brooks Ghost Trail is an excellent shoe for those who enjoy off-road running, want to get into trail running, or don't want to worry about choosing different types of shoes. I think the shoe is best compared to the Hoka Bondi, only with more grip. Ideal for Dutch trails, cross-country runs, and winter endurance runs on slippery roads. For rugged mountain terrain, you need a stiffer, more technical shoe, but that's not what this shoe is designed for. Perhaps the biggest drawback is that the shoe looks so good, you almost don't dare to hit the trails!
Maurice
