The Brooks Ghost 16 is the latest version of one of the most popular running shoes in the world, and it’s a significant update on the Ghost 15, featuring an all-new midsole made from the DNA Loft v3 foam seen on the Brooks Glycerin 21. Mike, Kieran and Nick have all be racking up the miles for our full Brooks Ghost 16 review; here’s their verdict on the shoe.
JUMP STRAIGHT IN:
00:00 – Intro
00:15 – Design & Key Stats
01:38 – How’s The Fit
04:57 – The Run Test
13:12 – Verdict & Alternatives
Subscribe to The Run Testers for more running gear reviews:
https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRunTesters?sub_confirmation=1
Brooks Glycerin 21 Review:
Saucony Triumph 22 Review:
Hello and welcome to run testers my name Is Nick and this is our full review of The Brooks ghost [Music] 16 the ghost 16 is the latest version of The very popular Brooks running shoe It's one of the most popular running Shoes out there as a neutral daily Trainer that has a lot of appeal for Newo runners in particular normally his Popularity means that Brooks doesn't Make very significant changes to the Ghost but this year the has been a big Change of all new midsole shoe cost £ 135 in the UK $140 in the US it's a fair Bit lighter than the ghost 15 weighing In at 280 G or 9.9 o and it's got a 12 Mm drop which is the same as the ghost 15 it's one of the signature features of The ghost line that it has a very high Drop compared to most the other shoes on The market these days everyone's moved More towards kind of 6 to 10 mm over This 12 mm as I mentioned the main Change to the shoe is the new Mido which Is Brooks's DNA Loft V3 phone which is The phone that's been used on the Brooks Glycerin 20 and 20 1 it is a nitrogen Injected EVA foam as opposed to the more Standard EVA foam used on past models of The Brooks which was DNA Loft V2 it's a Lighter foam softer gives you a bit more Energy return as well so all around it's A better phone you've got an engineered
Mesh upper which is pretty thick not the Most reable upper on the market there Lots of padding on the tongue and loads Around the collar you've got a really Stiff and noticeable internal heel Counter which we will be talking more About in the rest of this review now You've got a road Tac rubber outsole Which is made from a mix of rubber and Recycled silica pretty good coverage There with a very thick thick layer and All the key impact areas so durability Is going to be very good with this shoe As you'd always expect from the ghost [Music] Line on fit then I ran in my regular Brooks running shoe size which is UK 8 And a half and overall I found these Good true to size and there's a good Amount of space at the end of the toe But it's got good thumbs width there There's a nice kind of clearance across The top of the toes there's plenty of Wiggle room for these kind of stretchy Kind of flexy uppers and that is also True as you go back into this section Across with the toen knuckles where I Feel held and secure but there is enough Stretch and flex here it doesn't feel Tight and pinching it just feels nicely Held same back up into the lace here I've got good lace locked down across The top of the midfoot I had no slipping My foot feels really nice and secure but
Unrestricted and as you come further Back up you've got these big plush Padded tongues take away any lace pinch That offers a bit of extra Comfort the Only thing I will say is that the heel Collars although they're nicely padded There is a very stiff heel counter in There that sort of bends in quite a lot And I have had some pressure from here With it kind of on my base of my Achilles that is something if you Struggle with that you might notice it Does curve in there's not a lot of flex There but beyond that overall I would Recommend going through to sizing these Shoes so in terms of fit I've had my Brooks go 16 in a UK size eight that's My typical running shoe size I've also Had it in the medium width fit option That Brooks offers here so like the Previous go series you do get the go 16 In a range of kind of width fits sizes Up to kind of extra wide now for me Going medium has been absolutely fine What I would say about the fits of this Sho is there kind a generous amount of Padding it is a quite kind of snug Fitting Opera in general but supportive In the right places I think as well too A lot of padding in the tongue Particularly at the heel collar as well Too I think the main thing that I've Noticed particularly on my longer runs Is that the toe box for me in my usual
Size does fit a little on the short side There's not a huge amount of volume There does kind of sit quite close to The toe so there may be an argument There to go half size up and get that Little bit extra room but in general it Has felt a little bit tight it hasn't Been uncomfortable in anyway but I do Feel or have found that I've wanted a Little bit more space up there but Generally it's very ghost in terms of That experience for me the fit has been Solid overall the main thing for me Being maybe may want to look again half Size up just because I do think the toe Box it is a little bit on the short side Comes to the fit of the shoe it's been All good for me lengthwise I've got a Uk9 here which is a US 10 that's my Normal running shoe size the size I have Across Brooks's range Brooks is one of The odd Brands where actually I Sometimes find their more speed Focus Shoes like the Hyperion Max come up a Bit longer and The Ghost and gin are Always okay in my normal size but that Is the case with the ghost I would stick To your normal size the problem I have With the fit is not the front of the Shoe it's the back it's this really Intense and structured heel counter you Have here which did irritate my achilles During the run test and it basically Really put me off the shoe actually I
Wouldn't be able to use this day in day Out because of that I just don't really Tend to get Achilles problems from Things like drop or running fast I only Ever tend to get get them from certain Types of heal counter and unfortunately It seems to be the case that I've got it From the ghost 16 so if you are someone Who's sensitive to that kind of thing I Do think it's a very builtup heel design I prefer something that's a bit more Spacious and loose things hoker have Very good heel designs on their shoes Where there's still padding there but it Doesn't really rub on the Achilles in Anyway so that was my big problem with The fit of the shoe it wasn't really Heel slippage it wasn't like I was Moving around too much in the back of The shoe it was just that this really Stiff heel counter did irritate my Killes and like I say it would make it Hard for me to use it as a daily trainer So I've run 80k in the Brooks go 16 and Aside from the Achilles irritation Issues I talk about in the fit section I Really enjoyed it as a running shoe I'm A big fan of this DNA Loft V3 foam it's It's still not the most exciting foam on The market but I do think it's a really Well balanced foam that works very well For daily training and will suit a lot Of Runners it's not the most soft and Squishy foam in the world but it is
Comfortable for long runs and it's got a Nice amount of responsiveness if you do Want to up the pace or in general just Like a foam that feels quite resilient Underfoot what I always found with the Glycerin and with this DNA l V3 foam now On the ghost that it always feels the Same at the end of the run as it did at The start of the Run whereas some of the Softer more lively exciting Foams tend To bottom out a bit become a bit hard or Mushy by the end of a run whereas the DNA LOF V3 foam has a very consistent Feel it's a really balanced and neutral Platform to push against and it feels Very comfortable as well to me like I Said it's not very plush feeling Underfoot like some of the softer shoes On the market like the 1080 v13 but the Go16 is still a comfortable shoe I did a Long run in the shoe of around 21k and Yeah it felt comfortable and supportive Throughout it's also pretty naturally Stable shoe without any inherent Stability elements but just because that DNA LOF V3 foam isn't super squishy it Does mean that it's quite a stable Feeling shoe as a neutral shoe also use The shoe for an easy to steady Progression run finishing getting Towards my marathon pace kind of 330 340 Perk and yeah it's okay for that like It's still not the most first T shoe out There but I do think it is a pretty good
All round cushion daily trainer I think It can handle those higher Paces I think If you're someone who's a one shoe Runner it will work quite well for Pretty much everything you throw at it Even if it's not as light and nippy as Some of the shoes I like in that Category things like the New Balance Rebel V4 or the hak I like quite a Lightweight cushion shoe as an Allrounder but this still can move it's Got that responsive feel and despite the Fact it's got such a high drop it Doesn't feel super Slappy to me like as A heel Striker I sometimes get that with High drop shoes that have quite a Traditional setup like this where There's no you know really noticeable Rockout or anything on the shoe it does Slap through a little bit but it didn't Cause any discomfort under the forefoot Which I sometimes would get with past Brooks because the DNA Loft V2 foam Didn't really have much G I think you're Getting a slightly softer and smoother Ride as a result of the introduction of The DNA Loft V3 foam here whilst Retaining that pretty traditional feel Where there isn't a big rocker on the Shoe like you do get with something like The Brooks ghost Max grip's been good For me as well aside from from one run Where I took get into some quite deep Mud which was a bad choice but it will
Hold up well for kind of light trail Running as well just because you have Got a big thick slab of pretty durable Rubber there all around it was like I Say a pretty good run test aside from That Achilles irritation which would be A deal breaker for me but I don't know If it'll be that a commoner problem with The shoe but the actual ride feel of the GH 16 I enjoyed a lot actually reminded Me a fair bit of the the velocity Nitro 3 which I'm a big fan of so they in Testing I've used the GH 16 mainly for Easier runs with the odd faster segment Thrown in but I've mainly been using Them to kind of cruise around during Taper time for the comrades Marathon I Did also use them for my recovery miles After the haty half marathon my longest Run in the shoe was an hour and overall I've done around 95% of my runs on the Road with some very short bits on the River path to look at the stability so If we start with the field on the foot These shoes have good stepping Comfort We've got plenty of wiggle room up here In the toe box and Flex here as well for What's generally a good disappearing Feel on the foot you've got uppers that I think nail the balance between stretch And structure the only thing that I Wasn't 100% sure about were the thicker Roll top heel collors that you've got Here they're really quite structured
There's a stiff heel counter in there And I found they put a bit more pressure On my achilles than I really wanted now I didn't notice it on my very first run But I picked up a bit of a Grumble on my Last comrade's long training run when I Went back into the go 16 I found that These quite Hefty heel collar which just A bit too much now that's not to say It'll be an issue for everyone but it's Worth noting if you do have problems With pressure on your heels beyond that I found the go6 really nicely balanced The upgrade to the DNA Loft V3 works Really nicely here bringing lightweight Cushioning and some energy to the ghost There's good protection from the road I Think there's cushioning that brings Comfort without being overly heavy or Cumbersome I found plenty of stability And consistency with smooth transitions Just enough energy in return from the Midsole to look after you on those Easier runs Brooks describes the ghost 16 as having smooth cushioning for me it Absolutely delivers on that promise There's enough cushion here to cover my Easy recovery runs but it's not so heavy Or Max stacked and sinky or spongy that I can't use the ghost for Mid paste runs As well it's not like a big hulking Burdensome shoe like some Max Stacks can Be I'd say there's a good versatility Here overall essentially this is a safe
Bet good utility shoe one of those you Put in the box of the reliable Workhorses that's kind of Ideal for long Slow easy but can move up a few gears as Well if you want it to durability so far Looks good too though I've not logged Huge mileage but it's got all the Hallmarks of a long lasting shoe so in Terms of my run test I have done 50k in The Brooks go 16 and I say My overall Feeling of running in the shoe is that Still very much a ghost and I think you Know if you look to the ghost to being a Shoe that is very stable very reliable Um it's a shoe that you can really kind Of log a lot of mileage in um and not Particularly have a focus on running Quick Then I think it's absolutely a shoe that Can still do that now from a kind of Upper point of view I don't think Brooks Is you know kind of ripped up the script And tried to do something different it's Very much in keeping with what we've Seen um with the shoe before it's Comfortable I think supportive in the Right places and I think that is um you Know as I said I haven't tried to do Anything you know radically different And I think there's nothing wrong with That whatsoever I think the big changes Come with the midsole but I think also That's intangle with what you're getting The out so and making sure it is very
Much a ghost at heart but I do think Maybe being a little bit more forgiving On your feet when you are running you Know a little bit longer in this shoe But having that DNA LOF V3 in there as Opposed to DNA LOF V2 um cushioning I Think ultimately gives you something Slightly more plush feeling and I think For me a the right side of plush it's Not overly soft you don't really sink Into it you do notice it is different From the previous goo obviously there's Not as much as in there as the Gin 21 But I think there's enough in there to Give something that's going to protect Over those longer distances now while it Is a little bit more plush feeling Compared to the previous Brooks Go shoes What Brooks has done here is giving you Quite a lot of rubber on the outsole and I think that almost and it's also you Know across a quite a reasonably wide Base what it does it kind of almost Balances out that kind of softer feel so You do get something that's still pretty Stable but I do think feels a lot more Comfortable on your feet now I don't Think there's a massively exciting kind Of Rocket Ride in there but I do think It is a a shoe that kind of you know Runs smoothly through those transitions Again is very stable feels very Comfortable very very consistent and if That's what you're looking for a shoe I
Think ultimately that's what you're Going to get but the key thing for me is That you are getting that midsole change Which I just think makes it feel a lot More comfortable to run a little bit Longer in this shoe and that's what I Found in my time was I think the Previous Go shoes I found them a little Bit on the do side but I think with the Brooks go 16 changing that Mido um Technology bring it in in line with the Glycerin 21 but obviously not as much Foam there um and having that alt so That almost Works to kind of temper how Plush feeling that um midsole feels but Also still giving you a little bit of Bounce to make it a little bit more Enjoyable um I think that's the real key Here for me so I still think it is a Ghost at heart um I just think it's a More comfortable one for me personally Changing that midell foam uh the outsole I mean there's lots of rubber there I Mean from a durability point of view 50K I haven't seen a dent in terms of that Durability um and the outso and the grip Is very good as well I've done a little Bit of kind of lighter um Trail work in It as well too you know it is built to Last and ultimately that's what I think You're going to get from this out sole Um so I don't think there's any concerns There in terms of the durability and Grip so for me yeah a ghost definitely
Similar to previous ghost but I think Crucially a change here that I think is Going to make it more comfortable for a Lot of Runners and maybe a found G is You know maybe a little bit on the do Side in terms of that ride but on the Same page it is still very much a ghost At heart and I think you know that's Really important here in terms of what We get on the latest series of this [Music] Shoe so my verdict on the Brooks ghost 16 is that this is probably the nicest Ghost shoe that I've run in I think it Is still very much in keeping with what The ghost is about and I think if you Are looking for a Workhorse daily Trainer that is stable comfortable very Consistent very smooth in terms of that Ride then those are all the things I Really would associate with the gh6 Crucially I think for me that change in The mid soole just makes it a little bit More comfortable for me and a little bit More enjoyable you know mildly more Enjoyable than previous ghost shoes to Run in so yeah for me I think it's going To be designed for the same types of Runs kind of easy to moderate Pace kind Of longer runs kind of you know shorter Runs we just want to get out there and Get some time in your feet that's Absolutely ISU to do it and it feels Built with that you know an outsole
That's going to going to handle that Kind of regular kind of running time as Well now when you look at it compared to Other kind of Workhorse daily trainers I Think around this price it's going to be Things like the P velocity nitr 3 things Like the Adas Supernova rise I think for Me those shoes maybe feel a little bit Nicer to run a little bit more Tempo in I think with the particularly with the p Velocity Nitro I think that has a little Bit more in its lock in terms of running Slightly quicker more Tempo sessions in It has a great outso on there as well Too I think it's a similar story with The super and over eyes I feel like you Could run slightly more Up Tempo the Weight just feels a little bit better The dream strike plus kind of foam feels A little bit more livelier than what You're getting here in from a kind of Bounce point of view so those are shoes To probably look at if you're looking For something a little bit more Versatile but if you are looking for a Non nonsense kind of workour daily Trainer shoe this is what the go16 gives You and crucially it is giving you I Think a cushioning technology that it Deserves one that Brooks has in its Other shoes in the Brooks Glycerin I Think you know is you know well Integrated into the ghost series I think Going to it's not going to alienate
Ghost loyal ghost fans it's probably Going to bring some in and you know it's Available at a kind of affordable price Particularly when you look at where kind Of cushion daily trainers are going so Yeah I think for me the nicest ghost That I've run in I think a good upgrade On the previous ghost shoes and I think A a ghost shoe that's I think is going To be more peeling and feel a lot nicer To run in for a lot more Runners not Just those kind of loyal ghost fans who Just want the same thing time and time Again I think this is maybe going to Bring in some new Runners as well that's Going to enjoy running in this shoe so My verdict is if you're just looking at The ride and performance of the shoe This is the best ghost in years it's a Big step up for me on the Brooks ghost 14 and 15 because that new foam in the Mids it just creates a much more Enjoyable feel Under Foot it's not like A crazy exciting foam or anything like That for the day-to-day grind of your Everyday running it really works very Well it's a nice balanced platform has a Little bit of responsiveness has enough Comfort just is really well balanced all Around I think Brooks probably should Have brought this phone to the ghost Line at least a year earlier fact that The glycerin has had it for so long it's A shame it wasn't brought to the Ghost
With the ghost 15 at least but it's here Now and despite the fact it's now a Slightly older material I think it Stands up very well for this purpose of Being a kind of Do-it all foone I think All kinds of Runners can enjoy the shoe In some way or another and while it's Not the most exciting phone like I say It does a really good job for daily Training heel design is the deal breaker For me and I'm just not sure how big a Problem this will be on the wider world Like it's quite similar to the design of The glycerin but there is a little bit Of a difference there I didn't really Get much heal irritation from the Glycerin don't recall having this kind Of problem from the ghost in the past But is a while since we tested the ghost 15 so yeah I'm hoping that it isn't a Widespread problem and lots of people Get to enjoy their shoe CU I do think It's a a ghost that will appeal to fans Of the line already like it's it is a Change from the ghost 15 but it's still Got quite a similar feeling ride just of A bed of foam so I don't think it will Really alienate people who've liked the Line for a while I think it's also one That could win some new fans over to the Ghost line although it's already a very Popular running shoe of course if you Compare it to the glycerin 21 you're Getting slightly more foam in the
Glycerin 21 and a slightly more Comfortable feeling all around youve got A slightly lower drop in that shoe as Well which does smooth out the ride a Little bit I think you know putting the Two shoes against each other I prefer The way the glycerin feels there's a Difference in price of $20 not sure There's enough of a difference in Performance to encourage me to pay that $20 extra but like I said I didn't Really get the heel irritation with the Glycerin so I'd be picking that shoe for Sure between these two but they are Quite similar shoes now and both very Good shoes I think you've also got the Ghost Max in the lineup from Brooks Which is a much more rocket shoe like I Do like a rocker and I do think it works Well on the ghost Max it has quite a Nice smooth feeling it makes it quite a Versatile shoe very nice for ticking of Long runs in particular it doesn't have The Loft V3 foam but with rocket it's Less of a problem I think because you're More enjoying the smooth ride rather Than really feeling the foam as much but It's quite close for me between the Ghost 16 and the ghost Max hopefully There will be a ghost Max with this foam In it at some point and we can see how That feels they're looking at other Brands with shoes in this daily trainer Category I think there are a couple of
Standouts here that I do think I'd pick Ahead of the 16 still one is the pum Velocity Nitro 3 which has a similar Feel but I prefer the ride feel of that Shoe with this dual density midsole it's Another really good shoe for grinding Out lots of runs it's got a 10 mm drop Not quite as high as this shoe it's also Got a nitrogen infused mids foam in it As well and I really like that shoe it's A bit cheaper than the GH 16 and I'd opt For the p and velocity Nitro on ride Alone as well as the fact you're going To make a saving so that would be my top Pick here around the same price you've Also got the aex NOA blast 4 which is a Different type of shoe that's a much More rocket shoe a much High a stack Shoe and it's a fun shoe to do a variety Of runs and I think it's probably a tad More versatile than the ghost 16 and Yeah I really enjoyed the no blast 4 so Those are two shoes I probably still put Ahead of this but I do think I prefer The ghost 16 ailles issues not Withstanding to the Nike Pegasus 40 Haven't tested the Nike Pegasus 41 yet But again quite similar popular Traditional shoes but I think you've got Slightly better foam now in the in the Ghost 16 although we haven't tested the Pegasus 41 with the new react X foam as Yet and then there's also the Sak ride 17 another really good all round trainer
That's got an 8mm drop so slightly low Drop there if you prefer that that's got S power run plus foam in general I Slightly prefer the DNA LOF V3 foam in The glycerin um and now the ghost to the Power run plus phone that was been used In the S Tri before and now in the ride 17 but I know lots of people really like Power run plus and maybe prefer it to This phone but I think you've got a Choice of two really good shoes there at A similar price both will do the job Really well if you want something Slightly low Drop and a rocker and a Really good heel design that doesn't Irritate the Achilles at all there's the Hoker Clifton 9 which I think is a Really good shoe as a daily trainer that Has a bit of Pop to it has a nice smooth Ride to it and has a lower drop if You're not looking for a shoe with 12 mm In particular verdict then I think Brooks has built a strong shoe here Strong in the sense of being reliable Delivers smooth easy happy clip along With a midsole that protects and Cushions in a way that I think is very Balanced kind of Disappearing it's Perhaps not the most exciting daily Trainer lots more that are much more Lively and you know interesting out There but that's not a bad thing we Don't need all of our running shoes I Don't think to offer sort super fun
Crazy Lively I like that the go 16 just Kind of gets on with business bringing Easy comfort with a dash of energy and Doing it all kind of on the quiet really This is a shoe it's a bit like a mate Who goes to the counter to settle the Restaurant Bill while you're still sat At the table and does it without big Fanfare kind of looks after you but it Doesn't shout about it overall it's a Subtly energetic reliable stable ride I Think for comfy casual miles £1 135 $140 Pretty reasonably priced as well I'd Personally probably choose the sakon Ride 17 which comes in around the same Price over this shoe I also think the Oncloud surf for seven might cover Similar runs to the ghost does it's Another option in this space that's Solid though that shoe is much pricier But yeah so I enjoyed the ghost snow Nonsense approach I think it could Really benefit from some I don't know Design Twigs in terms of the colors and The way it looks it's not the most Exciting or lovely shoe to look at but It runs really well So that's our review of the Brooks go 16 Let us know what you think in the Comments below please like And subscribe Ring the little bell and we'll see you Next time
