The Ghost Max 2 is a max-cushioned shoe focusing firmly on cushioning and comfort for daily training miles. Like the Ghost Max, it uses a wide base to provide a stable ride and combines that with a Glideroll rocker design to promote a smooth heel-to-toe transition for cruising through miles.
The biggest update in the Ghost Max 2 is the new nitrogen-infused DNA Loft V3 midsole, working alongside the rocker to improve the softness and comfort of the ride as well as decrease pressure in the heel and forefoot.
Tom, Nick and Kieran took the shoe out on a first run to get some early thoughts.
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JUMP STRAIGHT IN
00:00 – Intro
00:13 – Stats
00:24 – Design
01:06 – How’s the Fit?
03:15 – The Run Test
12:21 – Should You Buy It?
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Hey Tommy from the Run testers in this Video we are going to be doing a first Run of the Brooks ghost Max 2 lovely [Music] Stuff the Brooks ghost Max 2 costs 140 Or $150 it weighs 308 G or 10.9 Oz for Men in a size 8 and the drop is 6 Mm the ghost Max 2 is a Max cushion shoe Focusing firmly on cushioning and Comfort for daily training miles like The ghost Max it uses a wide base to Provide a stable ride and combines that With a Glide roll rocker designed to Promote a smooth Heel To Toe transition For cruising through miles the biggest Update in the ghost Max 2 is the new Nitrogen infused DNA Loft V3 midsole Working alongside the rocker to improve The softness and comfort of the ride as Well as decrease pressure in the heel And forefoot the upper is made from a Flexible breathable mesh built for Comfort and breathability and is a Generous layer of outso for grip and to Improve durability the shoe also Features raised sidewalls for additional Support comes the fit of the Brooks Ghost Max 2 I've got my nor on Sho size Here I've got a uk9 which is a us10 it's The size I've worn across the Brooks Range for many years and it fits me very Well in terms of length got quite a good Amount of room in the toe box it's Fairly spacious but not at all too big
I'd say good hold around the heel and Midfoot the heel is stiff and very Padded and certainly it's the kind of Heel counter that makes me worried as Someone whose Achilles tends to flare up If Hill counters are too solid and Structured and that kind of thing but But I did my run in the shoe this Morning my Sunday long run and I've not Had any kind of flare-ups at all so I Think it's okay all around it's a bit Similar to the one on the go 16 that did Cause me some Achilles issues but no Problems today so all around the fit was Fine for me in my normal running shoe Size quick word on fit then I ran in my Regular Brooks running shoe size which Is a UK 8 A2 overall lots of room Towards the end of the toe box there Good thumbs width as usual there is a Nice amount of flex into these upper There's a lot of movement there's a good Clearance across the top of the toes as You come back up the shoe I had to work Quite hard to get these laces here these Two sections to lock down nicely on my Midfoot and hold nicely once I did they Stayed put with no slipping there's good Hold across the back of the toes here no Pinching on the toe Knuckles Particularly on this right hand side as Well there's plenty of room there that's A nice roomy kind of wide fit if you Know if You' got sort of wider feet you
Come back up the shoe big padded heel Collar and plush tongues that and sort Of into these heels that just hold Nicely I was a little bit worried that This heel kick back might roll over and Put pressure on the ailles but it's Actually softer at the top there is a Stiff heel counter back here which holds The base of the Hill nicely in place but When you get up to the top it's softer So it's not digging in here which can be A problem with some Brooks shoes so Overall I recommend going true to size In these shoes so the fit for me in the Ghost Max 2 I'm size eight in the UK I Have very average with feet I don't tend To have a lot of problems with shoes in My size uh I found the Brooks ghost m Max Max 2 to be very comfortable there's Plenty of room in the for foot before my Big toe there's loads of room in the Side of the foref foot and there's loads Of padding in this shoe it's very very Comfortable I didn't have any issues on That first run at all and I would Definitely stay to my size in this Shoe so just back from the first run in The Brooks ghost Max 2 which was a very Pleasant 90 minutes done in the sun here In the UK it's a pretty warm day for the UK anyway and it was nice here just Ticking over fairly relaxed pace through The forest and then the canal so ran Just uh kind of around 21k 22k I think
In the 90 minutes could nice and Comfortable shoe rolls through very Nicely I did like the Brooks ghost Max Original I thought the rocker was really Well designed as a heel Striker just Ticking off the heel onto that 4 foot it Just created quite a smooth feeling it Meant it felt re verstile and lighter on The foot than it is and actually the Mac 2 is even heavier which is a bit Surprising given the change in foam but Doesn't really feel like a heavy shoe on The foot for a cushion shoe of this type It feels like quite a big protective Shoe but does move you through your foot Strike quite well quite easily and yeah I enjoyed it today I was moving you know Like I say fairly relaxed pace but on The downhill bits the flatter bits was Running just moving through the gears a Little bit and it felt like it could Handle that quite well certainly feels Like it's got that good comfortable Daily trainer feel we'll be able to do a Range of stuff the new foone so it's not As present with the ghost Max compared To when Brooks upgraded the foam on the Brooks uh ghost 16 The Standard Version Because that has a you know higher drop Uh has a kind of normal ride where you Snap for a bit more I think the foam is A bit more important on that with the go Ghost Max I felt that the rocker really Was the dominant feeling and that's
Still the feeling with the ghost Max too But the foam is a bit poppier it has a Nicer feeling over a course of a long Run like that feels very good in the Later stages so I am glad they brought That foam to the ghost MAX Line as well I did enjoy it there today one thing I'm Not such a big fan of is just how much Kind of padding and cushioning there is On the shoe around the back and the Tongue there it's you know it's a pretty Warm day here in the UK but the UK is Obviously not the hottest country and it Was quite warm to have all that padding Around my my foot there today on the run So if you some runs in a hot climate all The time it would definitely be Something notice it's also got one of Those very rigid heel counters that Brooks likes to put in which I don't Like it tend to annoy my achilles I Don't haven't really had a problem with It today though I'm not got any undue Kind of irritation of that which I did Get with the standard Brooks go 16 so it Does seem to be a bit random when it Occurs but yeah I just wish maybe they Tone down the I know step in Comfort is A very big thing with Brooks and it does Feel very plush when you first step into It I'm sure some people really love it But it's so much and it just runs a bit W when it you know gets a bit get just a Bit much basically and it could knock a
Few GRS of weight off not that it's that Important with a shoe like this I do lot The amount of panning has has hit Excessive levels on this shoe but the Underfoot feeling was very nice I Enjoyed getting out in there more runs To do but I like the changes made here With a better foam in the mid Sole and I'm still enjoying that rocker just Finished my first run in the Brooks Ghost Max 2 I did around 9 and 1 half Miles close to 90 minutes on feet an Hour and a half really mixed up the Paces started out very very slow Recovery Pace worked up through the Gears I think I haven't looked at the Splits but sort of nines then eights Pushed it to some seven and a halfs and Right at the end there I've just done One mile my last mile I did as kind of An allout sort of 6 minute-ish Mile to Really kind of go through those levers And levels with the Brooks ghost Max so My initial thoughts when I first put Them on super comfortable super plush Big padded Hill collar and tongues all That stuff that you would expect from The Brooks ghost Max like you got in the Last generation I think the hill colors Had me a little bit worried because they Look a bit more padded there's a bit More going on a bit like the Brooks Ghost 16 I was worried you know that Little heel Coke curl over that s
Happened put a bit of pressure on the Lower Achilles and some of the other Brook shoes I thought they might have Recre that here it's a bit more Aggressive than what you got in the Original ghost Max but I'll talk about That in a second more on that but when You first got these shoes on not the Most disappearing feel on the foot I had To work a little bit to get the laces Locked down across the middle and just To get my feet to settle in them I don't Think they felt quite as easy and Instantly comfortable as the Brooks Ghost Max but they did settle down as I Got into the run then when I started to Move on the ride my immediate thought Was these are softer and I'm going to do A comparison side by side I haven't done It yet but I felt like they might have Made them softer and a little bit Squigger and just a little bit Sinker Now if you're looking for super soft Cushion and that really kind of easy Easy Recovery Road eating feel that you Get from a lot of shoes now big stack Shoes just trying to take all of the you Know the road feel away and just let you Run along on pillows then maybe that is What these shoes are shooting for and That's what you'll get they feel like That a little bit more than the ghost Max did I thought the ghost Max there's A little bit of stiffness to those and a
Little bit of rocker which actually gave Them a little bit of pop and a little Bit more me medy I'll be interested to See how these go side by side when I put One on each foot to see if that's true But my initial Instinct here is that This is R going to run a bit softer and A bit more cushion and if that was Something you thought was lacking in the Brooks ghost Max originally then I think You're probably going to like these a Little bit more cuz they definitely Offer that I felt a bit sluggish in the Beginning as I got moving and went up Through the gears actually the shoe Settled in a bit and at first I thought There's a bit of spring but there's a Bit too much sink later on into the run I think when the Mido came alive that New DNA Loft version phone we've got Here started to offer a little bit more Energy and particularly of picked up the Pace I did feel it engage a bit more When I was up on my kind of mid to 4 Foot and running with a faster clip you Know pushing a little bit down but Trying to Spring off a meat more with The more IM you see they did respond and There is some energy to the shoes so It's not all kind of sinky cushioned I Think when you're going slower it is at Last kind of fast all out m i did yeah They feel too heavy for that kind of Thing really that's not what you're
Going to use them for but actually they Cope kind of well and again when I was Up on that kind of mid to four foot Really punching into the ground I got Energy back it wasn't too sinky then They were coming back but they did feel Overall a bit heavy on the foot now the Other thing I did in the middle of that Run was just to rock back a little bit Further onto my heels and actually I Think if you land further back in the Hills that's where actually there's a Bit more kind of spring coming back There's a bit more of the cushioning Rebounding than I think further up the Shoe I'm not a heel Striker particularly So that's not something I would benefit From but I think if you're going to land Further back and you want protection in The hills and a little bit of spring Back you're going to get that with the Brooks ghost Max to as well so my first Run in the shoe was a 10K mainly over Road I did start at the top of the South Down so I did a downhill on the trails But it's very uh dry at the moment on This on the down so I thought I'd uh I'd Give it a go just for that little bit um But the majority was it on roads and I Ran at my comfortable base Pace well Between my my base pace and a bit faster So my slowest uh part of that run was 5 Minute 30 km and I sped up to about 4 Minute 40 km um so what I found on that
Run is that the original ghost Max I Wasn't really a fan of it's It was a Max cushion shoe but the Cushioning was quite hard and didn't Really give me any benefits as a runner That really likes lots of soft Cushioning and bounce and and urn and Things like that so I wasn't really a Fan of that shoe it seemed pointless to Have that much cushioning in if it Wasn't really going to give you a lot of Cushioning I am not that heavy as a Runner I'm about 69 kg so I'm probably Not getting the best out of that foam Because I'm not really pressing into it That hard so it just felt very thick and Firm and just a bit dull to me so I I Didn't find it to be a very enjoyable Easy day shoe and I definitely wouldn't Use it for anything else um uh that First run in the ghost Max 2 I'm quite Impressed with it so far um I definitely Think the addition of this DNA Loft V3 Midell fo has made a big difference to It the majority of the shoe is pretty Similar the the stack height the wide Base on it for stability um the design Of the upper all seems pretty much uh on Par with the original ghost Max but with This DNA Loft V3 midell foam the ride Has changed a little bit so it Definitely feels a little bit softer to Me definitely feels like I'm getting a Little bit more out of this shoe it
Feels like uh it's easier to do an easy Run um and I'm a bit injured at the Moment so I'm struggling uh with my Running a little bit if i' have used the Original ghost Max I probably wouldn't Have enjoyed that run at all but this One felt a lot nicer it felt like it was Bit bit softer cushioning uh so it felt More comfortable and enjoyable to run in There's not load of energy return in the Shoe but it does feel like it's got a Little bit of spring in the Midol foam It's definitely a better Midol foam than What was in the um previous shoe uh so Overall I just found it to be a very Enjoyable Easy Day Cruiser running at a Faster Pace in it was okay uh definitely Not a shoe designed for that it's a shoe Firmly that fits into the world of Getting through those miles and comfort Um an easy day shoe possibly a long run Shoe an easy Pace um but I definitely Wouldn't this is a versatile shoe in any Way which is probably no surprise to you It's really a shoe all about comfort and It's getting into the Realms now where It it's starting to compete with some of The better shoes that are on the max Cushion list at the moment I don't think It's up there yet I don't think it's one Of the best ones out there but I think Maybe because that midtop home is still A little bit firmer than what you get in A lot of Max cushion shoes it's probably
Going to work for some people that do Want a little bit more stability little Bit more support maybe heavier runners As well that uh may get a bit more of Out of the midell phone than I'm getting Out of it it's definitely not the Softest shoe out there there's there's Other shoes things that I feel are just A little bit softer um for for my style Of running and I enjoy those a bit more But it's definitely getting there now And I think there's a certain type of Runner probably heavier Runners that Will get more out of this shoe than I Have so successful R run for Me so the Brooks ghost Max 2 is a solid Update on the Brooks ghost Max I think Brooks is making the right moves and Bringing this nitrogen infused DNA Loft V3 foam two other shoes outside of the Glycerin you've got it now in the ghost Max and the ghost regular and it is an Improvement to both shoes cuz it's a Nice lightweight foam with plenty of pop It's a consistent foam that feels nice And resilient throughout a run it's soft But not squishy but gives you a little Bit of Bounce and in all round it's just An upgrade on what Brooks had in it Shoes in the past like I said after the Run with the ghost Max You Feel The Rocker a bit more than the foam so it Doesn't make such a big difference but I Think it is a nice little upgrade to the
Shoot round I think it's a really good Comfortable Cruiser of a daily trainer That will suit a lot of people world who Don't like the very high drop that Brooks tends to have on its traditional Cushion shoes I do like the extra 4ot Cushion you get with this shoe as a heel Striker snapping through just creates a Slightly more comfortable ride to have That extra amount of foam underneath and All around I think it's a pretty good Shoe that stands up quite well against The rest of the market it's not Something that's going to really wow you But it does seem like a nice comfortable Trainer that will work for a good range Of Runners so yeah solid first outing The shoe we'll keep our full verdicts on The shoe and the kind of comparisons to The market at large for the full review But yeah I enjoyed it today I'm looking Forward to getting out on it for some More reason miles tomorrow and some Faster miles down the line as well so my Early verdict on the Brooks ghost Mass 2 Quite impressed with it uh I I Definitely think the updated midell foam Is a big win I think it's a good move And it does change the ride of the shoe Quite a lot actually um you still get a Good level support stability it still Feels like a shoe that is very grounded You're not getting loads of bounceback Or anything like that it's not massively
Soft but it is a nice comfortable Cruiser and I did enjoy that run in it Didn't have any issues at all didn't Really notice the shoe massively it Doesn't seem like it's doing a lot but It did feel comfy on my legs and my legs Are a little bit tied at the moment cuz I'm a bit injured and I'm struggling a Little bit so it was absolutely fine on That run uh and I definitely uh like to Go out in on more runs in this and I Didn't say that about the original ghost Max so um yeah optimistic about this Shoe and looking forward to doing a few More miles in it in Impressions then Don't want to judge the shoe too soon But first thoughts on this this is more Of the same pretty much with the Max you Know big soft plush you know High Cushioning super Comfort good feel on The foot it's a nice easy low and slow Mile Eater of a shoe that offers kind of Supreme Comfort to me it feels a bit More sinky than the Brooks ghost Max and I think it may have lost a bit of its Edge when you kind of move up the paces I really like that about the ghost Max It had a sort of certain versatility to It if you wanted to move a little bit FAS there was a little bit of a Snappiness to it I'm not sure that's Entirely here it's changed slightly I Would say with that phone there is a bit More sink I think that does bring about
A little bit more rebound but it's not Quite as immediate but overall I think You know can it cope with long slow Comfort absolutely does it have some Gears to go up well when I went and do That fast mile it got to cope with that Did it disappear on the foot not Initially but as I got into the run that Kind of comfort kicked in nice roomy Well wrapping uppers I had no slipping At all I didn't have any trouble from Those heel cols which is really Important because I thought that over Padding might knock on the base of the Achilles but actually they just hold Really nicely well balanced overall Maybe a little bit less stable than the First one because a lot because it's Lost a little bit of that sort of Stiffness to the outso perhaps but Overall I think this is to me it seems Like uh a slightly more soft and perhaps More springy version of the original Ghost Max I think a lot of people are Going to like it's definitely in the Ballpark of a nimbus 26 that kind of Shoe it's going to be up there you Compare it to things like a ride 17 Perhaps a bit more to the shoe I think But those kind of shoes when you're Looking for something that's going to Cover your slow easy recovery miles have Feeling that after we've done the full Testing this is going to get a positive
Rating for that kind of running that's It from us on the first run review of The Brooks ghost Max 2 thanks a lot for Watching don't forget to like subscribe Click the little bell and if you're Going to catch and blow you can to our Podcast which comes out a couple of Times each month thanks all for watching Catch you next time [Music]
