Brooks Ghost 15 review

7 expert score
3.2 user's score
As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples. We purchased this pair at Running Warehouse with our own money.
Review written on 22nd February by Brandon Law Marathon Runner and Shoe Expert
155 other reviews

Brooks Ghost 15 Verdict

The Ghost 15 is a supremely comfortable daily trainer with a high drop which makes it most suitable for heel strikers. It’s a very safe choice when it comes to bread and butter mileage trainers because of its luxurious upper and its consistent fit/ride from version to version. The 15th version of the Ghost has a new, DNA Loft v2 midsole which makes the shoe a little bit heavier and gives it a firmer ride. As a result, the Ghost 15 feels better during faster paces but not as comfortable during slow-paced runs.

The pros

  • Spectacular upper
  • Super smooth ride
  • Handles faster paces better
  • Very stable for a neutral trainer

The cons

  • Still no gusseted tongue
  • Firmer than the Ghost 14
  • Heavier than the Ghost 14


Rating breakdown

Comfort
10
Build quality
9.0
Upper
9.0
Sole unit
6.0
Landing
6.0
Transition
6.0
Toe-off
7.0
Traction
6.0
Durability
7.0
Value / Price
6.0

Facts / Specs

Brand
Model
Ghost 15
Family
Weight
9.8 oz (278 g)
MSRP
$140.00

Heel
mm.
Toe
mm.
Heel drop
12 mm.
Carbon plate
No plate

Size/Fit

Sizing
True to size
Heel fit
Normal
Midfoot fit
Normal
Toebox fit
Normal

Cushioning & ride

Type of cushioning
Balanced
Amount of cushioning
Highly cushioned
Stability
Very stable
Flexibility
Flexible

Usage

Racing
Speedwork
Daily training  
Long distance racing
Ultra distance racing

Who should buy the Brooks Ghost 15 ?

If you’re looking for a cushioned, comfortable neutral trainer which will get the job done, the Ghost 15 will be a great purchase. It fails to excite in the ride department but it gets full marks for quality and execution.

Who should not buy the Brooks Ghost 15 ?

If you’re looking for a bouncy, unique or modern ride, the Ghost 15 is not the trainer for you. It’s perhaps the most traditional riding daily trainer on the market and excels in its simplicity.

Brooks Ghost 15 Introduction

The Brooks Ghost has 2 main, defining features: its luxuriously comfortable upper and its high heel-to-toe offset. These 2 features are what set the Ghost apart. The plush upper makes it feel like you’re getting bang for your buck while the high 12 mm drop doesn’t stress the Achilles of beginner runners.

The Ghost is only on version 15 and in this relatively short period, it has matured to be one of the most popular running shoes on the planet. It is popular with runners just starting out as well as seasoned, sub-3-hour marathon runners.

I’ve now run in 4 different versions of the Ghost to date and what I’ve noticed is that the difference between each Ghost version is more minimal than any other running shoe series on the market. This means that you know what you’re going to get when you buy a Ghost and also what you’re not going to get because it’s so predictable.

When I tested the Ghost 14 last year I found it to be a really dependable workhorse with excellent stability. For me it excelled most on relaxed long runs. I find it interesting that most of the comments under our review of the Ghost 14 are negative 1 or 2 star reviews.

Customers have complained of knee pain, blisters, and low durability issues. Even on Running Warehouse, the Ghost 14 has a lower rating than the latest versions of the Pegasus, Cumulus, 880 and Ride (Saucony & Skechers).

In the mid-range, daily trainer category, most of the brands have come to the party this year. The Nike Pegasus, Saucony Ride, and Skechers Ride have all been excellent with the Skechers Ride 10 being the standout performer for me so far.

The traditional mid-range daily trainer (such as the Ghost) is also under threat from the modern, lightweight trainers which can be used for daily mileage: trainers such as the Rebel v3, Mach 5 and Novablast 3 all have cushioned, engaging rides and are lighter than the average daily trainer. They are also similarly priced.

This year’s Ghost 15 has a brand new DNA Loft v2 midsole foam which they state is a combination of air, rubber and EVA. It weighs 10.1 oz (286 g) which is 0.2 oz (6 g) heavier than the Ghost 14. Unfortunately, its price has gone up by $10 and it will now set you back $140 which is on the higher end for a mid-range, neutral daily trainer.

Brooks Ghost 15 First Impressions

Picture of Brooks Ghost 15

The first time I saw the Ghost 15 was at a Brooks preview event about 5 months ago and when I tried it on at the event, it felt almost exactly the same as the Ghost 14. The thing that I was most excited about were the striking new colourways.

My first run was an easy 22-kilometre Sunday long run, exactly 1 week after I had run the Kuala Lumpur marathon so my legs were not fully recovered yet. The Ghost 15 still felt great on that first run: it felt well-cushioned, smooth, and natural.

The first couple of kilometers, I could notice the high 12 mm drop but after a while, I got used to it and stopped noticing it. The only difference was the ride- it felt ever so slightly firmer than the Ghost 14.

The upper of the Ghost 15, as usual, was comfortable from the get-go and cocooned my feet with pillowy softness throughout the run.

Brooks Ghost 15 Upper

Picture of Brooks Ghost 15

The upper is the Ghost 15’s strength and not much has changed from version 14. It has the level of quality that you usually get from a much higher priced, max-cushioned trainer and this is one of the main reasons why the Ghost is so popular.

The heel tab, collar and tongue are all generously padded so comfort around the ankle and Achilles is top notch. An internal heel counter and a new soft, thin external one provide excellent heel lockdown.

Picture of Brooks Ghost 15

There’s still no gusseted tongue which is the only improvement that can be made to the Ghost 15’s upper. It’s also a warm upper which absorbs sweat because of the padding so it’s not ideal for running in high temperatures.

The Ghost 15 fits true to size with an accommodating midfoot, forefoot and toe-box. There are reflective patches on the sides of the toe-box as well as on the heel counter for better visibility when it’s dark.

Brooks Ghost 15 Sole Unit

Picture of Brooks Ghost 15

The new DNA Loft v2 midsole foam feels remarkably similar to foams of previous years. Whether it’s DNA Loft v1, v2 or BioMogo in the Ghost 10, five years ago, the foams all feel 95% similar to each other.

DNA Loft v2 in the Ghost 15 provides a very cushioned, medium-soft ride which is padded but not at all bouncy. The dense foam doesn’t compress very much so there isn’t much rebound compared to some of the other midsole foams on the market. This characteristic makes the Ghost 15 not suited to tempo runs when you are trying to run fast.

The foam is a little firmer than last year so it feels a bit more efficient than the Ghost 14. It also doesn’t feel as comfortable on long runs because the ride is less plush, however it’s still an excellent long, slow-run shoe because of how much cushioning it has.

The ride of the Ghost 15 is perhaps the most traditional of all the daily trainers. It’s not a shoe that I get excited to run in because it doesn’t have an exciting ride. It has a very simplistic, no-frills ride which gets the job done, comfortably.

I found that I didn’t like the Ghost 15 for easy paces and I enjoyed it a lot more at (slightly faster than easy) moderate paces between 5 minutes and 5:30 per km (8:03 – 8:52 minutes per mile). I would prefer the midsole foam to be slightly softer for my easy paces. I thought the Ghost 14 had the perfect balance when it came to cushioning softness.

I never run in high 12 mm drop trainers except when I’m testing the Ghost or the Wave Rider but I have to admit that I enjoy the high drop. It feels like the shoe is assisting me through transitions, making runs feel easier than lower-drop shoes. I’m a heel striker so the high drop works with my mechanics but I think that midfoot/forefoot strikers might find the 12 mm drop annoying.

The Ghost has an extremely supportive ride due to how little its midsole compresses so even slight overpronators will find the Ghost 15 stable enough. Of all the daily trainers, the Ghost is probably the most stable.

Most of the outsole of the Ghost 15 is covered with thick, soft rubber. There’s only a very small part of the midfoot and the centre of the heel which are not covered. This is what weighs the Ghost 15 down.

The outsole rubber of the Ghost 15 is softer than the average, so landings feel more padded than other daily trainers. The rate of outsole wear is also higher than the average daily trainer because of its softness. After 80 kilometers of testing, I’ve noticed significant wear on the outer lateral heel. This is also a result of the high 12 mm drop.

Brooks Ghost 15 Conclusions

Picture of Brooks Ghost 15

I wouldn’t say that the Ghost 15 is an improvement over the Ghost 14. I actually prefer the 14 because it had a softer ride which felt better on easy runs. The Ghost 15 also weighs more and costs more than the 14.

I think that fast runners who can run a sub 3-hour marathon will prefer the Ghost 15 because their easy pace is below 5 minutes per km (8:03 minutes per mile) so the Ghost 15 will feel more efficient, however I think the majority of runners will prefer the softer 14 over the 15.

A lot of runners complained that their knees hurt after running in the Ghost 14 but the Ghost 15 has an even firmer ride so I think there will be even more complaints. If I worked for Brooks, I would be a little worried about the user reviews of the Ghost 15.

I didn’t experience any pain while running in the Ghost 15 and it’s still the most supportive ride with the most comfortable upper on any mid-range, neutral daily trainer but for me, its ride is lacking energy and cushioning softness. If Brooks adds the supercritical DNA Loft v3 to the midsole of the Ghost 16, that will make a big difference to the ride.

As it stands, the ride of the Ghost 15 is outperformed by other mid-range daily trainers and I would recommend another lighter, versatile trainers such as the Rebel, Mach, and Novablast over the Ghost which are the same price or cheaper.

How does the Ghost 15 compare?

Asics Novablast 3
Brooks Ghost 15
New Balance Fresh Foam X 1080 v12
Expert score
8
7
7.5
User score
Best price
Retail price
US$140
US$140
US$160
Weight
8.9 oz
9.8 oz
10.3 oz
Heel Drop
9 mm
12 mm
8 mm
Recommended for
Daily training
Daily training
Daily training
Cushioning type
balanced
balanced
balanced
Cushioning amount
Highly cushioned
Highly cushioned
Highly cushioned
Flexibility
flexible
flexible
medium
Stability
very stable
very stable
not particularly stable
Sizing
buy half size smaller
true to size
true to size

Why you can trust us

As editorial policy, we do not accept free samples from companies.
We purchased this pair of Brooks at Running Warehouse  with our own money.

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about our policy.

Reviewed by Brandon

This review was written by Brandon Law on 22nd February.
Brandon is a South African who lives and trains in Malaysia. He is a marathon runner who eats, sleeps and dreams running shoes. While most people wear shoes to run, he runs to wear shoes.

User feedback (12)

  • avatar-comment-1033857
    John train
    4 months ago

    Once I got into running, about 8 years ago, I purchased my first pair of brooks 14 shoes and have had three more pairs since, earlier this year I purchased Brooks 15; on longer runs ( for me 10 to 13 miles ) l have experienced At around 8 miles pain at the base of my big toes ( the ball joint ) on my last run developed a blister on the left side, something I never had before with the ghost 14. Is there a reason for this, has anyone else experienced similar with the 15 shoe. ?

    • avatar-comment-1034124
      Susan
      4 months ago

      I have had a similar experience. The outside of my big toe gets a blister, and I am bruising under my toenail on the outside. It’s almost like the shoe starts to “angle in” more abruptly. I wear narrow shoes and the mid-foot fits great, but unfortunately these shoes are pretty much unwearable for longer runs because of this issue. Maybe going up a 1/2 size versus the previous models would help, I don’t know.

  • avatar-comment-1033556
    Peter
    4 months ago
    3 score

    Tread wore out quickly. Comfortable but not worth the (considerable) expense when you don’t get much use out of them. Very disappointing.

  • avatar-comment-1031343
    Ryan
    7 months ago
    2 score

    I do not like them. I find my knees get sore and I’m also getting blisters. I had Nike winflow prior and will probably switch back. The ghost are also wearing pretty quick.

  • avatar-comment-1028728
    Cris
    10 months ago
    1 score

    Nice looking runner, but tread on the sole only lasted 4 months. I maybe walked 500 k. I normally get a year out of my runners. Pretty disappointing when you spend $200.

    • avatar-comment-1030052
      Gemma
      9 months ago

      Chris did you experience anything like it feels your walking out of your shoe? Just on one side the trainer is failing?

  • avatar-comment-1027426
    Karyn
    11 months ago
    6 score

    First time blisters & sore feet in Ghosts – I’ve had every pair since the 10th edition and I find they keep changing them for the worse. Being a forefoot striker I feel that they have changed the cushioning in the front. Its not as soft and cushioned anymore, especially not on an ultra. Very disappointed. Especially as I had to wait 5 months for them to be released in South Africa.

    • avatar-comment-1033858
      John train
      4 months ago

      Just posted about blisters on running in ghost 15 Karyn, had several pairs of 14 before this and no problems, sorry didn’t see your post before, must be something in the design of the 15 shoe ?

  • avatar-comment-1022592
    Mark
    1 year ago
    2 score

    Tired the 15 felt firmer and deader to me. As you said, the build quality is there, but the midsole is a step backwards. I would say that if you are a Ghost wearer buy up the 14’s.

    • avatar-comment-1024873
      Tara
      1 year ago

      Agree 100% I have religiously worn ghosts, but I can’t run in these.

      • avatar-comment-1025307
        Selena
        1 year ago
        5 score

        I agree. I find the 15 feels very different from the 14. It feels softer to me, and less built up, if that makes sense. It fees like there was more underfoot with the 14. The softness of the 15 gave me knee pain as well.

      • avatar-comment-1027569
        Cliff
        11 months ago

        I haven’t tried the 15s but looking to get new shoes. Currently have the 14s and they have been dependable. What did you settle on instead of the 15s?

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