Brooks Ghost Max 3 Introduction

The Brooks Ghost Max 3 is a solid, “do everything” sort of running shoe. Daily miles, speed work, long runs—this shoe just works well no matter what I’m doing on any particular day.

This shoe is fairly middle of the pack in terms of most metrics, both within the Brooks tree and across the running shoe landscape as a whole. Price point, heel drop, weight, ground feel—this shoe finds itself at or near the midpoint of every spectrum. As such, it’s a great shoe for the runner who doesn’t want to think too much about their shoes before every run.

Brooks Ghost Max 3 First Impressions

My first impression of the Brooks Ghost Max 3 was very positive. What immediately stood out to me was the amount of space in the toe box of this shoe. While I wouldn’t call it a wide shoe by any means, my last pair of Brooks was quite narrow, and I was concerned that this shoe would have my toes all bunched together. At first glance, that didn’t seem to be an issue, and as soon as I put them on, I was happy to confirm that there was ample space for my toes in this shoe.

My first run in the Brooks Ghost Max 3 was completely unremarkable in the best possible way. I didn’t think about my shoes at any point during the run, and my feet had no complaints at any point. They felt good, the run was fine, and my feet had no issues during or after the run. For me, that’s about as perfect a first run in a new pair of shoes as it gets.

Brooks Ghost Max 3 Upper

The upper of the Brooks Ghost Max 3 is made up of a supportive mesh material from the midsole though the toe box and a cushioned heel cup. Nothing about the upper really stands out, which to me isn’t a bad thing. The upper is comfortable, breathable, and doesn’t rub anywhere.

The only issue I have with the upper, if you can even call it an upper issue, is the length of the laces that come with the shoe. They are fine for a standard lacing set up, but they may be a little short for a heel locking pattern. I certainly wouldn’t call this a dealbreaker, but the lace length was noticeable to me, so I wanted to point it out.

Brooks Ghost Max 3 Sole Unit

The sole unit of the Brooks Ghost Max 3 features a nitrogen-injected DNA LOFT v3 foam that provides a soft, yet responsive, feel. The sole unit provides a very smooth ride as the miles add up, and the foam holds up well, staying firm yet comfortable throughout any run. That can be a tricky balance to strike in a cushioning shoe, and the BGM3 threads the needle quite nicely.

The Brooks Ghost Max 3 has a 6 mm drop and a broad base that doesn’t interfere with or impact the wearer’s natural stride. The outsole provides good traction on wet pavement. A few times wearing these shoes, I was a little worried about some wet pavement being a little slick, but never once did my feet slip or slide at all.

All in all, the sole unit of Brooks Ghost Max 3 is pretty solid. In my perfect world, I’d probably like a little lower stack height for a slightly better ground feel, but I really can’t complain about this sole. Unless you’re a minimalist shoe runner, I’m confident that you’ll agree that the sole unit of the BGM3 gets the job done.

Brooks Ghost Max 3 Conclusions

The Brooks Ghost Max 3 is a shoe that I have zero complaints about. Is it my favorite shoe ever? Probably not. But after almost 200 miles, these shoes are showing very little, if any, wear, and I’m having zero issues with them. For me, all I want from a pair of running shoes is durability and comfort—and the BGM3 simply delivers on both fronts. I typically get 700+ miles on a pair of road shoes, and I can’t see any reason I won’t at least get to that number in these shoes.

If you are in the market for a solid pair of road shoes that will do the job for the long haul, I’m not sure you can go wrong with the Brooks Ghost Max 3s!