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Brooks Ghost Max 4

In production · road · Recovery / Long run / Daily · $165

Deep, soft cushioning on a broad, stable base for easy days and walking.

Built for recovery, long run, daily, at a target pace of 9:00–12:30 /mi on road.

The spec sheet

Weight
292 g / 10.3 oz
Heel stack
39 mm
Drop
6 mm
Plate
—
Cushioning
5 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Responsiveness
3 / 5
Rocker
5 / 5
Flexibility
1 / 5
Stability
4 / 5 (5 = most guidance)
Toe-box
Wide
Sizing
True to size
Durability
~500 mi
Price
$165

How it rides

The foam

Brooks tuned this midsole very soft (5/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 39 mm of heel stack is the modern daily-trainer sweet spot — enough foam for long miles without losing contact with the road. Combined, the ride reads as lively at 3/5 responsiveness.

The plate

There is no plate here. The midsole does all the work, so the shoe flexes naturally and stays versatile across paces — easier on the feet day to day, but without the snap of a plated shoe when you want to roll.

The geometry

A 6 mm drop is the mainstream middle — familiar to almost anyone coming from a standard trainer. The rocker is aggressive: the sole is curved and stiff enough to tip you into the next stride on its own, which saves the calf on long runs but feels strange when you slow right down. The forefoot is stiff, so it rolls rather than bends — a lever, not a slipper. It offers real guidance through the gait cycle — useful for runners whose form collapses when tired.

Fit, sizing & life

The toe-box is wide, with space for the toes to spread late in long runs. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 500 miles from the outsole, about $0.33 per mile at $165.

For the foams and plates Brooks uses across its line, read the Brooks brand guide.

How it compares

Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.

Weight

292 g / 10.3 oz

17 g heavier than the catalog median of 275 g

Heel stack

39 mm

3 mm taller than the catalog median of 36 mm

Drop

6 mm

Level with the catalog median of 6 mm

Price

$165

5 pricier than the catalog median of 160

Responsiveness

3 / 5

Catalog median 3 / 5

Cushioning

5 / 5

Catalog median 4 / 5

Energy return

3 / 5

Catalog median 3 / 5

Durability

~500 mi

Catalog median ~400 mi

Within the Brooks line it is heavier than the brand's median (283 g / 10.0 oz) and sits taller than its median stack (36 mm).

Closest alternatives

Current shoes with the nearest combination of weight, stack, drop, foam feel and plate.

Brooks Ghost Max 3

306 g / 10.8 oz · 39 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $150

Plush, roomy max-cushion trainer with the GlideRoll rocker.

Hoka Gaviota 6

283 g / 10.0 oz · 39 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $175

Maximal stability: wide J-Frame base with plush, slow cushioning.

Saucony Endorphin Shift 4

300 g / 10.6 oz · 42 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $150

Big, stable, rockered cruiser for high-mileage easy days.

On Cloudeclipse(2024)

275 g / 9.7 oz · 37 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $180

On's double-layer max cushion shoe for long, easy, protected miles.

Hoka Gaviota 5

310 g / 10.9 oz · 36 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $175

Hoka's maximal stability shoe: heavy, plush and firmly guided.

Lineage & siblings