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Brooks Ghost 16(2024)

In production · road · Daily / Long run / Recovery · $140

Smooth, predictable and forgiving — the safest landing spot for easy miles.

Built for daily, long run, recovery, at a target pace of 8:00–11:00 /mi on road.

The spec sheet

Weight
269 g / 9.5 oz
Heel stack
36 mm
Drop
12 mm
Midsole foam
DNA Loft
Plate
—
Cushioning
4 / 5
Energy return
3 / 5
Responsiveness
2 / 5
Rocker
2 / 5
Flexibility
3 / 5
Stability
2 / 5 (5 = most guidance)
Toe-box
Standard
Sizing
True to size
Durability
~500 mi
Price
$140

How it rides

The foam

The midsole is DNA Loft, tuned soft (4/5 on our cushioning scale). Energy return is moderate — comfortable and predictable rather than bouncy. 36 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 calm at 2/5 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 tall 12 mm drop tips weight forward off the heel, which usually suits heel strikers and calves that dislike low-drop shoes. The geometry is fairly traditional and flat, so the shoe follows your foot rather than steering it. Forefoot flex is middle of the road. It is a neutral platform with no built-in correction.

Fit, sizing & life

The toe-box is standard width — comfortable for most feet without swimming. It fits true to size. Expect roughly 500 miles from the outsole, about $0.28 per mile at $140.

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

269 g / 9.5 oz

6 g lighter than the catalog median of 275 g

Heel stack

36 mm

Level with the catalog median of 36 mm

Drop

12 mm

6 mm higher than the catalog median of 6 mm

Price

$140

20 cheaper than the catalog median of 160

Responsiveness

2 / 5

Catalog median 3 / 5

Cushioning

4 / 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 lighter 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.

Adidas Supernova Solution

278 g / 9.8 oz · 36 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $150

Adidas' support daily with Support Rods for mild guidance.

Adidas Supernova Rise 2(2025)

266 g / 9.4 oz · 33 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $140

Dreamstrike+ daily miles — soft, simple, unremarkable in a good way.

Mizuno Wave Inspire 21(2025)

286 g / 10.1 oz · 38 mm · 12 mm drop · — · $150

Wave-plate stability that guides firmly without a traditional post.

Brooks Glycerin StealthFit 21

283 g / 10.0 oz · 38 mm · 10 mm drop · — · $180

Brooks Glycerin StealthFit 21: 38 mm heel stack, 10 mm drop, 257 g — specs from independent lab testing.

Saucony Axon 4

265 g / 9.3 oz · 35 mm · 8 mm drop · — · $110

Budget PWRRUN daily with a surprisingly generous stack.

Lineage & siblings