Discontinued · road · Recovery / Long run / Daily · $150
Huge rocker and huge stack: rolls you through the stride on tired legs.
Built for recovery, long run, daily, at a target pace of 9:00–12:30 /mi on road.
This model is no longer in production. The closest shoe you can buy today is Brooks Ghost Max 3.
The midsole is DNA Loft, tuned 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.
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.
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.
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 $0.30 per mile at $150.
For the foams and plates Brooks uses across its line, read the Brooks brand guide.
Measured against the 542 currently-available shoes in the catalog. The bar shows where this shoe sits in that range.
Weight
309 g / 10.9 oz
34 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
$150
10 cheaper 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).
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.
Brooks Ghost Max 4
292 g / 10.3 oz · 39 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $165
Deep, soft cushioning on a broad, stable base for easy days and walking.
Hoka Gaviota 5
310 g / 10.9 oz · 36 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $175
Hoka's maximal stability shoe: heavy, plush and firmly guided.
Hoka Gaviota 6
283 g / 10.0 oz · 39 mm · 6 mm drop · — · $175
Maximal stability: wide J-Frame base with plush, slow cushioning.