Brooks Ghost 9 Galaxy Shoe Review
I haven’t had a shoe impress me during my first run like the Brooks Ghost 9 in a while. I am shocked of how much I like the Brooks Ghost 9.
The Brooks Ghost is one of the staple running shoes in the industry. At our store, the Brooks Ghost is one of the most popular neutral shoes. Brooks is also a great company to work with too. For no real reason, I haven’t run in a lot of their shoes. I’ve tried on almost every model, but the only model of Brooks I’ve put significant mileage in is the Brooks Launch 3 (for speed workouts).
The Brooks Ghost 9 came out in June. Recently, I fell in love with the new Brooks Ghost 9 Galaxy color and decided it was the perfect time to give Brooks another shot. I was due to rotate another high mileage trainer, so that worked out well. The Galaxy color is just another limited edition of the Brooks Ghost 9. It’s the same Brooks Ghost, but a different color.
The Brooks Ghost 9 has enough cushion for high mileage but is also light enough for speed workouts and races. It’s a little more cushion and softer than the Launch.
As mentioned, I haven’t run much in any previous model of Brooks Ghosts. I had a pair of Brooks Ghosts 7 as well as Brooks Ghost 8s that I worked in, but I never took them to the road.
Brooks Ghost 9 Fit:
The update from the 8 to the Brooks Ghost 9 is significant. They have widened the toebox. I wore a size 10 in the Ghost 7s, 10 wide in the 8s and I’m back to a regular 10 in the 9s. Wider feet or those with bunions can appreciate the engineered mesh upper of the Brooks Ghost 9 is now seamless, so there is no rubbing or bleeding (something that happened to me personally a lot with the Asics Nimbus).
The wider toebox in the Brooks Ghost 9 is something I’m personally thankful for. Your feet need to spread out while running. If there isn’t enough room, you are much more susceptible to foot issues.
In summary, the fit of the Brooks Ghost 9 is one of my favorite of any shoe I’ve run in recently. It has a wide, seamless upper which allows my foot comfort.
Brooks Ghost 9 Ride:
The Brooks Ghost 9 is one of the softer shoes on the market. As a company, Brooks uses a material called “BioMoGo DNA,” which essentially molds to your foot like memory foam. Together with the crash pad, it allows for a smooth ride.
The cushioning from the 8 to the Brooks Ghost 9 hasn’t changed much. If you like a soft and well-cushioned shoe, this could be a great option. The plush interior and refined designed allows the Brooks Ghost 9 to feel more premium when you aren’t running too. I was always a fan of working in the shoe and it feels just as great when running. Compared to the 8, the Brooks Ghost 9 running shoe feels lighter on your feet when you run. Getting to the true meaning of a “Ghost” and not knowing it’s there.
I’ve put just over 100 miles in the Brooks Ghost 9 now, including a few longer runs of 10+ miles. The Omega Flex Grooves in the Brooks Ghost 9 allow for plenty of traction on rainy or icy days. I haven’t run into any issues.
My Current Shoe Rotation:
Brooks Ghost 9 (Easy runs, long runs…replaced the Saucony Zealot ISO 2)
Saucony Triumph ISO 2 (easy runs, long runs)
Nike LunarGlide 8 (Shorter runs)
Saucony Type A (speedwork)
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Questions for you:
What is your favorite “long run shoe”? Have you tried the Brooks Ghost 9 Running Shoe?
I’ll have to give these a try! I’ve solely worn Brooks for the past 5 years but for some reason have stayed away from the ghost. Thanks for the thorough review!
What do you wear now Gretchen?
Brooks Launch, Pure Flow (not the current version though) and New Balance Borocay. I just ordered a pair of the Saucony Triumph 2 after seeing that you wear them for long runs…I remember loving Saucony’s back in the day and need a new long run shoe 🙂
This is my everyday walking around shoe. It’s too wide for me to run in but a great shoe to take daily beatings in. Glad you like them!
Those soles are amazing! I’ve been doing distance in Mizuno Wave Creations but have been having some trouble with the outside of one of my feet, so I’m trying out some new things (i’m overdue for some exploration anyway). I recently picked up a pair of Hoka Clifton 2’s and while they feel MASSIVE on my feet they feel okay comfort-wise – and I’ve got a pair of Brooks Ghosts on my holiday wishlist, so between the two I’ll get some variety 🙂 I ran in Ghosts a few years ago and enjoyed them, so hopefully will still!
Whoa. I just got mizuno wave riders and suddenly both outsides of my feet are NOT happy. Always wanted to try muzunos but dont think they are right for me!
I have 5 pairs of Brooks Ghost. They’re my favorite. I haven’t tried the 9 yet since I typically buy the older ones for a lower cost so thanks for letting me know the 9 is even better than the 8.
My favourite long run shoe is the NB 860. The structure just works for my foot.
I just got these a few weeks ago, I’ve never worn any Brooks before I was always an Asics or NB faithful but I was impressed with these after one run also!
Thanks to injury I haven’t done a long run in over a month, but my favorite long run shoe is definitely the Brooks Launch. I haven’t tried the Brooks Ghost but I know a lot of Launch lovers also like the Ghost and it is a very popular shoe. Honestly, I’ve liked every Brooks shoe I’ve worn (have worn Ravenna, PureFlow, and Launch now) so would give this one a shot too. Glad you liked it and good to know how it compares to the Launch and other shoes.
Brooks are my absolute favorite. I wear the GTA and Launch line as well as Pureflow for speed runs. My girlfriend runs in the Ghosts and loves them. Great pick.
I’m a Brooks PureFlow addict. I wear them for everything…mostly because I tried Launch 2’s for long runs for a while and just couldn’t get “comfy” running in them so now I get nervous to branch out
The Pureflows generally don’t have a lot of cushion so the Launchs probably felt like a whole lot on your foot. The Ghost is more cushion than those so it’s probably not a shoe you would care Nicole.
I dont hate it either! I actually really like doing speed workouts on the treadmill because I can set he pace and zone out and the time flies. And now that I have my own treadmill I can watch Netflix (I only watch the shows I don’t watch with my husband so I actually get kind of excited to run on the treadmill to watch them) which makes the time go really quickly! Of course my love of running stems from outdoor runs but the treadmill isn’t so bad!