Brooks Ghost 12

Name: Brooks Ghost 12
Brand: Brooks
Rating: 4.7 (49 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 11.1 oz · 12mm drop · 31/19mm stack

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Ghost 13 replaced it

How it ranks

The Brooks Ghost 12 ranks above most daily trainers in our data. Durability and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. Most runners who came to it from another shoe preferred it. The rating rests on 50 runner reviews and 13 other rated shoes in the Ghost product line.

Good

82/100

Overall

Good 82

Durability

Exceptional 99

Comfort

Exceptional 98

Cushioning

Excellent 94

Value

Very good 91

Appearance

Good 81

Confidence

How settled the rating is against every other rated shoe. A shoe can rate high on confidence with relatively few reviews of its own when its product line has a long record and external ratings from retailer sites agree. Confidence will score low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

96/100

Very high 96

What runners say

“Fabric ripped at instep in both shoes under 4 months”

3/5 Full review 5 mpw

“Roomy toe box, snug fit, no smashing or slipping on downhills/uphills”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 18

“Higher offset takes stress off calves and achilles”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 1

“Incredibly lightweight without sacrificing cushion”

5/5 Full review 15 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Excite 7

“Doesn't flex at 1st MTP joint, alleviates toe soreness”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 1

“Every stride feels like nothing on your feet”

5/5 Full review 13 mpw training for a marathon came from the adidas Ultraboost 20

“Heel to toe transition smooth, never clunky”

5/5 Full review 20 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Vomero 14

“Responsive, good cushioning, versatile on roads and trails”

5/5 Full review 30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Gaviota 2

“Firmer shoes take less lower leg work than super soft ones”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the HOKA Clifton 1

“Only 300 miles before wearing through outer sole”

5/5 Full review 50 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 1080 v8

Prefer this shoe over another

36% 24/67

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.

Pros

Reviewers repeatedly call it comfortable, with a smooth heel-to-toe transition.
Many runners report getting 300 to 400 miles per pair.
Reviewers use it for easy days, long runs and marathon training.

Cons

At 11.1 oz, several reviewers find it heavy for speed work.
Three reviewers prefer the fit and transition of the Ghost 11, which scores 98 on seventy-three reviews against its 83.
Two reviewers report the upper fabric tearing at the instep or heel.

Ghost 12 rates 82. This shoe has very high certainty. See how we rate shoes.

Better Shoes Rating of prior versions of the Brooks Ghost

Each dot is one version of the Ghost, placed by its rating and release year. The gold dot is this shoe.

Rating

40 60 80 100

76 2012 71 76 2014 80 97 2016 87 98 82 2019 90 97 99 2022 97 89 2025 90

Release year

We use the reviews of past versions to inform this shoe’s rating. See why.

Ghost 18

2026 · 6 reviews

90 Good

77 Confidence
Ghost 17

2025 · 8 reviews

89 Good

80 Confidence
Ghost 16

2024 · 38 reviews

97 Exceptional

96 Confidence
Ghost 15

2022 · 94 reviews

99 Exceptional

100 Confidence
Ghost 14

2021 · 66 reviews

97 Exceptional

98 Confidence
Ghost 13

2020 · 13 reviews

90 Good

86 Confidence
Ghost 12 This shoe

2019 · 50 reviews

82 Good

96 Confidence
Ghost 11

2018 · 73 reviews

98 Exceptional

99 Confidence
Ghost 10

2017 · 57 reviews

87 Good

98 Confidence
Ghost 9

2016 · 13 reviews

97 Excellent

94 Confidence
Ghost 8

2015 · 11 reviews

80 Good

88 Confidence
Ghost 7

2014 · 74 reviews

76 Decent

98 Confidence
Ghost 6

2013 · 55 reviews

71 Decent

95 Confidence
Ghost 5

2012 · 4 reviews

76 Decent

82 Confidence

Reader Ratings

50 ratings

5/5 33

4/5 16

3/5 1

2/5 0

1/5 0

See written reviews Write a review

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight: 11.1 oz
Release: 2019 Q2
MSRP: $130
Stack Height: 31mm heel - 19mm toe
Drop Height: 12mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Brooks Ghost 12

5/5

Overall

I have been running in the Ghosts for years now. I am about 185 lbs. and the shoe is durable for me usually up to 400 mi. It is cushioned well for my forefoot running style and balanced from heel to toe. The Ghost has room in the toe box but fits snug so your toes don't smash into the front of the shoe during downhills or slip during up hill climbs. The out sole grips well, I use it for road running and some packed dirt and gravel trail runs. This is a great shoe for me and if Brooks continues to minimize changes in this model it is a shoe I will continue to wear.

Anonymous runner · Jul 8, 2019

30 mpw training for a half marathon came from the ASICS GEL-Nimbus 18

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 4/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 4/5
Value: 4/5

Ghosts in the closet

4/5

Overall

I am now on my 12th pair of Brooks Ghost (Ghost 1 through Ghost 11). I am a neutral runner and these are the best training shoes for comfort and performance I have ever worn. I’ve been running competitively for 58 years and started with a pair of Adidas Italia trainers at 11 years of age. I currently train at 30 to 40 miles per week. Training is comprised of both road and track intervals (trained with Igloi in college). The Ghost 11 is a great training shoe for both modes of training. Comfort and stability on the roads and light and performer on the track. The Ghost series continues to improve with each iteration. The only training shoe I will consider!

Anonymous runner · Jul 7, 2019

35 mpw training for a half marathon

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 4/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Renaissance!

5/5

Overall

I've been given the support and stability to workout again - these shoes are great all around! I have the confidence to go out there and hit the roads...

Anonymous runner · Jul 5, 2019

35 mpw came from the ASICS GEL-Kayano 5 360

Comfort: 5/5
Cushioning: 5/5
Durability: 5/5
Appearance: 5/5
Value: 5/5

Heel to toe drop too much

4/5

Overall

It took me several weeks to adjust to what felt like a larger drop than prior versions. Once I got adjusted (stopped feeling like my heel was making ground contact early and my forefoot slapping down) they were good. The transition of the Ghost 11 was better.

Anonymous runner · Jul 5, 2019

30 mpw came from the Brooks Ghost 11