Type a shoe name, like Pegasus, Clifton or Kayano.

Brooks Ghost 9

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 10.6 oz · 12mm drop

Discontinued — we no longer see this shoe in stock. The Brooks Ghost 10 replaced it

How it ranks

The Brooks Ghost 9 is one of the strongest daily trainers in our data. Durability and comfort are its strongest sub-ratings. Looks scores well below its other sub-ratings. The rating rests on 13 runner reviews and 13 other rated shoes in the Ghost product line.

Brooks Ghost 9

of 5

Excellent

97/100
Overall
97
Comfort
97
Durability
97
Cushioning
92
Value
85
Appearance
62
Confidence

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

94/100

94

What runners say

“The upper is snug but does not pinch, the footbed has just enough support, and the outsole is very well cushioned without being bulky.”
5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 5
“The rubber outsole breaks down very quickly.”
3/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33
“It's truly a daily trainer for me as I used it on all my runs, including faster paced workouts.”
5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 5
“Never have had any issues with foot soreness, shinsplints, or shoe breakdown.”
4/5 Full review 25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 8
“I retired my first pair after 600 miles but I definitely could have used them for longer.”
5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 5
“I was initially taken aback by the weight, but I got used to it, and it's worth the added durability.”
4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Ghost 8
“I didn't get injured in them, despite increasing my mileage from about 20 to 45 from June to November.”
5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Victory Waffle 4
“Painful to run in for the first 100 miles, now a good shoe for normal miles and hills, exceedingly durable.”
4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Launch 3
“They last really long, are comfortable, and can be used in a variety of ways.”
5/5 Full review 60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 880 v3
“Outer lining rips easily and isn't very durable, but that doesn't affect the integrity of the shoe.”
5/5 Full review 40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide 9

Prefer this shoe over another

49% 18/37

Where to buy

No offers available

Affiliate links included. They never affect our ratings.

Prices updated daily. Last checked Sep 14.


Pros

  • Two reviewers take a pair past 600 miles, one of them to 817.
  • Comfort averages 4.8 out of 5, and one reviewer notes a roomy toe box.
  • Runners use it for easy miles and tempo work alike.

Cons

  • Durability averages 4.2 out of 5, and two reviewers have the outsole or the upper lining wear quickly.
  • Two reviewers notice the weight at 10.6 oz, and one the 12mm drop.
  • One reviewer finds it painful to run in for the first 100 miles, and another complains of poor ventilation.

Rating & Confidence vs. other shoes for sale

Each dot is one rated shoe for sale, placed by its rating and by how much evidence sits behind it. Shoes toward the top right are both well rated and well established.

Confidence
50 60 70 80 90 100 25 50 75 100

Better Shoes Rating

Ghost 9 rates 97. This shoe has 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

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

    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 This shoe

    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

13 ratings
5/5 7
4/5 5
3/5 1
2/5 0
1/5 0

Specs & fit

Sizing and ride details at a glance.

Weight
10.6 oz
Release
2016 Q1
MSRP
$120
Drop Height
12mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Showing 1–5 of 13 written reviews

Love them

5/5

Overall

Very comfortable. Roomy toe box. Outer lining rips easily and isn't very durable, but that doesn't affect the integrity of the shoe.

Anonymous runner · Jul 5, 2019

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Guide 9

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

Been running in this shoe for 5-6 years

4/5

Overall

It is a really great shoe for people who need a good deal of support. I have ran in it for a long time with much success.

bearcatRun1998 · Oct 1, 2018

60 mpw training for middle distance

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
3/5
Appearance
3/5
Value
4/5

Ghost 9

5/5

Overall

Work horse. Currently has 817 miles on them.

DevinChaulk · Jul 18, 2018

45 mpw came from the New Balance 860 v4

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
3/5
Value
5/5

Great neutral trainer for everyday mileage

5/5

Overall

In my previous cross country season, I rotated two pairs of Ghost 9s, and had success with them. I didn't get injured in them, despite increasing my mileage from about 20 to 45 from June to November. These are great shoes and they are best for easy mileage in my opinion, due to their medium weight, but they worked well for me for tempos/intervals as well, as I essentially wore these for everything except for races last fall.

stunzyyy · May 6, 2018

35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Victory Waffle 4

Comfort
5/5
Cushioning
5/5
Durability
5/5
Appearance
3/5
Value
5/5

Brooks Ghost 9

4/5

Overall

The Brooks Ghost 9 have held up very well over the last few months. Never have had any issues with foot soreness, shinsplints, or shoe breakdown. Attractive appearance is a bonus too. Traction good enough for relatively slick conditions.

Anonymous runner · Feb 8, 2018

25 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Ghost 8

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

Alternatives

Other shoes worth considering.

More from Brooks

Compared to other shoes

See how this shoe compares to others like it.

Current shoe
Choose a model
Best durability
Newest / Lowest price
Lightest / Best overall / Best comfort
Shoe properties
Type
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Daily trainer
Pronation
Neutral
Neutral
Neutral
Weight
10.6 oz M
8.5 oz M Lightest
Stack
40/35mm
Drop
12mm
5mm
Release
2016 Q1
2026 Newest
2023 Q1
MSRP
$120
$150
$145
Best price
$124 Lowest price
$149.99
Ratings
Overall
Excellent (97)
Good (90)
Exceptional (99) Best overall
Comfort
Exceptional (97)
Excellent (96)
Exceptional (99) Best comfort
Cushioning
Very good (92)
Good (90)
Exceptional (99) Best cushioning
Durability
Exceptional (97) Best durability
Excellent (97)
Very good (92)
Appearance
Below average (62)
Below average (70)
Very good (91) Best appearance
Value
Good (85)
Good (83)
Good (88) Best value
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