Brooks Ghost 9

Name: Brooks Ghost 9
Brand: Brooks
Rating: 4.5 (13 reviews)

Daily trainer · Neutral · Road · 10.1 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 is based on 13 runner reviews and 13 other rated shoes in the Ghost product line.

Good

Overall

Good 89

Durability

Excellent 94

Comfort

Very good 92

Cushioning

Good 86

Value

Good 81

Appearance

Below average 66

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 is low when we have few ratings or when runners disagree.

See the product line's history

Confidence

97 Very high

Very high 97

Based on

The bars show roughly how much each source contributes to this shoe’s rating. Their influence depends on how many reviews we’ve collected, how many earlier versions are in the product line, and the external ratings available.

Product line track record
Our ratings
External ratings

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

“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

“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

“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 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 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

“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.”

5/5 Full review 35 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Nike Zoom Victory Waffle 4

“One complaint is poor ventilation, on hot days these shoes are unbearable.”

4/5 Full review 45 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Ghost 8

“Although the heel to toe drop is a bit large, it is a very comfortable shoe with pretty good durability.”

5/5 Full review 45 mpw 1,173 miles in this shoe training for middle distance

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 Oct 22.

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.

Ghost 9 rates 89. This shoe has very high confidence. 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

73 2012 70 71 2014 75 89 2016 79 95 2018 77 86 2020 92 98 2022 94 87 2025 90

Release year

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

Ghost 18

2026 · 7 reviews

90 Very good

85 Confidence
Ghost 17

2025 · 8 reviews

87 Good

85 Confidence
Ghost 16

2024 · 38 reviews

94 Excellent

96 Confidence
Ghost 15

2022 · 94 reviews

98 Exceptional

99 Confidence
Ghost 14

2021 · 66 reviews

92 Very good

99 Confidence
Ghost 13

2020 · 13 reviews

86 Good

88 Confidence
Ghost 12

2019 · 50 reviews

77 Decent

99 Confidence
Ghost 11

2018 · 73 reviews

95 Excellent

100 Confidence
Ghost 10

2017 · 57 reviews

79 Decent

100 Confidence
Ghost 9 This shoe

2016 · 13 reviews

89 Good

97 Confidence
Ghost 8

2015 · 11 reviews

75 Decent

94 Confidence
Ghost 7

2014 · 74 reviews

71 Decent

99 Confidence
Ghost 6

2013 · 55 reviews

70 Decent

98 Confidence
Ghost 5

2012 · 4 reviews

73 Decent

91 Confidence

Runner Ratings

13 ratings

5/5 7

4/5 5

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: 10.1 oz
Men's / women's: Men's 10.6 oz · Women's 9.5 oz
Release: 2016 Q1
MSRP: $120
Drop: 12mm

Runner reviews

Write a review

Takes some time

4/5

Overall

Painful to run in for the first 100 miles, now a good shoe for normal miles and hills, exceedingly durable.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

45 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Brooks Launch 3

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

Best shoes I've ever owned

5/5

Overall

The Ghost just feels so great on my feet. The upper is snug but does not pinch, the footbed has just enough support, and the outsole is very well cushioned without being bulky. It's truly a "daily trainer" for me as I used it on all my runs, including faster paced workouts. The shoe is incredibly durable too. I retired my first pair after 600 miles but I definitely could have used them for longer. I have an aggressive foot strike that is not kind to shoes, but the Ghost held up!

gmferland · Feb 7, 2018

40 mpw training for a half marathon came from the Saucony Kinvara 5

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

Running shoes

5/5

Overall

I am on my fifth pair of the ghosts and love them. They last really long, are comfortable, and can be used in a variety of ways. No matter the run, if I have my ghosts I feel ready to run fast.

Anonymous runner · Feb 7, 2018

60 mpw training for a half marathon came from the New Balance 880 v3

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

Not what I was looking for

4/5

Overall

The shoe was alright, but not what I was looking for at the time. The salesman said it would help with my pronation and injury history. I knew that was probably wrong but I went with the shoes anyway. They was nothing wrong with them per se, but they just weren't the best.

me1234568 · Feb 7, 2018

20 mpw came from the Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 32

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

Reliable

4/5

Overall

I've had many iterations of the Brooks Ghost. I was initially taken aback by the weight, but I got used to it, and it's worth the added durability. One complaint is poor ventilation, on got dinner days these shoes are unbearable. Overall, though, I recommend these shoes.

jesus_short · Feb 6, 2018

45 mpw training for middle distance came from the Brooks Ghost 8