Brooks Ghosts have long been my workhorse running shoes. I got my first pair when I completed the C25K program and decided I would continue with running, thereby needing decent shoes to avoid injury. That pair were Ghost 12s and I ran them into the ground, retiring them after around 1400km by which time they were offering me little support. Their replacement, Ghost 13s, were retired after a more sensible 1000km. The Ghost 14s I will write about here have so far carried me well over 300km but are now rarely used, as I will explain.
Running pace clearly depends on the level of fitness and stamina the runner has built up over time. Nevertheless, shoes worn can help in a plethora of ways. Having suffered a variety of minor injuries over the years I have sought solutions for future avoidance. This includes rotation of shoes that offer support in differing ways.
I currently wear: ASICS Gel Nimbus as recovery shoes; ASICS Novablasts for training runs; ASICS Metaspeed Sky on race days. Rotating these three serves me well. I also have ASICS FujiSpeeds for when trail shoes are needed. Finding this combination has resulted in my Ghosts becoming somewhat redundant.
Ghosts are a good, basic running shoe. They provide a firm but still supportive sole. I have found the grip good except on wet, slick surfaces or sludgy mud. What I feel they lack, that I get from my newer shoes, is efficient rebound. I am notably slower for the same amount of effort.
This wasn’t the case with my first pair. Could it be I simply wasn’t used to wearing a decent running shoe? Was I fitter? Is this more recent iteration less effectively designed and built? All I know for sure is that my other shoes currently serve a defined purpose whereas my Ghosts now lack a useful space in my shoe rotation.
Having not worn them for some time I opted to lace them up when I recently ran Bushy parkrun. This was a mixed terrain course but flat and, given the weather, firm so with potential for a good finish time. The Ghosts gave me nothing. My legs were working but couldn’t reach the hoped for pace.
A bad workman blames his tools and if I was slower than hoped it wasn’t just down to my shoes. Much of running is psychological and when my performance over the first kilometre proved disappointing it was hard to motivate myself to push through. Whatever the reason, I struggled in a way I don’t usually with my Novablasts or MetaSpeeds.
Who, then, might Ghosts suit? The sole offers everything a runner needs to cover the miles for building stamina and working on pace. They are comfortable to wear with a flexible but solid mesh upper and good cushioning around the heel area. When laced in there is no foot slippage, everything is held in place but without pressure. Each of my pairs have proved durable – the longest lasting of all my trainers to date.
Ideal then for a runner who doesn’t feel the need for more technical ‘super’ shoes with their stacked cushioning and carbon plates. If you trust your body to do the work and shoes are there to simply support that effort, these could be for you.
