Brooks Ghost 14 Review: The Brooks Ghost 14 is a maximalist daily trainer which provides great comfort and modest flexibility. It is a neutral runner and very suitable for slow-paced long runs. Frankly, this pair is the one that we recommend everybody as it has the all right proportions.
We recommend reading the entire Brooks Ghost 14 Review (3-5 min), if you are a serious about selecting the right running shoes. However, if you desperately need an answer, the table we’ve put here will help you better understand the design intention of the Brooks Ghost 14:
| Criteria | Brooks Ghost 14 Review |
|---|---|
| Our Score | 92/100 |
| Our Selection for | Best Brooks Running Shoes for High Arches & Daily Training |
| Support | Neutral |
| Feel | Balanced Cushioning (2/3) |
| Flexibility | Flexible (4/5) |
| Drop-mm (M/W) | 12 |
| Weight-gr (M/W) | 280/255 |
| Width Options | Narrow/Normal/Wide/XWide |
| Deals & Discounts | Rates Men’s / Women’s |
Related Article: Best Running Shoes of the Year
Long Story Short Summary of Brooks Ghost 14 Review:
The Brooks Ghost 14 is all about comfort! This highly versatile shoe has well-padded upper material, snug fit, and great breathability. The Ghost 14 is a neutral running shoe which pleases everyone who experiences it. Since it has all the right proportions, yes, the Brooks Ghost 14 is good for everyday running.
| What we liked the most on Brooks Ghost 14 | |
|---|---|
| Exceptionally comfortable | ✔ |
| Nice fitting of upper material | ✔ |
| Good balance of responsiveness and cushioning | ✔ |
| Breathable upper | ✔ |
| Good grip on dry and wet surfaces | ✔ |
| Smooth transitions of heel to toe | ✔ |
| Wide toe box – roomy for natural toe splay | ✔ |
| What we don’t like on Brooks Ghost 14 | |
|---|---|
| Some improvements on Stability and Support, yet still less than others | ✗ |
| Lacks responsiveness | ✗ |
| Too flexible | ✗ |
| Non-gusseted tongue | ✗ |
| Heavier than the average weight of the running shoes we tested | ✗ |
The Ghost 14 has DNA Loft foam which provides well cushioning and comfort level. We liked the smooth transition; the DNA Loft extends from the heel to the forefoot. So, what is the DNA Loft Foam and How it works on Brooks Ghost? Here is a useful video that explain how the DNA Loft Foam works:
The outsole has a smooth transition as well; it has a hard wearing rubber in the heel, whereas the forefoot is soft blown rubber. The traction of Ghost did not disappoint us. The full-coverage thread provides good traction on both wet and dry surfaces.
The Ghost 14 is so flexible that you may find it boring. The flexibility has been established by the grooves of the Brooks Ghost 14 which allows for natural bend of foot. If your usual preference is a stiff shoe, the flexibility of Brooks Ghost 14 may not please you.
The new Ghost 14 lags behind considering the responsiveness. It is fully cushioned; a maximalist model with a great comfort, but definitely it is not designed for speed. But, it is an unrivalled running shoe for small paced running.
The Ghost 14 is one of the best shoes that we experienced almost no clamminess during summer run. Its breathability is so good which did not let us down. However, we do not recommend using it in the winter time; your fingertips may freeze due to the heat loss (caused by breathability)
Is Brooks Ghost 14 good for flat feet? A quick answer is no! People with flat feet are over pronating, and therefore running shoes with higher stability will be better for them. The Ghost 14 is a neutral trainer. On the other hand, the Brooks Adrenaline GTS 22 is good for flat feet, and a great option for over-pronation. We recommend checking our Ghost 14 vs Adrenaline GTS 22 comparison for more details on this topic.
To sum up the Brooks Ghost 14 Review, it is for the soft and cushioned step. We recommend it for the ones who have no lower body injuries, or no balance or flexibility issues.
For further evaluation of the Ghost 14, it is better to take a look at the old version Ghost 13 and highlight the updates on the new version. We highly encourage you to read the following section of our Brooks Ghost 14 Review.
Brooks Ghost 13 vs 14: Key Differences and Updates
Brooks released the 14th iteration of the Ghost and now the Ghost 14 is in the spotlight. Honestly, we were amazed by the previous version, the Ghost 13 and wondered the difference between the Ghost 13 and 14. So, here is the quick answer of Brooks Ghost 13 vs 14 comparison:
Things got better:
- More cushioning and comfort (it has more DNA Loft Foam)
- Harder to untie while running (Flat Laces)
- Underfoot got softer & plusher
- Updates on upper mesh / extremely breathable & great fit
- Smoother ride than before
- Some stability improvements on the heel, it is firmer
- Incredibly flexible
- Perfect shock absorption
- Great toe splay / roomy toe box
- Lighter than older version
Things got worse:
- Lateral slippage
- Lacking Responsiveness (BioMoGo foam is removed)
Check the Price of Ghost 13 (Clearance on Amazon)
The older version, the Ghost 13, had both DNA Loft and BioMoGo foam. This combination is used to balance the softness and the responsiveness. The DNA Loft is the softest foam of the Brooks Running Shoes, it provides the top comfort. On the other hand, the purpose of the BioMoGo foam is to present more responsive stride. New iteration, the Ghost 14 has only DNA Loft. So, with the new version, the Brooks focused on the comfort more than the responsiveness in the Ghost line. You may think that the Ghost is the most comfortable and cushioned running shoes of the brooks, but the Glycerin model is still the top notch when it comes the cushioning & comfort. The Ghost is in between the Adrenaline and the Glycerin line considering the cushioning and the flexibility.
To sum up, the new Ghost 14 is more comfortable but less responsive compared to the prior generation, the Ghost 13. One more point to highlight! The new Ghost 14 has flat laces which make it harder to untie while running.
The updated upper mesh allows more air exchange and provides more secure fit. It has more stretchy plush upper which pleases most of us.
Some of us experienced that the new Ghost is a bit roomier which is the cause of the lateral slippage. This is a problem for narrow foot, whereas it is not a deal breaker for wide/splayfoot. We thought that this may be the reason of different insight of our testers.
Ghost 14 vs Revel 5
We compared Ghost 14 vs Revel 5, and the key differences between them are the amount of cushioning and the heel to toe drop.
Both of them are very popular running shoes, and especially, folks get use to the Revel 5 is wondering the differences between Revel 5 and Ghost 14. So, which one is better? Ghost 14 or Revel 5. The quick answer is definitely the Ghost 14! You can check out our Brooks Revel vs Ghost comparison for more detail.
To begin with, both of them look so similar in terms of the performance categorization. Both of them are comfortable, have a good arch support, and has a great deal of cushioning and built for road running.
However, the Ghost 14 is heavily cushioned compared to the Revel 5. It is incredibly comfortable and has a 12 mm heel to toe drop. The Revel 5 is 8 mm only. Because of this, Ghost 14 users liked it the most.
The high heel to toe drop of Ghost 14 provides a great space for cushioning, yes, but it also reduces the responsiveness. Therefore, Revel 5 is better for spring & speed. However, for long distance slow-paced running, the Ghost 14 is unrivalled.
Moreover, the DNA Loft technology of the Ghost 14 extends from heel to toe, and provides a smoother transition of the midsole. Also, the full coverage thread structure of the Ghost 14 ensures better traction compared to the arrow-point threads of the Revel 5. The Ghost addicts, our testers in love with Brooks Ghost line, replaced the insole insert of Revel 5 with a cushioned insert.
For short distance fast run, the Revel 5 is a good option, and it is more budged. But, for all the other cases, we definitely recommend the Ghost 14.
Here is the most in-depth comparison of Brooks Revel 5 vs Ghost 14, if you want to read further!
We would recommend reading our Brooks Revel 5 In-depth Review if you are looking for a do-it-all trainer!
Brooks Ghost vs Glycerin: Key Differences
We compared the Brooks Ghost 14 vs Glycerin 20, and would like to share the key differences between them. May be this is the most frequently asked questions among the Brooks lovers who used one of these shoes. What is the difference between them? Is Brooks Ghost 14 or Glycerin 20 better?
If the comfort/the plush feeling is the top priority, you can pick the Glycerin line. However, for a more balanced riding the Ghost 14 could be a better option. Because of our comparison in here, people may think that the Ghost 14 is not comfortable or soft. This is not true, it is one of the most comfortable running shoes out there, yet the Glycerin is at the extreme point when it comes to comfort and softer feeling.
For further information about this comparison, we strongly recommend reading our in-depth comparison of Brooks Ghost vs Glycerin post.
Related Article: Brooks Glycerin 20 & GTS Review
Brooks Launch vs Ghost
The Brooks presents their running shoes in three different categories: They have cushion, speedy and energize running shoes models. In this case, the Brooks Ghost is a cushioned trainer; it is highly comfortable but heavy and more suitable for slow paced long runs. On the other hand, the Brooks Launch is a speed trainer which is firm on the forefoot but flexible on the rest of the shoe. It is not as plush as the Ghost, but the cushioning is fairly enough and works very well for speed workouts. We have prepared a detailed review for “Brooks Launch vs Ghost”, if you need to read more on this topic. Or if you need a detailed analysis for the Brooks Launch Running Shoe than you can checkout this related article: “Brooks Launch Review”
Brooks Ghost 14 Size Chart
We recommend ordering Brooks running shoes 1/2 to one size larger than your dress shoe. Unisex sizes match men’s sizes per industry standard. If you prefer to convert between men’s and women’s shoes, take the women’s size and subtract 1.5 to find the men’s size. For example, a women’s size 8.5 is a men’s size 7.
Men’s Ghost 14 Size Chart
| US | UK | EUROPE |
| 5 | 4 | 37.5 |
| 5.5 | 4.5 | 38 |
| 6 | 5 | 38.5 |
| 6.5 | 5.5 | 39 |
| 7 | 6 | 40 |
| 7.5 | 6.5 | 40.5 |
| 8 | 7 | 41 |
| 8.5 | 7.5 | 42 |
| 9 | 8 | 42.5 |
| 9.5 | 8.5 | 43 |
| 10 | 9 | 44 |
| 10.5 | 9.5 | 44.5 |
| 11 | 10 | 45 |
| 11.5 | 10.5 | 45.5 |
| 12 | 11 | 46 |
| 12.5 | 11.5 | 46.5 |
| 13 | 12 | 47.5 |
| 14 | 13 | 48.5 |
| 15 | 14 | 49.5 |
| 16 | 15 | 50.5 |
Women’s Ghost 14 Size Chart
| US | UK | EUROPE |
| 5 | 3 | 35.5 |
| 5.5 | 3.5 | 36 |
| 6 | 4 | 36.5 |
| 6.5 | 4.5 | 37.5 |
| 7 | 5 | 38 |
| 7.5 | 5.5 | 38.5 |
| 8 | 6 | 39 |
| 8.5 | 6.5 | 40 |
| 9 | 7 | 40.5 |
| 9.5 | 7.5 | 41 |
| 10 | 8 | 42 |
| 10.5 | 8.5 | 42.5 |
| 11 | 9 | 43 |
| 11.5 | 9.5 | 44 |
| 12 | 10 | 44.5 |
| 12.5 | 10.5 | 45 |
| 13 | 11 | 45.5 |
Our Verdict for Brooks Ghost 14 Review
To summarize our Brook Ghost 14 Review, the Brooks Ghost 14 is all about comfort! This highly versatile shoe has well-padded upper material, snug fit, and great breathability. The Ghost 14 is a neutral running shoe which pleases everyone who experiences it. Since it has all the right proportions, yes, the Brooks Ghost 14 is good for everyday running.
Also, you might wondering the Asics running shoes as well. Don’t worry, we prepared “Brooks vs Asics: Comparison of Best Running Shoes Brand” article to guide you.