Brooks Ghost 18 ReviewSame sole as the 17, 290g, 10mm drop, JPY 19,800

The Brooks Ghost 18 is a buy for people who want to buy a 10mm-drop daily shoe by choosing width. The sole is the same DNA LOFT v3 as the 17, 290g in men's 27cm. Early sales started in mid-June 2026 at JPY 19,800. No plate.

Ghost 18 official numbers | 290g, 10mm drop, JPY 19,800

The new generation's product page says, "Midsole material and sole thickness are unchanged from the previous model." The Ghost 18 is a shoe you start reading from there.

Akashi, which handles Brooks in Japan, issued an announcement on Jun 9, 2026. I line up the numbers from that announcement and the Japan official product pages.

The sales channels in the announcement are "the official online shop and some BROOKS retailers." The uses are jogging, LSD (long slow distance training) and commute runs. It takes a broad target, from beginners to experienced runners.

Ghost 17 compared | only the 3 places that touch the foot changed

The product page lists 3 changes.

• Insole: Ortholite X-60 newly introduced
• Tongue: redesigned for a softer touch on the instep
• Upper fabric: a new air mesh for more breathability

All 3 are places the foot touches directly. The side that meets the ground has not moved. The foam is DNA LOFT v3, the same as the 17. On the 17's page, Brooks explains it as a foam made by injecting nitrogen.

The weight rose 5g. It is a generation where the insole was swapped, so I read that as the likely reason, but Brooks does not state one.

Let me convert 5g into marathon steps. Assuming a 1m stride, that is 42,195 steps, about 21,100 per foot. With 5g × 21,100 steps, the total weight each foot lifts differs by about 105kg. It looks large as a number, but per step it is the weight of 5 one-yen coins.

The sole moved a lot in the 17, one before

The 17's page records the change from the generation before it. The heel got 1mm thicker and the forefoot 3mm. Since the front got 2mm more, the drop fell from 12mm to 10mm (3 − 1 = 2, 12 − 2 = 10).

In other words, the 17 rebuilt the sole, and the 18 left that sole alone and tidied only the top. From my reading, running 500km a month, the drop is what you least want changed in a daily shoe. The single line "still 10mm" is a reassuring number for someone adding a pair.

Siblings compared | Glycerin, MAX line, GTX

Scroll the table sideways →

Lined up, the Ghost 18 is the lightest, cheapest and largest-drop shoe of the 5.

• Have worn shoes with about a 10mm drop, and want to switch with the same feel → Ghost 18
• Also use it for rainy commute runs → Ghost 18 GTX. 30g heavier than the regular, JPY 8,800 more (320 − 290, 28,600 − 19,800)
• Can pay for a difference in foam → Glycerin 23. The foam is DNA TUNED, and the gap is 10g and JPY 6,600 (300 − 290, 26,400 − 19,800)
• Want to choose by sole thickness → better not the Ghost. The 2 MAX models are, as named, on the thick-sole side, with a 6mm drop

The Ghost and the Ghost MAX only have similar names; they are different shoes. Even with the same DNA LOFT v3, the MAX 3 is 30g heavier with a 4mm smaller drop (320 − 290, 10 − 6). Buy it thinking it is "a thick Ghost" and your sense of heel height will change.

If you look for a separate race-day pair, Brooks's plated shoe is the Hyperion Elite 6, released Sept 4. It is 192g in 27cm with a 7mm drop. A race shoe 98g lighter than the Ghost 18 (290 − 192), with a role separate from daily training.

For the same JPY 19,800 and a slightly faster pace, there is the Ghost AMP, released in late August. The last is the same as the Ghost, 250g in 27cm with a 6mm drop. It is 40g lighter than the Ghost 18 (290 − 250).

What I like

First, that the sole was left alone. The 17 fixed thickness and drop, and the 18 did not move that by even 1mm. Among makers that change the sole each time the number in the name rises, this is a decision. Someone the 17 fit can buy a shoe with the same sole and a new upper.

Next, that the variants are there from the start. The announcement lines up wide, slim and GORE-TEX alongside the standard. The Japan official wide is 2E, and the weight is 290g (27cm), the same as the regular width. That the weight number does not change when width widens is easy for the chooser to understand.

The price has not moved either. The list price is the same as the 17. A generation that renewed the insole without raising the price.

And the 10mm drop. In this site's article on 10 shoes by use too, of the 9 with a drop given, only the Nike Vomero 18 and Pegasus 42 are 10mm. For people who have worn shoes with a higher heel, it is welcome that a place to switch to remains.

Things to watch

Sole thickness is not published in numbers. The only things you can tell are the 10mm drop and "same as before." Someone who wants to decide by comparing the heel in mm will find it easier to choose a shoe from a maker that publishes thickness.

290g is not a light shoe. The HOKA Clifton 11 at the same price is 282g (28cm) by the maker's announcement. Even though the size condition is 1cm different, the Ghost is 8g heavier (290 − 282). If you decide by lightness, it is not the Ghost.

The GTX is a build with a waterproof membrane bonded to the upper. On the Japan official page, it is 320g, 30g heavier than the regular version. For a rainy-day-only purchase the gap is acceptable, but as 1 pair for every day including sunny days, it is a heavy number.

For someone who owns the Ghost 17, there is no difference in the sole. If you have no complaint about the insole, tongue and upper fabric, waiting until your current shoe's sole wears down is enough.

Who is it for?

• Looking for a first pair. Jogs and commute runs are the main use
• Switching from shoes with about a 10mm drop
• Have had trouble with width. Want to choose wide (2E) or slim
• Wearing the Ghost 16 or earlier. The 17 thickened the sole and the 18 renewed the upper

If you choose by lightness or a plate, there are other ways to choose. If the Ghost 17 is still new, wearing it out first is in time (same sole).

Price and where to buy

If the previous generation remains cheaply, the Ghost 17 is a sound choice. The sole material and thickness are the same. Deciding by whether the price gap is worth the 3 things of insole, tongue and upper fabric is enough.

The 18 has a clear reason to choose for people who want to choose width. Last-generation stock often does not remain in a full set of sizes and widths. If your width is not available in the 17, the 18.

When you buy, look at the number in the product name and the "WIDE," "GTX" and "MAX" markings. All are Ghost names, sold as separate products.

FAQ

How does the Ghost 18 fit? Is there a wide?

There is a wide (2E), and a narrow slim also appears in the announcement. On the Japan official site, men's standard is D and women's standard is B. Men's starts at 25.0cm and women's is 22.0 to 26.0cm. It is a shoe where you can choose width at your usual length instead of going up in length to make room.

How do the Ghost 18 and 17 differ?

The sole is the same, and what changed in the 18 is the insole (Ortholite X-60), the tongue and the mesh over the instep: 3 things. The 18 weighs 5g more (27cm). If the 17 is cheaper and your size remains, the 17 is enough. If you want to choose wide or slim, the 18.

How do the Ghost 18 GTX and the regular version differ?

It is the version with a GORE-TEX waterproof membrane bonded to the upper. It also has a sole with more grip on wet surfaces. The weight is 320g (27cm), 30g heavier than the regular version, and the price is separate. The drop is the same 10mm. I read it as a shoe to keep as a 2nd pair for rainy days.

Gear in this article

Ads and images: Rakuten Ichiba

Brooks Ghost 18 (Ghost18)Brooks Ghost 18 GTX (waterproof)Brooks Ghost 17 (previous generation)Brooks Glycerin 23 (Glycerin23)

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