Brooks Ghost 18 Preview | What We Know Before it Drops

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Brooks wasn’t messing around when they released their line up this year with two brand new shoes, which might be why they also decided to play it safe with the beloved Brooks Ghost 18. Ghost 18 Release Date We’ve already given you a preview of the Brooks Ghost Amp coming this Fall (so exciting) and done a full review on the new Brooks Glycerin Flex, basically their big WOW moments for the year. After that we’ve been sharing reviews of all the updates and now we wanted to give a heads up on the Ghost 18.

We know that a lot of you love this shoe and after some big changes last year will be relieved to hear this year is more about letting you settle in than throwing you for another curve.

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Brooks Ghost 18 Specifications

Here’s what we know about this shoe from our time talking with the Brooks team at The Running Event in San Antonio. As soon as we receive them for testing, you’ll get a complete review with any updates to weight or colorways!

Heel toe drop: 10mm
Weight: 9.0 oz women’s, 10.1 oz men’s
Stack: 36 mm
Available in six colors
Available in Wide, Narrow and Extra Wide in select colorways
Available from Brooksrunning.com for $150 in May 2026

See our current Brooks Ghost 17 review – as of right now we’d absolutely say stock up when it goes on sale since the changes appear to be minimal!

You may have also noticed the Brooks Ghost Trail review, they are really honing in on the love of this shoe to expand your options. Which is again why we think the Amp is going to be something a lot of folks love.

What’s New and Different in Ghost 18

The Ghost 16 to 17 had a big change when they went from the very traditional 12mm heel to toe drop to 10mm. Our team generally rejoiced this as it seems better for the mechanics of the majority of runners, but we know some Achilles struggling folks weren’t quite as happy.

That being said the team decided it wasn’t appropriate to make another big set of changes to the DNA Loft foam or anything else in the midsole.

I think this is partially because many haven’t yet upgraded from their older Brooks Ghosts and an off year of updates gives them a chance to keep the spotlight on the other shoes we mentioned above. Ghost 18 Preview What they did focus on was changes to the upper and the tongue. Going with a light yarn upper (triple jacquard mesh) it should be more breathable which we always appreciate on longer runs and summer miles.

Additionally they made some adjustments to make the tongue more comfortable and ensure it stays in place. Small changes to the sock liner, a little bit of room to add volume to the forefoot and other little tweaks that we may need to feel versus get you super excited about with details.

Ghost is one of the top selling daily trainers and we think these updates will keep it there.

It’s got great rubber coverage, that moderate cushion and moderate stack to make it approachable for so many.

Who is This For?

Wide Feet: Available in 4 different widths, so there’s an option for everyone.
Heavier Runners: A stable ride underfoot, but you may want a shoe with more cushioning.
Long Runs: It’s a winner for easy-paced, longer runs!
Front of the Pack: While it won’t hold you back from tempo runs, it’s not a fast shoe.

All right that’s our Brooks Ghost 18 preview, short and sweet because this one isn’t over the top. Love to hear your thoughts from the 17 was it a hit for you with the updates or a miss because you liked the older versions?

Brooks Running Shoe Line Up

If you’ve ever wondered what the line up looks like because it feels like there are now A MILLION shoes from every brand, here’s a quick way to think about it:

Brooks Ghost 17 (soon 18) – Moderate cushioned neutral daily trainer with 36mm stack height
Brooks Ghost Max 3 – Max cushioned recovery run shoe or great walking shoe with 39mm stack height
Brooks Glycerin 23 – Max cushion that can pick up the pace a little bit, has more bounce, more premium feel
Brooks Glycerin Max 2 – Seriously cushioned and bouncy, more premium foam than Ghost
Brooks Adrenaline 25 – Firmer feel of the shoes and can feel more stable
Brooks Hyperion Max 3 – super trainer, lightweight, fastest of these training options