The Brooks Ghost 17. All photographs: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
[Editor’s Note: Guest writer Keith Yanov is from Mammoth Lakes, California. His backyard is the Eastern Sierra Nevada in which he plays on seemingly endless singletrack and can be spotted occasionally careening downhill.]
The Brooks Ghost 17 ($150) continues the legacy of its predecessors as a shoe that exceeds the sum of its elements. This dependable shoe’s refined design doesn’t have large frills, however its stability between high quality, consolation, efficiency, and sturdiness yields excessive marks. Whereas dearer than the earlier model, the Ghost 17’s worth level remains to be definitely worth the funding for highway runners coaching for any distance.
What I really like most about this mannequin is that every side of the shoe falls into the Goldilocks zone — neither an excessive amount of nor too little of something, with a few minor exceptions. The outsole is sturdy and gives common grip that works as anticipated on pavement and performs high quality on compact grime roads. The 36.5-millimeter stack peak on the heel and 26.5-millimeter stack on the toe is a median improve of two millimeters in comparison with the Ghost 16, and the 10-millimeter drop could also be a bit a lot for some forefoot strikers. The precise weight of 10.2 ounces (290 grams) for a U.S. males’s 9 places it in the course of the pack for every day trainers, however it’s one way or the other nonetheless nimble and never clunky. The shoe doesn’t lose stability with the elevated stack peak.
On the finish of the day, the Brooks Ghost 17 will get the job achieved proper for a impartial, every day highway coach.
Store the Males’s Brooks Ghost 17Store the Girls’s Brooks Ghost 17
Brooks Ghost 17 Higher
A lateral view of the Brooks Ghost 17.
The Brooks Ghost 17 higher is made from engineered double-jacquard mesh and overlaid with supplies consisting of 59% recycled supplies. General, the foot is comfortably cosy inside, and the shoe runs true to measurement. There may be not a lot to criticize about this shoe, but when I’m nitpicking, the shoe may use extra breathable mesh on its higher and features a bit an excessive amount of cushion within the collar and tongue. These facets carry out simply high quality, however some extra breathability and shaving off a little bit of weight within the over-cushioned areas could be welcomed. As a counterpoint, these traits add to the shoe’s consolation and sturdiness.
The toebox permits for a pure toe splay and is spacious sufficient for many runners. It ought to be famous, nevertheless, that the Ghost 17 toebox is narrower than the Ghost 16, so don’t anticipate a boxy really feel this time round.
Whereas usually a throwaway subject, Brooks’ consideration to element comes via even within the laces, that are first-rate. They’re easy but grippy sufficient to keep away from coming untied. Shoe laces are like referees: If you don’t discover them, they’re doing their job properly. You probably won’t discover these laces, aside from them being highlighted right here!
Brooks Ghost 17 Midsole and Outsole
A medial view of the Brooks Ghost 17.
The Brooks Ghost 17 midsole options the model’s DNA LOFT v3 cushioning. This nitrogen-injected foam, which mixes EVA foam, rubber, and air, is lighter and softer than earlier iterations, making certain each stride is bouncy and responsive on all surfaces, with out sacrificing stability.
The Ghost 17 additionally elevated its stack peak by three millimeters within the forefoot and one millimeter within the heel, nevertheless it retains the power to carry out on diverse terrain with out elevated fear of rolling an ankle. With the average cushion, your ft really feel the bottom on each step, and you’ll management your subsequent foot placement.
The outsole of the Brooks Ghost 17.
Shifting right down to the outsole, Brooks employs an ordinary design for dry roads. The high-quality rubber tread is skinny however akin to most highway trainers, and also you probably will get some pebbles caught in there. It’s additionally price noting that the minimal-tread outsole just isn’t meant for slick surfaces. General, the outsole materials is sturdy and carried out adequately on onerous, semi-technical grime, nevertheless it was one of many first areas of the shoe to point out some put on.
Brooks Ghost 17 General Impressions
A high view of the Brooks Ghost 17.
In a vacuum, any single side of the Brooks Ghost 17 won’t blow you away. However placing all of it collectively, it harmoniously creates a high-performing every day coach that’s really useful for runners of all skills and on all surfaces, aside from technical trails or slick roads. The shoe just isn’t meant for tempo exercises, however it’s versatile sufficient to carry out in case you are saving your quick sneakers for race day as a substitute of your exercise. Its light-weight building strikes a stable stability between sensible and efficiency options. And with a variety of coloration choices, from understated to vibrant, the Ghost 17 is a high contender for a every day shoe that simply will get the job achieved properly.
Store the Males’s Brooks Ghost 17Store the Girls’s Brooks Ghost 17
Name for Feedback
Have you ever run within the Brooks Ghost 17? What did you assume?
What options do you search for in an on a regular basis highway shoe?
The creator placing the Brooks Ghost 17 via its paces within the Japanese Sierra Nevada. Photograph: iRunFar/Daniel Castillo Oropeza
