We’ve tested dozens of Brooks shoes — these are the ones worth buying (and the ones you can skip)

Ghost 18 sets the bar

The Ghost has been NBC Select's baseline shoe since the Ghost 14, and the latest version keeps that role. Ten-millimeter drop, balanced cushioning, wide toe box that doesn't crush your forefoot on long descents. Sizes run 7 through 15 with narrow, medium, wide, and extra-wide options. It's the shoe Caroline Bermel at Fleet Feet points to as having enough cushion for longer efforts yet firm enough to pick up cadence. Mark Razzante at Samuel Merritt calls it a smooth, dependable trainer for runners who want one pair to cover most of their mileage.

That versatility is the real story. Airport days, recovery jogs, easy long runs — the Ghost 18 handles all of it. For trail athletes logging road miles between backcountry trips, it's a workhorse. Watch-outs: the new soft flat-knit tongue and sockliner. A few wide-foot testers found the 2E fit tighter than expected up top, and the long tongue tab makes the shoe a fight to pull on. Test before you commit.

Walking shoe and running shoe split

The Ghost Max earned NBC Select's 2026 Wellness Award for best walking shoe. Plush, supportive, survived 20,000-step days and international travel. Trade-off is weight — noticeably heavy under running cadence compared to the regular Ghost. Buy it if your trail prep includes long urban days or you stand on your feet for work. Skip it for running.

The Glycerin is the pick if running is the mission. Lighter than the Ghost Max, plusher than the Ghost, comfortable across four- to twelve-mile efforts without hot spots or joint aches. NBC Select's testers landed on it as the brand's best running shoe. Catch: that plush foam is heavy, so it doesn't belong in tempo or speed sessions. Keep it for steady aerobic work where comfort matters more than leg snap.

If you need arch support, the Adrenaline GTS is what every podiatrist in the NBC roundup pointed to. Not flashy. Just structurally sound for runners whose feet need guidance through the gait cycle.

Where Brooks stops being enough

None of these models are built for technical trail work. The Ghost can handle fire roads, smooth doubletrack, and dry conditions, but the outsole isn't going to bite into wet rock or loose scree. The Glycerin is even less suited — that plush midsole loves vertical compliance on road but gets murdered on off-camber roots.

If your training splits between road and trail the way most serious mountain athletes do, run the Ghost or Glycerin on the road days and keep a dedicated trail shoe for the real terrain. Trying to make one Brooks do both jobs is how you end up with blown-out outsoles and wet feet halfway up a climb.

Different athletes land on different picks. A two-time marathoner with wide feet has different priorities than an avid soccer player building an aerobic base on easy days. The shoe choice should match your mileage mix, not the marketing brochure.

Watch the Ghost 19 cycle. If Brooks fixes that tongue and keeps the 2E width honest, the Ghost becomes the default answer for new trail runners who need one road shoe that does everything. Until then, buy for your