Brooks Running Shoes Review

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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful.
Maximum Comfort Minimum Weight
By Joe Humulus
Spoiler alert: This review is not written by a runner.I'm an "old guy" who is LMAO after reading JRO's review about the Brooks Men's Ghost 5 Running Shoe, where the author wished he could have purchased the yellow model vs. the blue, because he thought the blue "...looked like an old man shoe." Maybe so, but he was spot-on with his assessment of this shoe as "phenomenal."I purchased mine at the end of a long day of trying to find a decent pair of "shoes for walking." You want to talk about shoes that look like "old man shoes," take a look at any popular "walking" shoe. The nuns who taught me in Catholic grade school might find them stylish, not me. I don't know anything about "neutral", and I can't compare these Brooks shoes to any other running shoes, but I know comfortable...and they are the epitome.So as a last resort I wandered in to our local Runners Image store, and told the staff that I wanted a "shoe for walking." A quick glance at their shoe display told me I didn't have to worry about them grabbing a pair of nun's shoes to try. I also explained that I suffer from posterior tibial tendonitis. They could see that at 5'9' and 230 lbs, I'm not packing a runner's physique. I also have a wider than normal foot, but not necessarily a duck foot. The staff produced a pair of Brooks Ghost 5's, and it was immediate comfort. After wearing these gems for a couple of weeks, I haven't had any tendonitis flare-ups, and my knees aren't freaked-out from an unnatural gait from favoring a sore foot.At this point I'd rather give up my AARP card and senior citizen discounts than my Brooks Ghost 5's. Might even buy a pair in yellow, in case they are the fountain of youth!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
Great Shoe!
By jro
I am a novice runner. I played football in high school (defensive line) and did some power lifting. But those days are long gone, I'm married and I've put on about 60 lbs since high school. I'm a big guy, and probably huge by a real runner's standards. I am 6'2 and 300 lbs. So needless to say in order for me to run comfortably I need to have a phenomenal shoe. Brooks Ghost 5 is a phenomenal shoe. I ran 1.5 miles this morning pain free. No knee problems, no ankle swelling. I would highly recommend this type of shoe to anyone. It is a neutral shoe, so if you're looking for a stability shoe then these probably won't cut it. But for you neutral runners out there I can't imagine this not being an amazing shoe for any runner.It is fairly light compared to my Nike Shox, but it's not nearly as lightweight as New Balance Minimus or any of the barefoot shoes. If you're looking for comfort and an excellent performer then I would definitely say this shoe is worth a look!My only con is I wish I had gotten the yellow. I'm a young guy and I feel like the blue makes it look like an old man shoe.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Ghost 5 great option if you have a wide foot and you don't need stability.
By Chris
This shoe fit my foot like a glove. It is comfortable, durable and provided a great fit for my foot. I would recommend you be "absolutely certain" you know what you want/need before purchasing shoes online. This is a neutral shoe with a touch of stability but not to be considered a stability shoe. If you run forefoot its perfect, if you run on your heels and pronate (under or over) its not a great option.

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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful.
Terrific for forefoot strikers with neutral gaits
By Blueberry
I started jogging a few months ago, so I went to a local sporting goods store and randomly tried on different shoes until I found something comfortable. Big mistake. It turns out that I bought a "stability" shoe that has extra support to prevent pronators from pronating too much. In effect, the shoe was forcing me to distribute my weight more towards the outside of my feet. I began to develop knee pain.Luckily, I wandered into a running store where the owner was highly knowledgeable. The store had a treadmill equipped with a video camera. I ran on the treadmill for a few minutes, and then he analyzed my gait from the video footage. It turns out that I am not a pronator. I have a neutral gait, and I land on my forefeet.Once I tried on these shoes, it felt like heaven! The store owner told me that these shoes are ideal for forefoot landers who have neutral gaits. The forefoot area of the sole feels like it's slightly rounded, so when I land, it's almost effortless for me to roll forward and push off. I've found that my pace has improved. I'm not really sure what to attribute it to: the shoes or the physical therapy that subsequently strengthened my knees! However, these shoes certainly helped. I'm a firm believer and highly recommend these shoes if you happen to be a forefoot lander with a neutral gait.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
My Favorite shoes!
By pirate heather
I buy Brooks because I have wider feet, narrower heels. I am a neutral foot with HIGH arches. These shoes feel great! They look good and are really comfy! My exercise routine is cross training and walking. These are my third pair and I won't buy anything else! Super shoes! Not overly cushioned but still good for what i do daily.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Comfortable & lots of room for my foot to move
By c_sage77
I've been running in this shoe for about a month now and I'm very happy with it. I had worn New Balance up to this point but I wasn't happy with the newest NB models and I found the seams were weak around the toe box which caused the mesh to rip quite easily. I tried on about 6 pairs of running shoes before deciding on the Ghost5; I had never owned a pair of Brooks; when I buy running shoes I don't look at the name at all, I go with how they feel. There is a lot of room for my foot and my toes do not feel bunched up or constricted at all. I have a bit of a hard foot landing when I run but I find it is better with this shoe. I have plantar fasciitis as well and I find that I have less pain when I wear this shoe and I don't always use my arch support with it. One downside is that when I do use my arch support I find the shoe not large enough to comfortably accomodate an orthotic insert whereas my NB were very comfortable with the orthotic insert. However they were also 3 years old so possibly more stretched out as well. I haven't ran outside with my Ghost5's yet and have only used them on the treadmill so I don't know if there is any difference there but so far I am very happy with them.

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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Very impressed
By R I Elliott
I purchased these to use in an upcoming half marathon. I've been pleased with my kayano 15 and 16 pairs, but these are a real step-up in terms of fit and comfort. With the cushioning I don't feel any impact whatsoever - these are a delight to run in. Highly recommended.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful.
Like running on pillows
By Northern Angel
Like running on pillows compared to my last shoes, fit really well and have great support for my flat feet and over pronation. Great colour too, the best of the 4 choices!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
First time
By Vanessa W
I started running approximately 3 years ago when I lost 50 pounds. I knew nothing of running shoes so I went to my local sporting goods chain and tried on about 40 pair before deciding on the Gel-Cumulus 12s. I finally wore those out this year (I'm a social runner, not competitive) so I knew I needed to get some new shoes. I did a search for the Cumuluses and saw that the new ones, the 14s, were getting horrible reviews, while the 12s had gotten great reviews. Well, now what? I Googled, "Best running shoe for women" and found out that the Gel-Kayanos were #2. I wanted to stay with the ASICS brand because I had really enjoyed my Cumuluses. I searched for the Kayanos here and found that the reviews for the 19s were really good. In addition, I liked the look of the pink and lime green together on the black shoe.So, I did something I have never, ever done before. I ordered a pair without ever putting them on my feet! Scary!! When they came and I tried them on for the first time it was like the Heavens opened up and a band of angels began to sing, "Hallelujah!" It was easily the most amazing shoe I had ever had on my foot. Ever. The proof was in the run however. I was able to do my 4 miles without any knee or leg fatigue at all!! What a difference a new pair of shoes makes!I have an average to wide foot and a high instep. My arch is average. I tend to run on my forefoot most of the time and the fit of these shoes feels like a glove around my foot. They are true to size (I wear a 7 1/2 in all shoes, these are no different). The memory foam around the ankle truly makes the shoe mold to my foot while on and makes it feel like it was custom made for my foot. The padding on the tongue runs the length of my instep and makes it feel wonderful in these shoes. The instep is usually where I find trouble in any shoe as mine is so high. But not with these--comfort all the way!!It scared me to pay over $100 for a pair of shoes that I had never even tried on, but I am SO glad I went with my gut and bought these. Unless ASICS screws them up in future editions (which seems to be somewhat of a reality based on reading reviews of various shoes as they've come out with new versions each year), I will never change from these Kayanos!! I have found the perfect shoe for my needs!

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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
Great cushion for supinators
By June B Schafer
My feet supinate (roll out) when running, causing plantar fasciitis and shin splints from time to time. In doing research, Saucony Cohesion 6 running shoes were one type recommended for supinators...and so far, so good!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful.
Foot pillows
By shainalily
Love these. Was searching for the Grid Cohesion 5s that I usually buy every 2 months (replace your shoes after 300 miles!) ... and found these upgrades. Per my podiatrist, the shoe is structurally identical to the Grid Cohesion 5, as explained by Saucony; they just dropped the "Grid" and updated the colors, hence the "6". I train for half and full marathon trail races in these with a bulging L5 and high arched feet -- no complaints. My feet are well cushioned ... and I haven't had shin splints since my podiatrist turned me on to them 3 years ago. Just wish they lasted a smidge longer.

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Made a huge difference!
By H2Jo
Not only are these shoes stylish, but they are the reason that I can run today :-)! My attitude towards running has always been "If I'm running, you had better run too because there's a bear chasing me!" Because I'm heavy and running hurts everywhere! Well, now I have lost 30 lbs and actually want to run to step up my game. Pardon the pun.I have not been successful until now in finding a running shoe that relieves my shin splints, ankle and knee pain all at once! They fit perfectly and are nice and airy and light. I loved them the way they were the moment I first wore them, but when I paired them with brand new sport socks, I was tickled pink. An even greater improvement was replacing the soles with my doctor prescribed orthotics. I now can see a lot of jogging/running in my future.

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21 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
Rugged and Comfortable Trail Shoe
By Michael Costa
I picked up an orange pair of these after completely destroying another brand's shoes in about six months. As I write this, I can see my Cascadia 7s by the door, caked in mud. Most, if not all of my running is on dirt trails, hills, and occasional pavement. I'm constantly on uneven outdoor surfaces, and foot protection is just as important as shock absorption to me.The first thing I noticed with the Cascadia 7s is the fit--they are especially comfortable across the tops of my feet, they breathe well, and have nice elasticity. The soles are designed to take a beating while stabilizing the foot, and they have excellent traction--the tread appears to run both ways, so it grips well going up, and going down slippery surfaces. There's a rock guard around the toes, which comes in handy when I'm occasionally banging into exposed tree roots, and they do a good job of keeping most moisture away from the foot. They're not completely waterproof, but they dry quickly after being in the rain or splashing into a puddle.As for shock absorption, if you're strictly a flat surface/pavement runner, these probably aren't for you. Each shoe weighs about 12.5 ounces, they have nice bounce and absorb impact well, but they're a bit sturdier/stiffer than a regular road shoe--that's the price of admission for the extra protection. Overall, I'm so impressed with my Cascadia 7s that I bought a second pair in the other color (green.) I expect to have these for at least a year, probably longer.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful.
Awesome Shoe and lasts for miles!
By Active Duty Marine
I am an active duty Marine and have ran in these style shoes four the last four years. I started with the Brooks Cascadia 3s and now I am on the 7s. This shoe is both comfortable and durable. I run on average 30 miles a week, prepped and ran the Marine Corps Marathon in this shoe. Even after all that the running the shoe lastts me about 9 months. The other brands barely make it through a few months. The best part of all is that my knees and joints never hurt. I can also take these on pavement or trail running. Which is great cause i like to change it up all the time to break up the boredom. Finally all I have to say is thanks to Brooks for making a great shoe and keep this model.6'4" 220 lbsJoshua

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
My favorite shoe so far!
By Wesley J Snyder IV
I just bought these trail running shoes to replace my previous Brooks Ghost running shoes I had. I tried the new ghost model with the cascading and instantly the cascading felt like it fit my feet better and what was most surprising was that he cascadia's felt significantly lighter! He first time I ran with them on my normal trail I could definitely the difference and loved the increased traction! I would recommend these trail running shoes to anyone! I also have a river i have to run through every time I run and they drained quickly and didn't hold water long at all. They felt normal again quickly and not bogged down even after they were drenched. If you run off road, ditch your standard running shoe and get a trail running shoe! I can't wait to try them out in the upcoming Tough Mudder race in a few weeks.

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23 of 26 people found the following review helpful.
Solved my knee pain!
By Matt B.
Wow! What a difference a good shoe can make! As a beginning runner, I just went to my local sports store and picked up a pair of Nike running shoes that fit well. Within 2 months, I sustained bursitis of the knee which put me out of commission for 2 weeks. The ortho never mentioned that it could be my shoes--just that the injury was from overuse. Fast forward a couple more months and mild knee pain returned. I google'd and discovered that this pain could be a result from improper shoes (albeit running shoes). I located a store specializing in running shoes only and had a "video" fitting whereby they record your gait on a computer and recommend a proper running shoe. They offered a Saucony, K-Swiss and Brooks. The Brooks felt the best--like walking on a cloud, but provided excellent support for my pronation.Long story short, knee pain is completely gone and these shoes feel great. Highly recommend to try if you're experiencing knee pain.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Picks up where the GTS 11 left off
By Michael C. Miller
I ran my first marathon and several shorter races last year with two pair of GTS 11's. I just bought a pair of GTS 12's this weekend to get ready for some upcoming races.A seamless transition. The 12's have all the fit and features of the 11's. No break-in or anything required.In all other shoes I wear size 9.5 medium. In this shoe, I go with size 10 medium.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.
flat feet cure
By harry barcia
I HAVE FLAT FEET ,SO EVERYTIME I PLAY SPORTS MY FEET HURT.NOT ANYMORE GREAT FIT NO MORE PAIN.BEST SNEAKER I EVER BOUGHT.