Brooks Ghost 17 vs Ghost 18: What Changed, and Should You Upgrade?
Brooks changed the upper and left its own numbers alone: the same stated 10 mm drop, the same four widths, 3 g heavier. The independent lab that measured both found 1.8 mm more drop and a firmer midsole on the Ghost 18.
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That makes the 18 the slightly better Ghost for a sore heel or Achilles and the slightly worse one for a sore forefoot. If your Ghost 17 is working, buy another pair while the stock lasts.
This is a spec comparison. We have not measured, worn or scored either shoe. The brand figures below are Brooks’ own; the lab figures are RunRepeat’s, from one pair of each in men’s US 9. We keep the two apart because they are not the same tier of evidence.
What Brooks says changed
Brooks presents the Ghost 18 as an upper update: a softer, more flexible knit tongue, a reworked engineered air-mesh upper and an OrthoLite X-60 sockliner, on the same nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3 midsole. Its own account of the line says the 18 keeps the Ghost’s 10 mm drop and ride. Nothing in the published specification contradicts that. Weight moves by 3 g in the men’s shoe and 6 g in the women’s, the widths are identical, and the list price is the same $150 the Ghost 17 launched at.
| Specification | Ghost 17 | Ghost 18 |
|---|---|---|
| Heel-to-toe drop | 10 mm | 10 mm |
| Weight, men’s | 10.1 oz / 286 g | 10.2 oz / 289 g |
| Weight, women’s | 9.0 oz / 255 g | 9.2 oz / 261 g |
| Heel and forefoot stack | Not published by Brooks | Not published by Brooks |
| Midsole foam | Nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3 | Nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3 |
| Widths, men’s | Narrow, Medium, Wide (2E), Extra Wide (4E) | Narrow, Medium, Wide (2E), Extra Wide (4E) |
| Widths, women’s | Narrow (2A), Medium, Wide (D), Extra Wide (2E) | Narrow (2A), Medium, Wide (D), Extra Wide (2E) |
| List price | $150 | $150 |
Brooks’ product pages list drop and weight but not heel or forefoot stack heights for either shoe. The 36/26 and 36.5/26.5 mm figures quoted elsewhere appear in third-party spec listings; we could not find them on brooksrunning.com.
What the lab measured
RunRepeat cut, weighed and measured one pair of each. On most measurements the two shoes are the same shoe within the tolerance of how a sample varies. Two numbers moved enough to matter to a foot.
| Measurement | Ghost 17 | Ghost 18 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heel stack | 36.2 mm | 37.3 mm | +1.1 mm |
| Forefoot stack | 25.8 mm | 25.1 mm | −0.7 mm |
| Measured drop | 10.4 mm | 12.2 mm | +1.8 mm |
| Weight | 289 g | 289 g | None |
| Toe-box width at the big toe | 69.6 mm | 70.6 mm | +1.0 mm (lab average 73.2) |
| Width at the widest point | 95.2 mm | 96.0 mm | +0.8 mm |
| Toe-box height | 24.8 mm | 25.8 mm | +1.0 mm |
| Midsole hardness (Asker C, higher is firmer) | 36.2 AC | 40.5 AC | About 12% firmer |
| Force to bend the forefoot | 10.9 N | 12.3 N | Slightly stiffer |
| Torsional rigidity | 12.6 Nm | 12.2 Nm | No real change |
| Heel counter stiffness (1 to 5) | 5 | 5 | None |
Source: RunRepeat lab, men’s US 9, one pair of each. Hardness is on the Asker C scale RunRepeat has used since February 2026; it is not comparable with older Shore A (HA) readings. Lab averages across the shoes it has measured: toe box 73.2 mm, drop 8.5 mm, hardness about 35.5 AC.
What a foot and ankle surgeon takes from this
The drop is the number to watch. Brooks calls both shoes 10 mm, and on the Ghost 17 the lab agreed almost exactly: 10.4 mm. The Ghost 18 it measured came out at 12.2 mm, because the heel sat 1.1 mm taller and the forefoot 0.7 mm lower. One pair of each is not proof that every Ghost 18 is built that way; foam and glue lines vary from batch to batch. It is enough to stop you assuming the two shoes feel the same.
Who that helps: heel and Achilles problems. More heel lift means less stretch on the Achilles and the plantar fascia with every step, so for insertional Achilles pain, a Haglund’s bump, a tight calf or heel-first plantar fasciitis, the Ghost 18 is the kinder of the two on paper. Who it costs: the forefoot. More drop tips more of each step onto the ball of the foot, and for metatarsalgia, a Morton’s neuroma, sesamoiditis or a healed forefoot stress fracture that is the wrong direction. It is not dramatic at 1.8 mm. But if the Ghost 17 was the shoe that finally settled your ball-of-foot pain, do not assume the 18 will.
The midsole got firmer. 40.5 against 36.2 on the Asker C scale is about 12% harder, and it pushes the Ghost 18 to the firm side of the lab’s average while the 17 sat right on it. Firmer foam feels more planted and less sinking, which heavier runners and anyone with unstable ankles tend to prefer. If you bought the Ghost for its softness, the 18 is a step the wrong way.
The toe box did not really change. 69.6 and 70.6 mm at the big toe are both narrow against a lab average of 73.2 mm, and one extra millimetre will not rescue a bunion. If your forefoot needs room, the fix is the width, not the generation: both shoes come in 2E and 4E for men and D and 2E for women.
Should you upgrade?
Stay with the Ghost 17 if…
- It already works for you. A shoe that has settled a problem is worth more than a new model year.
- Your pain is in the forefoot, where the 17’s lower measured drop is the better number.
- You liked its softer ride.
- You can still find your size and width: Brooks has taken it off its own site, so what is left is retailer stock.
Buy the Ghost 18 if…
- Your problem is at the heel or the Achilles, where a little more drop helps.
- You want a firmer, more planted ride.
- You need a width or a size the Ghost 17 clearance no longer has.
- You are buying your first Ghost. It is the one Brooks will keep in stock.
Orthotics and inserts
Both shoes have a removable sockliner, and neither Brooks nor the lab publishes how much depth is left underneath it, which is the figure that decides whether a custom orthotic or a full-length insole will fit without lifting your heel out of the collar. The Ghost 18’s toe box measured 1 mm taller, which is a small help. Take the sockliner out in the store and check; our Orthotic Volume Rating explains the one-minute test.
Where to buy
Paid link. We earn a commission at no extra cost to you; commissions never influence a score, a ranking or the seal. Price and availability change, so check the listing.
Brooks Ghost 17
Women’s:
Brooks Ghost 18
Women’s:
Questions runners ask
Is the Brooks Ghost 18 better than the Ghost 17?
Not in any way Brooks’ own spec sheet shows: the same midsole foam, the same stated 10 mm drop, the same four widths and 3 g more weight. The changes Brooks describes are in the upper. An independent lab did measure the Ghost 18 with about 2 mm more drop and a firmer midsole, which suits heel and Achilles pain slightly better and forefoot pain slightly worse. If the Ghost 17 works for you, there is no clinical reason to rush.
Did Brooks change the drop on the Ghost 18?
Brooks says no: both shoes are listed at 10 mm. RunRepeat’s lab measured 10.4 mm on the Ghost 17 and 12.2 mm on the Ghost 18, one pair of each at men’s US 9. Batch-to-batch variation could explain part of that gap, so treat it as a reason to try the 18 on rather than as a settled specification.
Is the Ghost 18 wider than the Ghost 17?
Barely. The lab measured the toe box 1 mm wider at the big toe and the widest part of the forefoot 0.8 mm wider. Both are still narrower at the big toe than the average shoe the lab has measured, so if you need room, buy the Wide (2E) or Extra Wide (4E) rather than counting on the new version.
Is the Brooks Ghost 17 discontinued?
Brooks has replaced it with the Ghost 18 and no longer lists the 17 on its own site. Retailers and Amazon are selling off the remaining stock, so the common sizes and widths will go first.
Read the full analysis of each
For the change before this one, see Ghost 16 vs Ghost 17: Brooks cut the drop from 12 to 10 mm and added forefoot foam, and a lab found the 17’s toe box narrower and lower than the 16’s.
- Brooks Running, Ghost 18 product pages, men’s and women’s: drop, weights, widths, foam, price; read September 2026.
- Brooks Running, Ghost 17 product pages, men’s and women’s, via archived copies from April to June 2025: drop, weights, widths, price.
- Brooks Running, the Ghost line’s evolution, gear story, April 2026: what changed between the 17 and the 18.
- RunRepeat, lab reviews of the Ghost 17 and the Ghost 18, and its testing methodology (men’s US 9; Asker C hardness since February 2026); read September 2026.
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