We have not had this shoe under our own caliper. What stands out on the Ghost 17 is the opposite of the usual problem: Brooks’ published figures and an independent lab’s measured figures agree to within half a millimetre on every dimension. That is rare, and it is worth saying so.
It carries no score and no seal, and it cannot earn either until we test it. Here is what testing means on this site.
The published specification
| Specification | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Stated drop | 10 mm | Brooks |
| Lab-measured drop | 10.4 mm | RunRepeat lab |
| Stated heel stack | 36.5 mm | Brooks |
| Lab-measured heel stack | 36.2 mm | RunRepeat lab |
| Stated forefoot stack | 26.5 mm | Brooks |
| Lab-measured forefoot stack | 25.8 mm | RunRepeat lab |
| Stated weight | 286 g (10.1 oz) | Brooks |
| Lab-measured weight | 289 g (10.2 oz) | RunRepeat lab |
| Toe-box width, at the big toe | 69.6 mm | RunRepeat lab |
| Midsole softness | 36.2 Asker C | RunRepeat lab |
| Widths | Narrow, Medium, Wide, X-Wide | Brooks |
| Removable insole | Yes | Brooks |
| MSRP | $150 | Brooks |
What a foot and ankle surgeon reads into these numbers
The Ghost is the shoe most often handed to someone who walks into a running store and says “I just want something normal.” The specification supports that: a 10 mm drop is the traditional neutral trainer geometry, and a 36 mm heel is cushioned without being a platform.
A 10 mm drop unloads the Achilles and the plantar fascia relative to a flatter shoe, which is why this geometry has been the default recommendation for heel pain for thirty years. The trade is that more load moves forward, so the same feature that helps a heel can aggravate a forefoot.
The figure I would check in person is the toe box. At 69.6 mm at the big toe in a standard width, this is a noticeably more tapered last than the max-cushion shoes it is often cross-shopped against. Brooks does offer narrow through extra-wide, and for a bunion, a hammertoe or a neuroma the width you pick will matter more than the model.
Orthotic fit
Brooks states the insole is removable, which is the necessary first condition for a custom orthotic. What actually decides the question is internal volume and heel-counter depth once the stock insole is out — which is exactly what our Orthotic Volume Rating measures and exactly what a specification cannot tell you. This shoe has no OVR yet. If you wear a custom device and you are choosing today, buy from somewhere with a returns policy and try the device in the shoe.
Who should be cautious with the Ghost 17
- Anyone with a bunion, a hammertoe or a Morton’s neuroma buying the standard width. 69.6 mm at the big toe is on the tapered side. Go up a width or look at a wider last. Based on the published geometry, not on wear.
- Anyone who needs a flat, low-drop shoe. At a measured 10.4 mm this is a traditional-drop trainer. If you have been advised toward a low-drop shoe for a forefoot or calf reason, this is the wrong geometry.
- Anyone who wants maximum cushioning underfoot. 36 mm at the heel is moderate. If a thinned fat pad or long standing days are the problem, a taller stack will do more.
What we cannot tell you until we test it
Other shoes we have looked at
Drop is the figure that decides how load splits between your heel and your forefoot, so it is the fastest way to tell these apart. Where a figure was independently measured rather than taken from the brand, it says so — and on several of these the two disagree.
HOKA Bondi 9
Max cushion, 41.3 mm heel, and the widest toe box we have logged at 94.1 mm.
HOKA Clifton 10
Taller heel than the Bondi at 44.4 mm and a softer midsole, in a lighter shoe.
ASICS Gel-Nimbus 28
ASICS does not publish a stack figure; the page says so rather than guessing.
Brooks Ghost 17 — MSRP $150. Amazon pricing varies by size, colourway and seller; price last checked 3 September 2026. We have not tested this shoe — if you buy it, buy it on the specification and on a returns policy, not on our word.
Check price on AmazonPodiatrist Tested is reader-supported. We earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no additional cost to you. Commissions never influence a score or a ranking, and we publish shoes we recommend against. Read the editorial policy.
Ghost or Adrenaline? We put the Ghost 17 and the Adrenaline GTS 24 side by side on every measured figure — and the support shoe turns out to be the wider one. Read the comparison.
Where this shoe fits
Guides on this site that weigh the Brooks Ghost 17 against the problem you are actually trying to solve:
- Best shoes for plantar fasciitis — what a shoe actually has to do for heel pain.
- Best walking shoes — why a cushioned running shoe usually beats a walking-specific one.
- Best shoes for standing all day — what changes when you stand still rather than walk.
- HOKA vs Brooks — two houses with different ideas about what cushioning is for.
- Best running shoes for plantar fasciitis — what changes when the heel has to survive a run.
- Best shoes for Achilles tendonitis — why the drop figure matters more here than anywhere else.
Browse every shoe on file or read how we test.