Brooks  Ghost 17 Road-Running Shoes - Women's

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The Brooks Ghost 17 has quickly become my “everything” shoe. From marathon training miles to recovery walks, the DNA Loft v3 midsole delivers a soft, responsive ride that keeps my legs feeling fresh. The fit is secure yet comfortable, with a snug heel and breathable mesh upper that stays cool even on long summer runs. I appreciate how smooth the transitions feel—no break-in period, just instant comfort. Whether I’m logging double-digit miles, walking to grab coffee, or even dancing around the kitchen, these shoes keep up. They’re light, versatile, and supportive—exactly what I need for my back-of-the-pack adventures.

The ghost 17 are not as comfortable as other Brooks. They don’t have cushion so it feels like you are walking without shoes on concrete. Usually I am size 6.5 but I ordered size 7 and they fit me just perfect but they are on the narrow side. I thought I ordered the black ones but I guess I accidentally ordered the new color spellbound/skyway and I don’t like the color. Also the material looks very cheap. I used them to go for walks and I usually walk 6 miles without an issue. I used them yesterday and I only walk four miles because my feet started hurting. The ghost 17 are definitely not for me.

I’ve been wearing Brooks for 9 years. My Ghost 15’s wore out and I bought the 17 as a replacement in December . I immediately noticed something felt off with the shape of the heel. It felt extremely stiff and too low around my ankle. As others have said, I thought I needed to break them in (but never had to do that with former pairs of Brooks) but that never happened. They remained uncomfortable. I’ve spent the past 3 months trying other models of Brooks and now other brands of running shoes with no luck yet. I’m hopeful Brooks will listen to our feedback and reintroduce an earlier model of the Ghost (like model 15 or earlier). If they do, I will look forward to becoming a customer again. If not, sadly Brooks is no longer for me.

I have purchased women’s Ghost 14,15,16s and 17s and have always raved about these shoes to anyone who commented on how much they loved mine; however, I agree with previous review on how they changed the 17s and they are stiffer. The new DNA loft design injected with nitrogen is comfortable at first only and your legs hurt as the hours pass during the day. Something not experienced in previous editions. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it “. Please bring the old Ghost design back so I don’t have to look for new shoes. I’m in the medical field and have been a faithful Brooks customer for years.

I echo many of the other comments on how disappointing this shoe is. I wear a narrow and there is such a limited amount of choices in shoes for me. The 15 and even the 16 were good for my narrow foot, but the 17 is horrible, I can barely wear them for more than 7 hours (work in an ED and on my feet all day). The others were great, but my heel slips and the toe box on the narrow is wide. Even my legs hurt after trying to wear these. I use to wear Adrenaline, but that has also changed. There are already so few choices for those who wear narrow shoes. I originally bought 2 pair of these as narrow go fast, but ended up sending the second pair back.

Brooks did a great job with these, going back to the slightly narrower toe box that the 15’s had. I found the 16’s toe box to be too paddle-like, and it made my custom made inserts shift when I walked or ran, also causing a weird squeaking nose that I hated. The new 17’s are all-around very similar to the 15’s with two notable differences: a cushier sole and a raised tab at the heel. I’m unclear what the purpose of the heel tab is—maybe to pull them on easier?—but regardless, this is a much comfier, better-fitting shoe than the 16! If you have wide feet, I’d suggest ordering a wide, but for my narrow-to-average-width foot, they are perfect! Love the black and purple color way, it’s even better in person! Bravo Brooks.

As I’ve aged my feet have widened and this is my first pair of Ghost in wide. The fit is great and it is a comfortable shoe that can wear on a 12 hour shift running around a veterinary hospital. I easily do my 10000 steps a day. My only complaint is that it only comes in neutral colors. In vet med white or very light color is a bad idea. Plus in the PNW well it’s wet and who just wants splatter mud, blacktop showing on their shoes. Black is just way too hot when it’s sunny out and your feet start sweating. I would love an amazing purple in wide. I still wear my old Ghost that were a purple with leopard print sole while doing chores.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I had switched from ghosts to glycerins a little while ago because I felt that my ghosts kept losing their cushion. I was ready to go back to ghosts because I felt that my last model glycerins were too cushy. I got the ghost 17 and I'm very happy with them. I the laces and the stiffer back to put my foot in easier. The tongue is a little puffy but I think that is more because of my foot than the shoe that it presses down a little bit. I like that they propel me forward. Aunt are easy to have on all day

Not the experience you’re used to from the ghost, or brooks for that matter. It’s unfortunate they chose to redesign and screw up something that has been a staple in my closet for years. Heel doesn’t fit - too short and what’s with the flare? too wide, very heavy and stiff. Literally wouldn’t stay on my heels and made me unsteady on my feet and caused pain in my legs and back. The very opposite of what I started wearing these for! Stinks because they have some half decent colors for once but the trade off was a no-go for me! Sent them back. Bought the trace instead. They will replace the ghost for now until they bring back maybe the 14’s or 15’s.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I was a Ghost 16 loyalist, that design was perfect. I should have listened to the reviews of the 17. The part near the Achilles heel is so long, it rubs against your Achilles when doing a hamstring stretch. The bottom toe part seems to be elevated, pushing up against your toes. I bought this pair and a pair of the 16s at the same time and attached a photo comparing the heel area. The color looks great, but I really hope they go back to the earlier designs for the 18. I’m hunting online for more 16s to hoard until the 18s come out. I plan to return them.