Brooks Ghost Max 2 Review after Walking 500 km (+ Close-Up Photos)

Comfort

My Ghost Max 2 felt so comfy straight out of the box. The super soft upper feels like a pair of padded slippers.

This is my 2nd pair of Brooks. I'd heard people rave about the comfort but my previous Glycerin GTS 20 didn't live up to the dream. Don't get me wrong - I never got any blisters & could walk for miles in them from day 1, but they always felt a bit clunky.

But Ghost Max 2 gave me that walking on clouds feeling at last. I can get pain under the ball of my right foot, which means I need a firm, stiff shoe that doesn't bend at the toe, but with LOTS of padding underfoot. Brooks Ghost Max 2 ticks all the boxes.

The tongue is especially cushioned, which is not a feature I need, but others might. It's so cushioned that if it falls to one side putting them on, I can feel it and need to undo my laces and straighten the tongue to get comfy again.

The laces are soft and spongy. They feel premium, and stay put once laced - no double knot needed.

However, if you like to use the heel lock lacing technique, while there is an extra eyelet on each side at the top, I find the laces a bit too short to tie my shoes that way. On the plus side, the ultra padded collar around the back means my slender heels never slip with normal lacing.

If you've never had maximalist running shoes with a super chunky sole, they take a little bit of getting used to at first, but you soon forget all about it and your feet just feel nice and supported. You don't feel like you're wearing platform shoes or anything. They feel much more natural on my feet than my Hoka Bondi 8s.

Sizing

Women's Ghost Max 2 go up to size 12 US (10 UK, 44.5 EU) while men's sizes go up to 15 US (14 UK, 49.5 EU, 16.5 US women).

Getting my size right was NOT straightforward. Ghost Max 2 had just launched when I ordered in August 2024, and initial customer reviews were mixed due to sizing. Brooks have since added a note advising to go 1 US/UK size up from your usual size.

My normal sneaker size felt amazing everywhere except for my big toes. I could feel them hitting the top of the shoe and assumed the shoe was a smidge short.

So I immediately ordered half a size bigger & waited a whole week for them to arrive, only to try them on and they felt worse! My big toe problem was still there and the fit elsewhere just didn't feel as good. WTF?

So despite Brooks later advice to size up, my normal sneaker size (43) was the best fit for me. I think Ghost Max 2 just have a shallow toe box.

I could feel my big toes on & off for my first few walks, but it was never a big deal in practise, and after a couple of weeks it went away entirely. Now they fit like a glove.

My advice: save yourself all the sizing shenanigans by going to a local stockist & trying on a few sizes.

If that's not easy for you, or you're an unusual size shops don't stock (like me!), the good news is Brooks do free shipping & returns online. I find they process refunds quickly too.

So you could order multiple sizes to try on at home. Worst case, if you end up picking the wrong size they offer an amazing 90 day trial. So you can still get your money back if they don't work out.

Width

Brooks are known for their generous width and I wouldn't recommend this style for narrow feet. The standard medium width women's Ghost Max 2 has ample space for my wider forefoot.

They're roomy around the ankle opening too - in fact I still need to tighten my laces sometimes when I put them on because they feel too loose at the ankle.

If you have extra wide feet, Ghost Max 2 come in limited colours in wide width (D for women, 2E for men) and black in extra wide width (2E for women, 4E for men).

The main difference between Brook's men's and women's shoes is men's are a width wider (so medium men's = wide women's). But there are also slight differences in shoe lengths and international conversions between the men's and women's size charts.

Looks

My one problem with Brooks shoes is how they look. Before buying my first pair (Glycerins), I waited 9 months to see a colour I liked but eventually gave up & took the best of a bad lot!

Since these serious sports shoes are as comfy as Skechers, why can't they look as good? What I wouldn't give for chic pastels or sophisticated dark tones with metallic accents - a girl can dream!

I do much prefer these teal Ghost Max 2 though (which Brooks call storm blue), especially the hot pink accents. They look modern & even a bit fun.

I'm not crazy about the big white midsole. Chunky is fine, but the finish looks cheap - it reminds me of polystyrene packaging! But the statement wavy zig zag stripes along the outside break this up so the overall effect is ok.

Styling wise, they really pop with black sportswear, but also look well with jeans which I wear most of the time.

They do stand out though, and don't work well with some of my knitwear which is a pain when I wear these shoes at least half the time.

6 months on from launch, Ghost Max 2 are available in more colours (approx 14 in US, 9 in Europe as of February 2025). They also have Ghost Max L, a leather versionin all black or white, which should keep your feet dry in the rain.

They've also got a new limited edition Ghost Max SE in all pastel tones (grey, beige, plus lilac & green in the US) which look more elegant & understated. More of this please Brooks!

Walking in Ghost Max 2 - even with a Foot Injury!

I've walked 25K steps in a day in my Ghost Max 2, and have found no upper limit.

I tested my Ghost Max 2 to the max from early on. I was seeing a podiatrist for a forefoot injury (plantar plate) & I bought these (& a pair of Hokas) in the hope I could walk pain free on a week long city break.

Somehow these shoes saved my holiday! I was able to walk an average of 21K steps daily, which is incredible given how hampered my walking had been for 6 weeks prior.

What I will say is I always rotate my running shoes if I'm walking several days in a row. So I alternate, switching shoes every day: wear my Brooks on day 1, Hokas on day 2 & then back to Brooks etc.

Also, when my now chronic underfoot pain flares up occasionally, I prefer to wear my Hoka Bondis instead. They're nowhere near as comfy as my Ghost Max 2, but they do feel much more protective on my foot. The Hokas feel thicker and more stable underfoot, and more rigid on top so the front of my foot moves about less.

Walking in Bad Weather

I've worn by Ghost Max 2 right the way through Autumn & Winter here in Ireland, so they've seen plenty of showers!

While they're not waterproof, there's firm lining to shape the toe box all around the edges, which guards against wet toes.

I've worn them out walking in rain showers without any issue, but with the breathable fabric upper, if you're on a long walk in heavy rain, your feet are going to get wet.

Traction wise, they're fine in regular weather, but if there's lots of wet slippy leaves about or icy paths, they're not the best. I find my Hoka Bondis have a bit better grip overall.

Real World Wear after 500 km (300 miles)

I don't drive, so I walk a LOT. I do a daily 1 hr walk during the week. At weekends, I'm a lot more active, walking 15-20k steps per day on average.

For the past 6 months, I've alternated between wearing my Brooks Ghost Max 2 and Hoka Bondi 8. Just 2 pairs of shoes full stop!

Going by my Apple Watch stats, I'm confident I've walked at least 500km (300 miles) in my Ghost Max 2 by now, probably more.

Brooks advise their running shoes should last for 300-500 miles, and I'm pleased to say my Brooks Ghost Max 2 feel like they have lots of life left in them after walking 300 miles.

They're wearing really well with next to no signs of wear inside the heels yet. The textured teal upper fabric works well to disguise the odd stain too.

One negative: I expected the chunky midsole to be wipe clean but it isn't! The white midsole obviously shows dirt more than other colours would, but with other sneakers a quick wipe with a damp cloth does the job. Not with these!

Scrubbing with an old toothbrush and dishwashing liquid (like Fairy or Dawn) helps, but some stubborn stains stay put.

Close up, it looks a bit like grubby polystyrene after a while. But the strong stripe accents along the midsole distract, so it's no big deal.

They never felt really springy to start with, just comfy with nice support underfoot, and they're still the same 6 months later.

The Ghost Max 2 sole doesn't have any deep grooves in it, unlike my Hokas. I'm a big fan of this, because if you step in something stinky it's MUCH easier to clean!

Without a deep tread it's slightly harder to judge wear, but the soles still look in good shape after 500km.

My dominant right foot pronates, so my shoes typically show the most wear on the inside heel of the right shoe. The wear at the back of my Ghost Max 2 right foot looks a bit more balanced, spreading over to the outside more than usual.

The heaviest wear on both shoes is at the outer half of the forefoot (middle toe towards little toe). I suffer from 2nd toe / metatarsal pain and there's little sign of wear under there, so maybe that's why I feel so good walking in them.

Try them Free for 90 Days!

Proper running shoes & gear ain't cheap, but my fave thing about Brooks is they let you try all their stuff for 90 days. Wear it, wash it, whatever & if you're not happy after 3 months you can still get all your money back. Wow!

The thing about shoes is, regardless of how much research you've done or how comfy they feel when you try them on, you never really know they're right until you've gone out for a walk or run in them. And if they're a disaster after just half an hour? Well that's just your tough luck & you're out of pocket big time. But not with Brooks!

If you have a local running store, that's the best place to get expert advice on the right style and size for you. Just check if that retailer offers the Brooks 90 day "run happy" guarantee. If not, you can order direct from Brooks online. They ship worldwide with free returns.

I got my first pair of Brooks just over a year ago, and have already bought 3 items of clothing since & now these Ghost Max 2. I love the quality & the comfort.

But a t-shirt went a bit wonky in the wash and just didn't feel right. So I sent it back after a few weeks and got a full refund. While I've quickly become a big Brooks fan, I love having the money back guarantee just in case.

For full disclosure, I'm now a Brooks affiliate so I'll make a small commission at no cost to you if you end up buying through my links (& actually keep the stuff!). But I still pay full price for all my Brooks purchases & get no other perks.

Final Verdict: Are Ghost Max 2 worth it?

If you're looking for comfy shoes you can walk all day in, especially if you need firm shoes with plenty of padding underfoot, run don't walk to try on Brooks Ghost Max 2.

These shoes literally helped me get back on my feet after injury and saved my first holiday in 6 years to boot! 300 miles later I look forward to walking many more in them.

In fact if I ever see a cute colour combo, I'll be getting a 2nd pair. Here's hoping!

I hope you found my real review helpful. Got any questions? Just comment below & I'll try my best to help.