I think the midsole foam that Brooks uses in the Ghost 13 still lags behind in responsiveness compared to the explosive forefoot of the Pegasus 37 with its Zoom Air unit or the Ride 13 with its bouncy TPU-EVA blend Pwrrun midsole. All in all, lovers of the Brooks Ghost 12 should not hesitate in buying this latest update – especially if their 12’s are coming to an end of their useful life. Alternative Road Running Shoes Brooks’ Ghost 13 marketing pitch is “the perfect blend of softness and responsiveness”. I agree with the softness part but not with the responsiveness part. There isn’t any major performance or benefits that you can feel from the Ghost, which isn’t a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. It feels like a very reliable comfortable shoe with that kind of conventional feel. In the toe box area, you also get a little more plastic underneath that mesh upper to provide some protection so your toes or any other outside materials don’t tear the upper in that region.

DNA Loft is the newer of the two midsole foams in the Ghost 13 but it feels very similar to BioMogo. I hope that Brooks transitions to their new DNA Flash foam which is lighter and much more responsive. But that doesn’t mean Brooks can’t make super shoes like other brands. It’s just that they’re making an entry-level running shoe for beginning runners or runners who want a shoe to do it all.Omega Flex Grooves have been deepened to enhance midsole flexibility without compromising cushioning. Making the midsole all one-piece DNA Loft and not having any dual densities or playing around with the crash pads was a huge step in the right direction. If I could change anything about the Ghost 13, I would make the outsole rubber more durable and I would add in a gusseted tongue for an even better upper fit. As the number 13 suggests, there have been multiple versions of this popular running shoe over the years.

The Ghost 13 had the DNA Loft cushioning system only on the lateral side whereas the Ghost 14 (Sponsored) now has a full-length DNA Loft setup on the lateral side as well as the medial side. Also, on the Ghost 13, the midsole had different densities to it, but the Ghost 14 has a single-density layer of DNA Loft from heel to toe. (Sponsored) Brooks Ghost 14 – Full-length DNA Loft Midsole From many years of running in versions of the Ghost, we know that Brooks’ most popular neutral running shoe has consistently delivered, providing reliable comfort and performance to a wide range of runners, from beginner to elite. The latest version, the Ghost 15 has been subtly updated, but continues to deliver! I can’t mark the upper of the Ghost 13 down for anything except the fact that it doesn’t have a gusseted tongue. Running in the Ghost 13 during winter, we definitely felt the cold icy wind. Meanwhile, in summer there was no clamminess in the shoe and it allowed decent airflow. There are three wide flex grooves which span the entire width of the shoe underneath the forefoot which results in a very flexible Ghost 13.The tongue on Both Ghosts is pretty average as far as cushioning goes and nothing has changed here. It’s a detached or non-gusseted tongue meaning it’s not connected in any way to the upper. Again, a lot of companies, including Brooks, are leaning more towards the gusseted tongue. However, the regular tongue seems to have worked fine for the Ghost line and that’s another reason why they didn’t add it to the Brooks Ghost 14. Laces Brooks Ghost 14 – New Flat Laces

The comfort delivered by the new midsole and upper of the Brooks Ghost 13 deserves nothing but praise. We are really fond of the instant step-in comfort of the shoe and its stretchy plush upper.The mesh upper on the Ghost 14 has been updated to be just a tiny bit lighter. Also, the upper is a little more breathable thanks to the addition of more ventilation holes through the toe box. Brooks Ghost 14 – Mesh Upper So, if it’s reliability you want and you want a tried-and-tested shoe that you can get a ton of daily training miles out of, I think the Ghost is going to be a good bet for you. In its 14th iteration, you can’t go wrong in a shoe that has stood the test of time. As you can see, the Ghost 14 and 13 are definitely not light shoes, but I wouldn’t put them in the heavy category either. They just basically fit the bill for this neutral daily trainer. Widths Related: Do Brooks Run Small, Big, or True To Size? Heel Counter & Collar Brooks Ghost 14 – Heel Counter The rest of the upper is what you come to expect from a Brooks Ghost. It has generous amounts of foam in its tongue, collar and heel.

Both shoes use something called a 3D Fit Print which is a balance between the stretch and the fit of the upper to allow the shoe to be more accommodating and more comfortable. Basically, they have refined the upper to make it fit more foot types and just provide a better overall experience. I liked the fun 80’s style graphic overlays on the midfoot and rearfoot of the Ghost 13 more than the all-business style upper of the Ghost 12. I like the Ghost 13 most for easy-paced runs between 10 and 25 kilometres but its midsole is not overly soft so it can handle the occasional tempo outing although its substantial weight might be a problem.What’s even more exciting is that compared to the Ghost 13, the Ghost 14 now comes in a B (narrow) for men, which is awesome for people with narrow feet. The Ghost 14 now has four widths in the men’s and three in the women’s. Ghost 13 The Ghost series is the burger and fries of road running shoes. It’s one of those great reliable daily trainers that you go to if you want a shoe that can handle pretty much any run you throw at it and a shoe you can log 500+ miles in. Some people don’t like that and they prefer the 4 to 5mm drops. But if you’re someone who doesn’t mind it so much, it might not be a big deal. Again, 12 millimeters is on the higher end of things and it’s something to note especially if you’ve never run in such a high-drop shoe. The upper of the Ghost 13 is where Brooks has every other brand beat. It has a new soft engineered mesh which they are calling Air Mesh.