This morning, I lined up for my long run with a group of people all training for a marathon in March. Here in Girona we have an incredible network of Via Verde (green ways) where marathoners, triathletes and runners mix when they want to go long and flat. With the burgeoning gravel / hybrid / door to trail category being front of mind, I looked around at everyone’s shoes.
EVO SLs mixed with Novablast TRs, Cloudmonster Hypers, Merrell Promorph and a Salomon Aero Glide GRVL. Faster runners had on carbon plated super trainers. Are these all gravel shoes? Have the brands gotten it very wrong, collectively, applying a niche where there is none?
After a solid 10 days running with the Brooks Ghost Trail shoes, I have come to love them. Love is a strong word. In a world of choices and hyper specificity, the Ghost Trail are demonstrably versatile. A jack of all trades, master of none. There might be a tendency to label it as average or boring. Especially in a world of ATPU plated sprayed upper super shoes. However, I find this shoe exciting because I am at heart a trail runner (with a road marathon in March problem, seemingly) and the Ghost Trail is my ideal sexy pace shoe.
Upper and Fit of the Brooks Ghost Trail
What works for me
The constant battle for aesthetics vs functionality is a fight more pronounced in the door to trail / gravel / hybrid shoe than any other. It has to work in a half tight and a chino. I know Esther does not approve of this aesthetic but I think the Ghost Trail is a wonderful looking shoe. Sure, it’s not Evo SL ATR level aesthetics but the aesthetic of the upper really works for me. Sleek, sporty and in the black/grey version, perfectly understated.
The upper fit is sleek, functional and suits the category perfectly. I have only thought about the upper when lacing the shoe. Not once during a run have I wondered about it. That said, I had some initial concerns about the chubby tongue but it’s given zero concerns. I would say the width is normal, the toe box has just enough space and that it is important to remember this is a road upper and not a trail upper when considering space.
The heel lock is magnificent and the 3D mesh of the upper feels like a road upper rather than a trail upper, which suits the shoe perfectly. Lace lock is superb and the laces are secure as your rich uncle’s gold in that Swiss vault he doesn’t want anyone to know about. The little heel tabs are also functional and fun. Chapeau!
This is a technical upper far superior to the other gravel / urban / hybrid shoes I have tested of late. It just works. It fits like a road upper but handles offroad missions with aplomb. While this shoe is a bit of a trail cruiser (can we say Sexy Pace again?), it was steady on faster trail running and gave me none of the concerns other shoes in this category have given.
What doesn’t work for me
In terms of the upper this is a tough section to find anything here because long laces are just a byproduct of my thin feet. Brooks have truly given us a shoe upper to celebrate in this category, even without a gusseted tongue.
Midsole and Ride of the Brooks Ghost Trail
What works for me
The Ghost Trail sits towards the trail end of the door to trail section of the shoe market. There is no doubt you will be seeing a plethora of shoes in the next 18 months with gravel or similar written in the marketing copy. Brands are all looking to this new category denomination hoping for it to be a success. It is not a no-holds-barred category and brands are all maximising their profit on this new €150 price. How much and how little will they do?
Brooks have thankfully decided on the ‘how much’ and have given us a midsole that is a steady surgeon’s hand. Balance, comfort and control are words that describe this nitrogen-infused DNA Loft midsole in the places it was engineered to be. The 8mm drop suits the category along with the 36.5mm heel to 28.5mm forefoot heights, giving you stability and balance. The moderately wide platform (90mm heel / 75mm midfoot /110mm forefoot) is generous, allowing natural movement from heel to toe.
Compression on landing is firmly in the recovery shoe bracket and decompression ‘pop’ is minimal but consistent and stable. This is not a boring shoe but it is on the firmer side, especially for midfoot strikers on flat roads. The midsole rewards best going up, down or at slightly higher than plodding paces. The zone 2 / sexy pace shoe for trail ninjas. I have absolutely loved this shoe for easy dirt road runs. Throw in some groomed singletrack and it manages perfectly.
Other concepts I have written down are dynamic forefoot and structured heel. This is a fairly common Brooks trend and the midsole is sturdy in the heel and fun if you decide to pop off the forefoot. It is not a speedwork shoe, but if you are out on a recovery run and want to bomb some groomed singletrack, the Ghost Trail has your back.
What doesn’t work for me
If the Ghost Trail was aimed at the same market as the Salomon Aero Blaze 3 GRVL, I would find reasons to list here why the midsole does not work for me. Slow, flat runs feel less dynamic in the Ghost Trail and I would best advise to have some music or a friend to inspire for these adventures. The shoe can feel a little blockish when you are purposefully keeping it on the flats.
Outsole of the Brooks Ghost Trail
Grip and Traction
TrailTack Green to the rescue? I’ve run this shoe on tar, flat gravel, open hilly gravel, single track and in dry and wet conditions. Slippages so far – zero. Sure, I have not run it in conditions where I cannot run the least wet path but this is not a mud shoe. Bar shaped 3mm and 4mm lugs have their limitations and those are within the scope and use of the Ghost Trail.
The outsole compliments the midsole to a T, offering the right solution to the right problem, so to speak. I have seen some mentions about the grip on leaves and my opinion on this is that the leaves also move, which is more of a problem than the actual outsole. Just like a loose over hard surface in the dry, there is only so much you can do with leafy roads.
One area where the outsole was particularly good was going uphill on open dirt roads, even with loose over hard surfaces. Coming downhill in this shoe also gave me no problems, even at speeds down to 3:30/km on open dirt roads.
Durability
So far it looks almost as if I have not run in the shoe other than the dirt it has collected. It is a sturdy execution from Brooks and I will report back after 200km again. No scuff marks from trails, no midsole degradation and no outsole wear.
Conclusion
Value for Money
As the €150 shoe bracket starts to pop at the seams, I believe this is a superb value shoe in the category. I am 100% convinced I will get more mileage and have more fun in this shoe than many others I have tested in the same price range.
My hope is that the Evo SL effect on this bracket will continue and we will get more shoes that offer an exceptional ride where the price remains stable and it’s not discounted 3 weeks after launch. 150 euro feels like the right price for a ‘serious’ shoe in 2026 that does not pack all the best tech brands have on offer, but gives a runner a feeling of prestige and belonging for wearing them because they are not 30% off everywhere.
Fitting it into a shoe rotation
I have a few sets of shoes at my house and a few sets of shoes at my office. I am sad I do not have another set of Ghost Trails so I do not have to keep putting them in my bag to get them between places. The Ghost Trail is extremely versatile but I believe it’s niche is as follows:
Trail lean in the door to trail sector. Think gravel roads and singletracks, not 45% singletrack descents.
No nonsense easy recovery run shoes or exploring shoes.
Another car boot shoe for runs where pace and technical demands are low. This shoe sits in the ‘vibes’ sector and it does it perfectly.
Final Verdict
After some hits and some real misses in this sector of the market, it has been wonderful to get a real hit out. Brooks hit a home run with the bases loaded with the Ghost Trail to complement the Cascadia, Catamount and the incoming Cascadia Elite for the trail runners out there.
Comparisons Against Similar Shoes
Brooks Ghost Trail vs. Salomon Aero Blaze GRVL
The Brooks is the easy day shoe for trail runners and the Salomon is the adventure shoe for road runners looking for a travel shoe. The Brooks you can take to the mountains while the Salomon remains happier on the dirt paths.
Brooks Ghost Trail vs. Craft Nordlite Ultra Pro
These shoes are more alike than they are different. The Craft is better suited to uptempo sessions on the same terrain whereas the Brooks wants to run at ‘sexy pace’.
