All the news that's fit to run
It’s easy to dismiss the Brooks Ghost as an unserious shoe for unserious runners. Or, worse yet, a serious shoe for serious walkers [gulp]. The Ghost is, after all, the most frequently recommended neutral running shoe for beginner runners by running stores. Source: step inside your local running store. And yet, the Ghost 18 deserves to be taken seriously; it’s a surprisingly great shoe.
The Vomero Plus sits in the middle of Nike’s Vomero trio, in terms of price. But just because it’s the middle child doesn’t mean it should be neglected like some underachieving disappointment. In fact, I make the case for why it’s my favorite shoe among the three Vomero offspring.
You would think the Ghost Max would have undergone some notable changes by now. You would be wrong. Because after three years and four editions, what you have in the latest iteration isn’t too far off from the original. It’s got practically the same midsole, weight, and stack height as the OG. That begs the question, what’s new?
Let’s be honest: the first edition of a running shoe usually blows. That’s just shoe science. I mean, think about it: there haven’t yet been a dozen updates of minuscule changes that totally improve how the shoe performs. Just look at how far the original Brooks Ghost has come! Totally. Find out why the Ellipse is the rare exception to the rule, in this New Balance Ellipse review.
After a largely underwhelming fifth version, the carbon-plated super-trainer returns with a lighter weight, increased stack height, and updated midsole. Do these updates translate to a ride that better resembles a racing shoe?
Notice anything different about the shoe name? Say goodbye to Fresh Foam X! New Balance finally replaces outdated Fresh Foam X with a supercritical Infinion—which sounds less like a midsole and more like an underwhelming Christopher Nolan film. But are the updates enough to upgrade the daily trainer to another level?