The Brooks Ghost Max 4 is as comfortable, durable and stable as an everyday trainer can be

November 13th, 2026

Gear Reviews

The Brooks Ghost Max 4 serves up comfort, stability and durability in abundance.

Every runner needs a shoe in their quiver they can grab from their stash, lace it up and run an easy 5 miles. We all have speed day shoes, racing shoes and trail shoes, but we also need a shoe like the Ghost Max 4, which I consider a consummate easy-day training shoe.

Brooks keeps outdoing itself when it comes to comfy cruisers, and the Ghost Max 4 might be its best one yet. It’s about mixing interior comfort with a smooth-riding and stable midsole chassis into a shoe you can run in for midweek maintenance miles, a local running store fun run or just a few miles after your day gets away from you.

It’s a trend Brooks played a role in starting about 10 years ago with its Glycerin shoes, but it’s now extended to the Ghost Max, which is one of the plushest, most forgiving everyday trainers on the market. It’s also one of the easiest to just lace up and go.

Brooks didn’t reinvent the fourth edition of the Ghost Max. It polished it. The carry-over nitrogen-infused DNA Loft midsole foam is soft, but it’s not mushy. It’s surprisingly stable, a little bouncy and a reliable base for a wide range of runners logging miles at moderate paces. Is it fast? Not especially. Agile? Not really. But that’s OK, because that’s not what this shoe is for.

What it is for is durable, dependable, easy miles. And after about 40 miles in it, I can tell you it delivers exactly that, which is why I’ll probably log 600 miles in it between now and next spring.

Brooks Ghost Max 4 Specs

Price: $165 (Women’s / Men’s)
Approximate Weights: 10.3 oz. (men’s 9); 9.2 oz (women’s 8)
Heel-Toe Offset: 6mm; 40 mm (heel), 34mm (forefoot)

What’s New: The Ghost Max 4 keeps the same nitrogen-infused DNA Loft v3 midsole foam and the GlideRoll rocker geometry that made the Ghost Max 3 a hit, but it trims about half an ounce of weight while adding a millimeter of foam. The 6mm heel-toe drop stays the same, but the stack height is up ever so slightly from 39/33mm to 40/34mm. The engineered mesh upper has been redesigned too, with a better lockdown through the midfoot and less pressure around the big toe.

Fit/Feel/Ride: The Ghost Max 4 fits true to size with a medium interior and a slightly roomy toe box. It’s built on Brooks’ high-volume Ghost Max last, and the step-in feel is plush, padded and accommodating. (It is also available in two widths for men and for women.) The deep footbed and thick, cushy insole leave room for orthotics. The tongue isn’t gusseted, but it’s wide and secure enough with a traditional lace loop that it doesn’t migrate on long or faster runs, and the internally reinforced heel collar is smooth, soft and very secure.

On the run, the ride is soft but controlled. The broad base and straight last give it a stable-neutral feel, even without a traditional medial post, which is why Brooks lists it in its Max Support category. The GlideRoll rocker does much of the work, rolling you smoothly from heel to toe. That matters, because lab testing shows the foam absorbs far more energy than it gives back. This isn’t a bouncy super-trainer. It’s a smooth, protective cruiser that can help build a base if you’re training for a half marathon or marathon in 2027.

Why It’s Great: It’s the rare max-cushioned trainer that doesn’t feel wobbly or mushy. You get plenty of protection underfoot, but the wide platform and rocker keep you moving forward with very little wasted motion. Shedding weight while adding foam is no small feat, and you notice the difference a few miles into a run. Durability is a strength, thanks to the semi-firm midsole and generous rubber coverage on the outsole.

Why You’ll Love It: If your weekly mileage is mostly easy runs, recovery days and long, steady efforts, the Ghost Max 4 is an easy shoe to reach for. It suits mid-pack runners logging moderate paces, heavier runners who want lots of protection, and anyone who wants a stable ride without a stability shoe’s posting. It’s also great for walking and all-day wear. It’s not the shoe for tempo runs, intervals or race day.

Why You Might Not Like It: The Ghost Max 4 is not a very sexy or exciting shoe. If you want it to go faster, you really have to force it to run at tempo pace for more than a few minutes. It does what it does well, but you’ll want to dig into your quiver for faster-paced running.

Pros: The outsole of the Brooks Ghost Max 4 has been completely reworked, with generous rubber coverage in both the forefoot and heel. The many flex grooves molded into each rubber section are designed to improve grip on wet surfaces. The RoadTack rubber has a lot more grooves than the Ghost Max 3’s, creating a texture that serves up better track on wet surfaces and gravel roads. Brooks exposed strategic sections of the midsole to trim a little weight, while keeping durable rubber where the shoe wears hardest.

Cons: The foam gives back very little energy, so the shoe feels sluggish when you try to pick up the pace. The $5 price bump from last year’s version is also a bit of a tough sell for what’s essentially a refinement of the Ghost Max 3.

Shop: Women’s Brooks Ghost Max 4, $165

Shop: Men’s Brooks Ghost Max 4, $165

Contributing editor Brian Metzler, the Content Director for UltraSignup.com, has raced every distance from 5K to 100 miles. He has wear-tested more than 2,000 running shoes and is the author of “Kicksology: The Hype, Science, Culture and Cool of Running Shoes” (2019) and “Trail Running Illustrated” (2021), but he’s most eager to share stories about his experiences pack burro racing in Colorado and riding trains to run trails in Chamonix, France.

The Brooks Ghost Max 4 is as comfortable, durable and stable as an everyday trainer can be

Brooks Ghost Max 4 Specs

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