29% of 92 verified Brooks Ghost 18owners don't recommend it — based on real owner comments from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
For balance: 49% recommend it. This page collects the complaints so you know what you're signing up for — read the full owner report for both sides. How we score
“I like Brooks, but why are Brooks shoes still so heavy in 2026?”— @RTB1910 on YouTube
“the problem is Brooks always makes the outsole rubber so laughably thick that it mutes the foam & makes the shoe feel bottom heavy”— @alexr273 on YouTube
“I had an analysis at a running shop and bought brooks ghost 18 - within 15 minutes of wearing them, I have terrible pinching back pain. (Never had this before).”— @LouiseLFC on YouTube
“The Ghost series just flat out sucks.”— @Msal19 on YouTube
“292 grams - US 9 😳 They must have used a 500mi rubber.”— @AndruIAO on YouTube
“I bought the 18s and went for a walk tonight. I have pretty low arches so ymmv, but the instep of my foot was killing me by the end, a severe ache like I feel in ski boots sometimes. I couldn’t wait to get home. Definitely disappointed!”— RachelGreeneNewDeal on Reddit
“the 18s specifically made the medium felt like a narrow. I don't know what they are doing with this shoe model, but it keeps feeling worse and worse to me.”— Opirr on Reddit
“I just felt that when it got to version 13 they lost it, didn't feel like it gave anything back and that other brands had moved on.”— @neilross8512 on YouTube
“I didn’t have that problem until I put these on last night. It was instant too so I don’t know what my cause is. They don’t feel any tighter than my NB.”— SadLad406 on Reddit
“The toe box was also structurally narrow, and the combination of the two features caused multiple blisters during the long run.”— Lindsay (Believe in the Run) on Believe in the Run (affiliate)
“I did get the wide length ones and they feel fine and roomy in the toes but yeah that ankle part doesn't seem wide enough and is definitely bothering me.”— Substantial_Drawer73 on Reddit
“I bought them really wanting to love them but returned them after about 18 miles of running. I'm a mid foot striker and the bigger drop made it feel like I was dragging my heel on my runs.”— @TougeTourGuide on YouTube
Not complaints — practical notes from owners that didn't affect the score.
“18 is very similar to 17. A bit wider in the front which is good, the upper is different, the rest is supposedly the same. I personally still think they are a bit firmer than 17”— kukumba1 on Reddit
“the mesh is very much the same as the Ghost Max 3, and I’ve run through plenty of water in those. You’ll definitely feel it through the socks when they’re wet.”— HerbaDerbaSchnerba on Reddit
“They’re light and flat. They do look thick in the picture. The tongue is more sock-like if you know what I mean so the laces need so structure”— AspenSnowmass777 on Reddit
“got mine today, can confirm they are still firmer than the glycerin, but also somewhat more plush than the ghost 15 or 16.”— whahaaa on Reddit
“the 18s definitely have just a smidge wider toe box near where the pinky and small toes would sit”— Ragarrok on Reddit
“The volume in the forefoot and midfoot is on the lower end. This gives a more snug sensation.”— David Salas, PT, DPT, CSCS on Doctors of Running
“I found the regular width ghost 18 to be much wider than the ghost 17.”— TheFrenchOlive on Reddit
“I bent the sidewalls out before a few runs and they stayed that way”— Cultural_Mud3297 on Reddit