Once I hit the sidewalk, I felt a spongy spring in every step, especially in the heels, that helped propel me forward. Every now and then, I’d feel my right foot drag a bit. While I noticed and felt the skid, it didn’t trip me up. I initially thought it could be because of the heel drop. But the Ghost Max 2’s is six millimeters, not much different from five millimeters in my Hokas. Perhaps it was just getting used to the particular rounded shape of this heel.
Feeling fairly confident in them, I paired the sneakers with a dress and blazer for a busy day of meetings in New York City. By the end of the night, I had zigzagged about four miles—and they were so comfortable that I forgot to switch into the dress shoes I had brought along for a business dinner.
The next day, I leaned into their court shoe aesthetic and wore them to the US Open in Flushing, Queens. Sprinting for the bus at one point, I felt an obvious forward momentum from its return. Though I packed my orthotics in my backpack in case any discomfort creeped in, I never needed them—the Brooks soles were a great companion on subway stairs, boardwalk planks, and tons of concrete surfaces.
After two days of fairly intensive walking, I was ready to take them for a run. I was training for the New York Road Runners’ New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile. Since I had only clocked a few light runs since finishing the Boston Marathon back in April, I didn’t want to chance anything and swapped in my orthotics. Turns out, its straight shoe shape is actually designed to be especially compatible with custom insoles—the insole easily slips in.
Running on the asphalt and concrete along the Hudson River waterfront, I could feel their weight a bit more compared to other running shoes. Not to the point that I felt weighed down, but knowing that if I were truly a speed runner, this wouldn’t be the most strategic pair. The slight heft was offset by an ease of stride, thanks to the GlideRoll Rocker built in to help that transition from heel to toe-off.
During my 19 training runs in these shoes, I started off with simple miles, and eventually built up to speedier paces, hitting my goal of sub-10 minutes on the final six. (Speed is not my thing!) I also interspersed a couple of lighthearted 5Ks, and I think that’s what the Ghost Max 2 is best suited for—everyday fitness runs, when you’re going at a comfortable pace. And on race day, they didn’t disappoint: I managed a 8:43 mile with them on my feet.
What could be improved
In the first weeks of wearing the shoes, even on cooler days, I often found my feet to feel quite hot—not sweaty, just warm. At first I thought maybe it was the Bombas ankle socks I had on, but it was the same case with breathable, moisture-wicking socks from Swiftwick, Wrightsocks, and good ol’ Pumas from Costco. I’d never noticed that with my previous Brooks, which were all very breathable. Interestingly, I just started testing out the Brooks Glycerin Max, the brand’s new super cushioned shoe, and while I didn’t feel hot in them during a Mile High Run Club workout, I did feel it when walking to the coffee shop the next day—it might be attributed to the nitrogen soles in both shoes.
