Brooks Ghost Max L review

We believe the Brooks Ghost Max L is a strong match for people who:

• prefer a leather upper for work or everyday wear
• need generous cushioning for long hours on concrete or hard floors
• want a highly stable platform without intrusive stability features
• value durable outstole with strong wet-surface grip

We wouldn’t recommend the Ghost Max L for hot weather or people whose feet overheat easily. The Brooks Ghost Max 2 offers the exact same midsole cushioning and geometry with a much airier mesh upper. We also found it to be less restrictive, fit-wise.

Another reason to consider an alternative shoe is if your workplace requires certified slip-resistant footwear. In that case, consider the HOKA Bondi SR.

Built on the exact same platform as the Brooks Ghost Max 2 running shoe, the Ghost Max L shares the same DNA LOFT v3 foam and its cushioning benefits.

With a high shock absorption of 134 SA, the Ghost Max L offers standout impact protection for a walking shoe. Sitting 20% above the category average, it not only takes the edge off hard concrete pavements but also ensures all-day comfort, reducing the load on the feet and joints.

Carrying over its counterpart's nitrogen-infused foam, the Ghost Max L also inherited some of that running shoe springiness. Its ride has a moderate bounce, which shows up in its above-average energy return of 57.6%.

Aside from feeling pleasantly responsive, it also prevents fatigue from building up too quickly.

Cutting the Ghost Max L in half and measuring its stack height with a caliper, we recorded an above-average reading of 39.2 mm. This max-cushioned Brooks shoe also feels quite platformy underfoot and towers above most other walking shoes in our catalog, much like the HOKA Bondi SR.

In the forefoot, the shoe packs an equally generous slab of foam, showing 30.3 mm on our caliper. That substantial cushioning helps reduce pressure on the ball of the foot and the metatarsals.

The drop, therefore, comes in at 8.9 mm, falling within the typical range for walking shoes.

This moderately elevated offset accommodates the vast majority of people and helps ease strain on the Achilles and calves.

Despite being a supercritical foam, the DNA LOFT v3 proved to be notably firmer than most other gas-infused foams. But that's not necessarily bad news for a pair of walking shoes.

In fact, our durometer showed that the Ghost Max L's midsole is slightly softer than average, at 42.7 AC. Not excessively plush, it has just enough density to strike a good balance between support and comfort for long hours of walking and standing.

The Brooks Ghost Max L also inherits the GlideRoll Rocker geometry of the Ghost Max 2. This feature is particularly important given the shoe's massive stack height, as it helps smooth out heel-to-toe transitions for comfortable cruising.

But while its toe rocker is well-defined, we were surprised that the shoe's heel bevel is so moderate.

Swapping engineered mesh for leather, Brooks sacrificed some internal volume in the Ghost Max L. But how much are we talking? We created a one-to-one gel cast of the shoe's interior space to find out.

The widest part of the cast showed a perfectly standard caliper reading of 94.6 mm, which is only 2 mm narrower than the Ghost Max 2.

This goes in line with medium shoe width, but if you need more space, you can also opt for the Ghost Max L's wide variant.

The Ghost Max L's slightly tapered toebox also proved to be exactly 2 mm narrower than the running shoe's mesh upper, measuring 69.1 mm at the big toe. That puts it on the edge between medium and narrow, which makes it less appealing for wide feet.

This could be the reason why Brooks recommends going half a US size up in this silhouette. But that may not be necessary if you can get the wide version of the shoe instead.

Not as forgiving as mesh, a dense leather upper with added overlays looks like it may put more pressure on the toes.

But, gladly, our caliper confirmed that the Ghost Max L's toebox is slightly higher than average at 27.7 mm.

The Brooks Ghost Max L's leather upper and generous cushioning already make it an appealing shoe for work, and its exceptionally grippy outsole cements that case.

We are surprised that it is still not a certified slip-resistant occupational shoe, given that its friction coefficient registered an insanely high reading of 0.84! This Brooks shoe offers an amazingly surefooted experience even on smooth and wet surfaces!

The shoe's outsole design is identical to that of the Ghost Max 2 running shoe, providing generous coverage across the entire sole.

Meanwhile, a deep central flex groove and smaller horizontal ones help shave off some weight without compromising traction.

Its massive forefoot stack and leather upper don't allow the Ghost Max L to bend so easily in the forefoot.

In fact, it takes 50% more force to bend this Brooks shoe by 30 degrees than it takes an average walking shoe! Some people may find this stiffness too unforgiving, but luckily the shoe's pronounced toe rocker helps smooth it out on the go.

We didn't expect a leather shoe to be light, but we were pleasantly surprised that the Ghost Max L is on the light side of leather-clad walking shoes!

Tipping the scales at 11.7 oz (332g) in a men's US size 9, it is notably heavier than average but still not as burly as the Brooks Addiction Walker 2 (13.7 oz/388g) or the HOKA Bondi SR (14.3 oz/404g).

Unfortunately, breathability takes a hit with the leather upper, and Brooks didn't even add mesh panels or perforations to help keep the Ghost Max L ventilated.

Filling the shoe's interiors with smoke, we didn't see a hint of it escape through the toebox. This lowered our breathability score to the minimum possible 1 out of 5.

With no dedicated pronation-control features up its sleeve, the Brooks Ghost Max L left us astonished with its immense stability!

The shoe's moderately firm foam, wide base, and supportive midsole tooling create so much structure that rolling an ankle feels highly unlikely.

It may not be marketed as a stability walking shoe, but the Ghost Max L certainly has all the makings of one!

Measuring the torque required to twist this Brooks shoe by 10 degrees in each direction, we recorded a rather high reading of 22.8 Nm. That's as rigid as it gets in the walking shoe category, making the Ghost Max L feel supportive all throughout the heel and midfoot.

An exceptionally sturdy, amply padded heel counter is yet another major contributor to the shoe's stability. No matter how hard we tried to fold it during our manual test, we were unsuccessful, which earned the Ghost Max L the maximum stiffness score of 5 out of 5.

Like all that structure wasn't enough, Brooks also made the shoe's base extra broad for maximum surface area. Measuring its widest part with a caliper, we recorded an above-average reading of 118.0 mm.

The heel also showed an extended landing area, measuring 98.5 mm at the widest point. That makes the Ghost Max L feel particularly supportive upon heel landing.

Featuring high-quality leather for the Ghost Max L's upper, Brooks also put its durability to the max. After sanding the material with a Dremel, we found only minor cosmetic damage on the top of its toebox. That earned the shoe a high 5/5 score for toebox durability.

The textile lining inside the shoe was less reassuring as our Dremel dug into its fibers within seconds. While the damage is not critical, it lowered our heel padding durability score to 3 out of 5.

The rubber outsole of this Brooks shoe further delighted us with its high abrasion resistance, leaving a tiny dent of 0.8 mm. Much shallower than average, it is a fantastic result for a walking shoe, making it ready for day-to-day wear on rough concrete and asphalt.

With a 3.5 mm rubber thickness, the long-term outsole durability of this Brooks shoe looks even more reassuring.

A well-padded 5.8 mm insole softens the Ghost Max L's step-in feel, making it immediately comfortable.

The shoe's insole is also easily removable, allowing it to be replaced with a custom orthotic if needed.

Brooks added small reflective details in the shoe's heel and toebox areas, improving its visibility in the dark.

It feels like Brooks added extra padding everywhere it could in the Ghost Max L and the tongue is no exception.

The tongue is not gusseted in the Ghost Max L, but we experienced no issues with it sliding or bunching due to the thick padding.

This walking shoe from Brooks comes without pull tabs.

With its luxurious cushioning, high-quality leather upper, and durable construction, we believe the Brooks Ghost Max L is a competitively priced walking shoe.