Brooks Ghost Amp review

In our opinion, the Brooks Ghost Amp is a very good pick for runners that:

• Found the regular Ghost heavy and/or boring, and want a lighter shoe with a lower drop.
• Want a stylish, well-made, and comfortable daily trainer that can also handle occasional tempo runs.
• Love knit uppers but don’t want to spend a fortune on a premium-priced shoe.

The biggest letdown of the Ghost Amp is the foam, as it falls short of the expectations created by Brooks. If you want top-tier energy return at a daily-trainer price, we recommend the adidas Adizero EVO SL or the Saucony Endorphin Azura.

We also think runners with wide feet may struggle with the Ghost Amp due to its tight fit. Instead, we suggest checking out the Topo Spectre 2.

The Brooks Ghost Amp delivers impressive impact protection despite its moderate stack height, scoring 148 SA in the heel and 119 SA in the forefoot.

For runners who want a long-run capable shoe without stepping into max-stack territory, we believe it’s a strong choice.

We were truly hyped by Brooks’ new DNA Hype midsole, but unfortunately, the excitement faded the moment we tried the shoes, as they were nowhere near as bouncy as we hoped. For a shoe marketed straight from Brooks' website as "a men’s lightweight running shoe engineered with responsive technology for a springy, energised ride," it falls far short of that claim.

We later confirmed our impressions in the lab, as the DNA Hype midsole returned only 56.4% in the heel. The forefoot performed slightly better at 65.0%, but it was still far behind its main competitors. We hate to say it, but if you were hyped like us, the midsole will leave you disappointed.

One of the things we really liked about the Ghost Amp is that it never feels bulky underfoot. In fact, we measured just 35.4 mm of heel stack height.

For us, the Amp feels refreshing in a market where many shoes are moving toward increasingly tall midsoles.

The forefoot also sits close to our current lab average at 27.0 mm, making the Ghost Amp a more approachable option for beginners who may struggle with maximalist designs that feel too bulky or lack stability.

The heel-to-toe difference results in an 8.4 mm drop, which should work well for a wide range of footstrikes. Indeed, we believe an 8 mm drop is the safer approach for brands looking to cover as broad a spectrum of runners as possible.

DNA Hype may not deliver the responsiveness we expected, but it’s still a good foam that feels comfortable underfoot. Brooks did an optimal job finding a balanced density that keeps the shoe stable while making it feel softer rather than firm.

Our Asker C durometer measured it at 34.0 AC, which wasn’t surprising given how it felt throughout our runs. However, after spending 20 minutes in the freezer, the Ghost Amp came back 44% firmer, so runners in cold climates may notice a significant decrease in softness.

There’s a moderate rocker from heel to toe, but it never feels intrusive during runs and is barely noticeable. This design choice, combined with the moderate stack height, puts the shoe in a sweet spot for runners who prefer more traditional daily trainers.

Every time we review a Brooks shoe, we expect it to be more suitable for narrow feet than wide feet, and the Ghost Amp is no exception.

Our first fit measurement already pointed in that direction, as it came in slightly below the average at 94.4 mm.

The toebox has a tapered design with just 71.0 mm of width, confirming that it won’t suit runners with wide feet or those who prefer plenty of room for natural toe splay.

We never felt that the toebox height was either restrictive or overly generous. Instead, it provided a comfortable amount of vertical room throughout our runs.

Back in the lab, we measured its height using our custom method and found 27.2 mm, which is very close to the current average.

The Ghost Amp delivers almost the same traction (0.54) as the regular model, so don’t expect an upgrade in this area. It provides the same decent grip, but it’s far from feeling ultra-secure on wet concrete.

The outsole provides generous rubber coverage, making the Ghost Amp appealing to runners who want a daily workhorse that can handle duties beyond running. And as we noted at the start of the review, we think Brooks also nailed the design, giving it enough style to work as a sneaker.

Another clear indicator that Brooks designed the Amp with all-day comfort in mind is its excellent flexibility. It doesn’t feel stiff at all, something we confirmed in our 30-degree bend test, where it required just 10.9N of force.

The new DNA Hype foam helps the Ghost shed some weight, making this the biggest reason to upgrade from the Ghost 18.

It’s a 14% reduction that we could clearly feel during runs, bringing the total down to a very reasonable 8.8 oz (249g).

The Ghost Amp is a neutral shoe with moderate midsole dimensions and a foam that leans toward the softer side, so we don’t see it as a first choice for runners who need extra stability.

That said, it’s a very safe pick for neutral runners, especially heel strikers who can benefit from the added support in that area.

Runners who love a flexible midsole will really enjoy the Ghost Amp. It twists with almost no resistance, requiring just 8.1 Nm of torque to bend it in both directions, making it an exceptionally comfortable shoe even beyond running.

The heel counter is a bit stiffer than average, scoring 4/5 in our manual assessment. However, Brooks has added plenty of foam around the heel, which helps offset the stiffness and provides a very comfortable feel.

As we noted earlier, Brooks has stuck with a classic midsole shape, and the width follows the same DNA.

At just 112.2 mm wide, it creates an agile, streamlined platform that stays out of the way and never feels like you’re running in a pair of SUVs.

The heel is slightly wider in comparison, but at 94.2 mm, we don’t think Brooks has overdone it. Instead, the brand has simply added some extra support in this area, and we can understand why.

Testing a knit upper for durability can be nerve-racking, as this material usually offers less abrasion resistance. However, that wasn’t the case here, as the 3/5 score left us very satisfied.

The heel padding also impressed us, leaving us with a big smile on our faces. A 4/5 score is not that easy to achieve!

Overall, we’re very satisfied with the results of all three durability tests, especially considering how comfortable the Ghost Amp is. Moreover, the outsole durability test delivered an excellent result, with just 0.7 mm of rubber worn away by the end of our test.

The outsole thickness also gives us confidence that the Ghost Amp will last a long time.

At 3.0 mm, it has roughly the thickness we want to see in a workhorse built for heavy-duty use.

We found a 4.3 mm thickness for the insole, which is nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, it’s about as ordinary as it gets!

The insole is pretty basic, and in this light colorway, it gets dirty really quickly.

The Ghost Amp comes without any reflective elements whatsoever.

Brooks is one of the brands that consistently delivers excellent uppers and lacing systems, and the Ghost Amp is no exception. We had no issues at all with the fit or lockdown in this regard.

If there’s one thing we would change, it’s the tongue. Knit-based tongues are usually very comfortable without needing much padding, and 5.3 mm feels excessive for this shoe, and reducing it to 2-3 mm could also help trim a little more weight.

The tongue delivers a spot-on fit with its semi-gusseted design, which feels perfectly suited to this shoe. We wouldn’t change a thing here.

Brooks ditched the finger-loop heel tab but paid attention to the details by covering the upper’s stitching with a thin overlay.

We believe that the Brooks Ghost Amp is fairly priced, all things considered. It’s true that it lacks the expected bounce, but it offers better comfort than most rivals. And for runners who don’t need high energy return, it may be a more appealing option than the EVO SL.