When I first opened the box, I thought these shoes looked weird now seeing them in person with the total black on black and the perforated little holes and the chunky soles. I was regretting thinking they were not really quite my typical style. The shoes actually reminded me of the funky old slip-resistant restaurant shoes that I was required to wear back in the day when I was a server. First impressions aside, when I pulled the first shoe out of the box I immediately noticed how incredibly lightweight they feel! To try them on, I loosened up the laces and noticed that the laces felt like a really nice heavier quality that will actually (hopefully) last. The fabric of the overall shoe is also quite soft and cushioned. After I slipped my foot in, I realized these shoes fit me perfectly! They do not feel too wide in the toes or too narrow which is often an issue with some running shoes. There’s also nothing worse than wearing a shoe that comes up too high and rubs against your ankle the whole time so I really like the way these shoes have incorporated a deeper curve on the sides. The curves allow the shoe to fit comfortably on top and well below my ankle area. The inside footbed also has some decently comfortable cushioning. I was not expecting this shoe to provide any sort of change to my height but the thick soles do actually create a bit of extra lift. If I have one shoe on and one off, my foot without the shoe is slightly raised off the ground. The bottom soles give decent stability and have a little grip to them which is helpful for pavement or other smooth surfaces. The soles also provide a slight easy roll towards the toes to help keep up with the forward momentum of running or walking. I haven’t found anything in particular that I really don’t like about these shoes other than a cosmetic issue. This might actually just be a petty quality control issue but I feel like it’s quite noticeable in some areas of the shoe where it seems to have some extra glue around the soles and around some of the decal designs on the sides. It might just be really noticeable because of the dark color of the fabric but from such a high quality shoe, I would usually expect to not see that. I only hope it doesn’t cause any future issues with separation after exposing the shoes to the elements during wear since they’re supposed to be water resistant. With that being said, I haven’t even mentioned yet but these shoes incorporate the gore-Tex technology to provide resistance to water. I haven’t been through any wet conditions yet with them but it’s an excellent feature! Now that I have had the opportunity to actually wear these around for a bit, I absolutely love how lightweight they are and they have proven to be quite comfortable for longer periods of wear. Even though the laces have a smooth feeling fabric, I have not had any problems with keeping them tied or felt like I needed to re-tie or adjust them after wearing for a bit. I have also decided that these shoes look MUCH better when I’m wearing them in comparison to my first impressions of them sitting in the box. Just based on the lightweight comfort and functionality, these shoes have now become my first choice to wear and would highly recommend them!

Brooks are my go-to shoe for the gym, walking, running and my life outside of work. I love that they are supportive, come in a variety of styles, shapes and colors to fit various athletic needs, feet, gaits and styles. The Brooks Ghost 16 are lightweight, come in fun colors, and add a spring to my step. I feel lighter when I walk and run and as a woman with large feet, I love that I can get more traditionally feminine and fun colors in larger sizes.

I wear a men's 10.5 or women's 11.5W in most shoes or a men's 10.5 or women's 12 in Brooks. I always focus on how big a pair of shoes makes my already large feet look. I was pleasantly surprised that despite being in a light color, my feet don't look huge in these shoes. Plus there is some pink and purple, colors I rarely get the chance to wear in a sneaker.

I have a bunion on my left foot which requires I wear supportive, quality shoes with arch support and a wider toe box. My podiatrist originally recommended Brooks. After visiting a shoe store that helps you select a shoe based on how you walk and your feedback on fit, I ended up in the Brooks Dyad 10 and have been wearing Brooks ever since. The Ghost 16 has a similar fit on me to the Dyad but is more flexible, light and springy. The toe box has ample space for my toes to feel comfortable. The shoe base is the same width but the actual toe box is a few millimeters narrower due to the sole shape. The shoe uppers are soft and breathable (maybe not ideal for winter's cold), the backs are firm yet comfortable.

I workout 4 days per week lifting weights followed by a walk and/or run. Due to the season and having young kids, I'm constrained to the treadmill for now. My gait feels easier and my landing feels softer in the Ghost 16. The sound of my feet hitting the treadmill is also much softer which I appreciate in the gym.

Both the Ghost and Dyad are neutral support. There is some arch support but it is only right at the inner edge. I need firm arch support to extend further in towards the middle of my foot so I did try adding my non-prescription orthotic inserts to improve my comfort and maintain the support recommended by my podiatrist (she recommends I have an extra insole in any sneaker but stressed that I need to start with a quality sneaker base). They fit will in the shoe well without detracting from the cushioning of the soles. These will be added to my Brooks gym and weekend rotation.

The Ghost 16 is one of the most breathable, airy, and lightweight trainer that I’ve come across. Everything about this shoe is sleek and cushioning. I’ve had the opportunity to take these out on several road training sessions and they’ve kept my feet lightweight and well ventilated with the air mesh upper fabric. Pair these shoes with some merino wool socks and you’ve got the dream team for perfect thermoregulated runs!

I wear a size 6 and these shoes fit true to size. I do have narrower feet and noticed the toe box is slightly wide for me.

One of my favorite features of the Ghost 16 is the laces. They are velvety soft and have the perfect amount of elasticity to get a snug- yet comfortable fit.

With the extra cushion protection, I would feel comfortable wearing these shoes primarily for road training and general walking/ every day wear. Being in a profession that has me on my feet all day, these really do provide great comfort and cushioning for long hours on your feet.

Last to note is the color scheme. While these are relatively neutral compared to some of the other Brooks patterns, I love the subtle scheme with a pop of pink and blue coloring. This makes the shoe easy to transition from both a professional environment to after work runs with ease.

The Ghost 16 GTX is now my favorite shoe. When I tried them on, I could tell they were different from any other Ghost shoe.

There's a lot of versatility in the Ghost GTX 16. My training is both indoors and outdoors, depending on the weather. There's a lot of rocky terrain on my property, like a trail run. The DNA Loft Insole provides much more cushioned support in the arch. I'd call it medium plush. As soon as I hit the ground, the foam cushion stabilized my foot without any unbalanced or heavy feel.

Size-wise, I do think it’s almost true to size but feels a little short. At first, I thought the shoe was too small because I felt that my toes were hitting the front of the toe box. As I broke them in, I think the shoe gave a little, and now I don't feel that it's too short. I have made quick lateral movements in the shoe, and my toes did not feel squished.

The Gore-Tex makes this shoe even better. The breathability and moisture-wicking performance are good. I've run on grass in the morning when it's wet because of the humidity. My shoe stayed dry, and so did my socks.

Overall, I think this is a great line for Brooks. They might have to consider reevaluating the length of the shoe. Suitable for everyday wear, walking, cross-training, and use on light terrain, the Ghost GTX is a versatile shoe.