Brooks Ghost vs Glycerin: Podiatrist Guide — Which Daily Trainer Wins?

Updated October 2026 for the Brooks Ghost 18 and Glycerin 23, with notes on the Glycerin GTS 23 and Ghost Max 4. Every shoe spec below is Brooks’ own published figure, labelled with where it comes from. We have not measured these shoes ourselves.

At a glance: Ghost 18 vs Glycerin 23

These are Brooks’ published figures from its US product pages. Brooks doesn’t say which size it weighed, so treat the weights as a rough comparison.

Spec	Brooks Ghost 18	Brooks Glycerin 23
US list price	$150 (Brooks US)	$175 (Brooks US)
Heel-to-toe drop	10 mm (Brooks US)	8 mm (Brooks US)
Heel / forefoot stack	Not published by Brooks	Not published by Brooks
Weight, men’s / women’s	10.2 oz / 9.2 oz (Brooks US, size not stated)	10.6 oz / 9.5 oz (Brooks US, size not stated)
Cushion rating	Balanced (Brooks US)	Plush (Brooks US)
Support	“Balanced support” (Brooks US)	“Balanced support” (Brooks US)
Midsole foam	Nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3 (Brooks)	Nitrogen-infused, dual-cell DNA TUNED (Brooks)
Upper	Engineered air mesh (Brooks)	Triple jacquard warp knit (Brooks)
Widths, men’s	Narrow (B), Medium (D), Wide (2E), Extra Wide (4E) (Brooks US)	Medium (D), Wide (2E), Extra Wide (4E) (Brooks US)
Widths, women’s	Narrow (2A), Medium (B), Wide (D), Extra Wide (2E) (Brooks US)	Medium (B), Wide (D), Extra Wide (2E) (Brooks US)
Brooks lists it for	Road running, daily runs, walking	Road running, everyday runs, long runs
APMA Seal of Acceptance	Listed in APMA’s database	Listed in APMA’s database

Ghost or Glycerin for plantar fasciitis?

No study has compared these two shoes for heel pain, so nobody can tell you one is proven better. What the guidance does say is useful, and both shoes meet most of it:

• Cushioned heels and good arch support. The NHS recommends both for plantar fasciitis, along with insoles or heel pads. Both shoes have cushioned heels, but neither is built for arch control, so add a supportive insole if you need more support.
• Some heel-to-toe drop. A 2021 best-practice guide in the British Journal of Sports Medicine says shoes should be supportive and comfortable and have a heel-to-forefoot drop. It also advises against walking barefoot and wearing flat, unsupportive shoes until symptoms have cleared. The Ghost 18 (10 mm) and Glycerin 23 (8 mm) both have a drop.
• Shoes are only part of the treatment. The same guide puts stretching, taping and learning about the condition at the core of care, and treats footwear advice as part of that approach, not a replacement for it.

How to choose between them for heel pain:

• If your heel hurts most after long days on hard floors and you want the softer feel, start with the Glycerin 23. It has Brooks’ “Plush” cushion rating.
• If you prefer a little more heel-to-toe drop, or want a lighter shoe that costs $25 less, start with the Ghost 18 (10 mm vs 8 mm).
• Neither shoe has built-in arch control. If your arches collapse, a supportive insole or a GuideRails shoe such as the Glycerin GTS 23 may suit you better (see below).

For more options, see our guide to shoes for plantar fasciitis and our plantar fasciitis stretches.

The real differences

Cushion: “Balanced” vs “Plush”

Brooks rates the Ghost 18’s cushion “Balanced”: “a blend of soft and dynamic cushioning that offers a smooth feeling with each step.” It rates the Glycerin 23 “Plush,” with “luxuriously soft landings with powerful toe-offs.” The foams differ too. The Ghost uses DNA LOFT v3. The Glycerin uses DNA TUNED, which Brooks says has larger cells in the heel for soft landings and smaller cells in the forefoot for a responsive push-off. If you want the shoe to feel as soft as possible, start with the Glycerin. If very soft shoes feel unstable or sluggish to you, start with the Ghost.

Drop: 10 mm vs 8 mm

The Ghost 18 has a 10 mm drop and the Glycerin 23 has 8 mm. The gap is new: Brooks says the Glycerin 23 has 2 mm more foam in the forefoot and an 8 mm drop, down from the Glycerin 22’s 10 mm. Brooks doesn’t publish stack heights for these two shoes on its US pages, so we’ve left them out.

A 2 mm difference is small. In a randomized trial of 553 leisure-time runners, shoes with a 10, 6 or 0 mm drop had similar overall injury risk. Lower-drop shoes were linked with fewer injuries in occasional runners and more in regular runners. That trial wasn’t about plantar fasciitis, so let comfort decide.

Weight, fit and steadiness

Brooks lists the Ghost 18 at 10.2 oz (men’s) and 9.2 oz (women’s), and the Glycerin 23 at 10.6 oz and 9.5 oz, so the Ghost is a little lighter. Brooks says the Ghost fits securely, keeping your foot “locked in,” and that it redesigned the tongue to feel “more pillowy.” It describes the Glycerin’s as “accommodating,” with a knit upper that gives your foot “enough room to move naturally” and a “wide platform” for smooth heel-to-toe transitions.

Brooks labels both “Balanced support”: a “secure heel with dynamic forefoot” that “helps provide inherent stability.” Neither has GuideRails, the support system Brooks says helps “keep excess movement in check.” On Brooks’ site those come in its “Structured support” GTS shoes, such as the Glycerin GTS 23.

Widths and price

The Ghost 18 comes in four widths for men and women, including a narrow. The Glycerin 23 comes in three, with no narrow. The Ghost lists at $150 and the Glycerin at $175.

What changed from the Ghost 17 and Glycerin 22

As of 19 October 2026, Brooks’ US site lists the Ghost 18 and Glycerin 23 and no newer versions.

• Ghost 18 vs Ghost 17. Brooks lists a flat-knit tongue, an engineered air mesh upper and an Ortholite X-60 sockliner “for a softer ride.” It kept the 10 mm drop. Brooks’ Ghost history post, dated 21 April 2026, calls the Ghost 18 the latest Ghost. If you liked the Ghost 17, the changes Brooks lists are in the upper, tongue and sockliner.
• Ghost 17 vs Ghost 16. Brooks says the Ghost 17 lowered the drop from 12 mm to 10 mm and added 1 mm of foam at the heel and 3 mm at the forefoot. If you’re replacing a Ghost 16, the current shoe has a lower drop than yours.
• Glycerin 23 vs Glycerin 22. Brooks says it added 2 mm of DNA TUNED foam in the forefoot, lowered the drop from 10 mm to 8 mm, and changed the upper from a double to a triple jacquard knit. Fleet Feet notes the shoe gained about half an ounce and the price rose from $165 to $175. RoadTrailRun lists it as available from 1 February 2026. If you chose the Glycerin 22 partly for its 10 mm drop, try the 23 before you buy.
• Glycerin 22 vs Glycerin 21. Brooks says the Glycerin 22 switched from DNA LOFT v3 to DNA TUNED foam and kept a 10 mm drop.

Who should choose the Ghost 18

The Ghost 18 may suit you if:

• You want one shoe for running and walking. Brooks lists both.
• You like a traditional 10 mm drop, or you’re coming from an earlier Ghost.
• Your feet are narrow. It’s the only one of the two sold in a narrow width.
• You’d rather pay $150 than $175.

Think twice if:

• You want a plusher ride. The Glycerin is rated “Plush.”
• You have flat feet that need arch control. The Ghost 18 has no GuideRails, and Brooks’ Ghost line has no GTS version. See our Ghost vs Adrenaline comparison.

Who should choose the Glycerin 23

The Glycerin 23 may suit you if:

• You want a softer, plusher feel for long runs or long days on your feet.
• You find the Ghost too firm.
• You prefer a slightly lower drop (8 mm vs 10 mm).

Think twice if:

• You need a narrow width. It isn’t sold in one.
• You loved the Glycerin 22’s 10 mm drop. This version is 8 mm.
• You need arch control. The Glycerin 23 has no GuideRails; the Glycerin GTS 23 adds them.

Need stability or more cushion? The Glycerin GTS 23 and Ghost Max 4

Two related shoes come up in the same searches. Here is where they fit, using Brooks’ published figures.

Spec	Brooks Glycerin GTS 23	Brooks Ghost Max 4
US list price	$180 (Brooks US)	$165 (Brooks US)
Heel-to-toe drop	8 mm (Brooks US)	6 mm (Brooks US)
Weight, men’s / women’s	11.0 oz / 9.8 oz (Brooks US, size not stated)	10.3 oz / 9.2 oz (Brooks US, size not stated)
Cushion rating	Plush (Brooks US)	Balanced (Brooks US)
Support	“Structured support” with GuideRails (Brooks US)	“Max support”: assisted heel-to-toe transition and added cushion (Brooks US)
Widths	Men’s D, 2E, 4E; women’s B, D, 2E (Brooks US)	Men’s D, 2E, 4E; women’s B, D, 2E (Brooks US)
Brooks lists it for	Road running, everyday runs, long runs	Daily runs, long runs, walking, orthotics
APMA Seal of Acceptance	Not on APMA’s list as of 19 October 2026 (the GTS 21 and 22 are), though Brooks’ page shows the seal	Listed in APMA’s database

Glycerin GTS 23: the Glycerin with GuideRails

The Glycerin GTS 23 has the same “Plush” cushion rating and 8 mm drop as the Glycerin 23, plus GuideRails, which Brooks says help “keep excess movement in check.” For this version, Brooks says it added 2 mm of DNA TUNED foam in the forefoot and a new engineered knit upper. It costs $5 more than the Glycerin 23.

APMA advises a supportive shoe “designed for stability and motion control” for low arches, and one with equal amounts of stability and cushioning for normal arches. That makes the GTS the one to try if your arches are low or flat and ache. Matching shoes to foot type is common advice, but the evidence for it is weak: a Cochrane review found that choosing running shoes by foot posture probably makes little or no difference to injury rates, and that it is uncertain whether stability shoes prevent more injuries than neutral ones. Use arch type as a starting point, then let comfort on a test walk decide. More detail: our Glycerin vs Glycerin GTS comparison and our guide to flat feet.

Ghost Max 4: the Ghost with more foam and a rocker

Brooks describes the Ghost Max 4 as “like the Ghost with even more cushioning,” with “rocker technology for smooth heel-toe motion,” a broad base and “extra room for orthotics.” Its drop is 6 mm, lower than the Ghost 18’s 10 mm, and it lists at $165. RoadTrailRun gives its release date as 1 August 2026. In an answer to a shopper’s question on its men’s Ghost Max 4 page, Brooks says the Max 4’s GlideRoll rocker is “slightly more pronounced,” its stack is “slightly higher,” the shoe is lighter, and the 6 mm drop is unchanged from the Ghost Max 3. Brooks doesn’t give figures for these changes.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) notes that people with arthritis or arch pain may benefit from a rocker sole when walking. A review of rocker shoes found they can reduce pressure under the forefoot, though the best rocker shape isn’t known. The Ghost Max 4 may suit walkers and people who wear orthotics. Skip it if you prefer the Ghost 18’s higher drop.

Brooks also sells the Glycerin Max 2, a “Plush” rocker shoe with a 6 mm drop. It lists at $200 and was $149.95 on Brooks’ site on 19 October 2026.

Standing all day, walking and long shifts

Brooks lists walking as a use for the Ghost 18 and the Ghost Max 4, but not for the Glycerin 23. Any of them can work on long shifts if it fits well. For nurses, teachers and anyone on hard floors all day, fit matters as much as foam:

• Shop at the end of the day, when your feet are at their largest (AAOS).
• Leave at least a half inch between your longest toe and the end of the shoe, and make sure the heel counter grips your heel (AAOS).
• Break up long stretches of standing when you can. Standing still for long periods loads the heel, and the 2021 guide recommends breaking it up for people with heel pain.
• Replace shoes once the heels or soles are worn down. The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) advises against wearing shoes with excessive wear.
• If you wear custom orthotics, bring them when you try shoes on and check that the factory insole lifts out and your orthotic sits flat. Brooks says the Ghost Max 4 has extra room for orthotics.

More options: custom orthotics at Balance Foot & Ankle.

Where to buy

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Balance Foot & Ankle earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and colors change often; check the listing before you buy.

• Brooks Ghost 18, men’s, on Amazon
• Brooks Ghost 18, women’s, on Amazon
• Brooks Glycerin 23, men’s, on Amazon
• Brooks Glycerin 23, women’s, on Amazon
• Brooks Glycerin GTS 23, men’s, on Amazon
• Brooks Glycerin GTS 23, women’s, on Amazon
• Brooks Ghost Max 4, men’s, on Amazon
• Brooks Ghost Max 4, women’s, on Amazon

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between the Brooks Ghost and Glycerin?

The Glycerin 23 is the softer, pricier shoe: Brooks rates its cushion “Plush,” gives it an 8 mm drop and lists it at $175. The Ghost 18 is rated “Balanced,” has a 10 mm drop, weighs a little less and costs $150. Neither has GuideRails.

Is the Brooks Ghost or Glycerin better for plantar fasciitis?

No study compares them. Both have cushioned heels and some heel-to-toe drop, which matches the usual advice for heel pain. Choose the Glycerin 23 for the softer feel on long days, or the Ghost 18 for a lighter, cheaper shoe with a bit more drop, and pair either with daily stretching.

What’s new in the Glycerin 23?

Brooks says it added 2 mm of DNA TUNED foam under the forefoot, lowered the drop from 10 mm to 8 mm and switched to a triple jacquard knit upper. The list price is $175, up from $165 for the Glycerin 22, according to Fleet Feet.

What changed in the Ghost 18 from the Ghost 17?

Brooks lists a flat-knit tongue, an engineered air mesh upper and an Ortholite X-60 sockliner for a softer ride. The 10 mm drop and DNA LOFT v3 foam stay the same, and the price is $150.

Is the Glycerin GTS 23 a stability shoe?

Yes. Brooks labels it “Structured support” and adds GuideRails to help keep excess movement in check. It shares the Glycerin 23’s “Plush” rating and 8 mm drop and costs $180. Try it if you have low or flat arches that ache.

What is the difference between the Ghost and the Ghost Max?

Brooks describes the Ghost Max 4 as the Ghost “with even more cushioning,” plus a rocker, a broad base and extra room for orthotics. Its drop is 6 mm, compared with the Ghost 18’s 10 mm, and it costs $165.

Do the Ghost 18 and Glycerin 23 come in wide sizes?

Yes. The Ghost 18 comes in men’s B, D, 2E and 4E and women’s 2A, B, D and 2E. The Glycerin 23 comes in men’s D, 2E and 4E and women’s B, D and 2E. Not every color comes in every width.

Which is better for walking or standing all day?

Brooks lists walking as a use for the Ghost 18, not the Glycerin 23, but either can work if it fits well. If you want the softer feel, try the Glycerin. If you wear orthotics or want a rocker sole, the Ghost Max 4 is also worth trying.

When to see a podiatrist

Get your foot checked if pain hasn’t improved after two weeks of self-care, if it is severe or getting worse, if you have tingling or numbness, or if you have diabetes and foot pain (NHS). APMA also advises that if pain, redness, swelling or heat persist, you should limit your normal daily activities and contact a podiatrist.

Related guides

• Brooks Ghost vs Adrenaline GTS
• Brooks Glycerin vs Glycerin GTS
• Shoes for plantar fasciitis
• HOKA vs Brooks
• Plantar fasciitis: causes and treatment
• Plantar fasciitis stretches
• Flat feet
• Custom orthotics

Sources

1. Brooks US. Ghost 18 (men’s) and Ghost 18 (women’s): price, drop, weight, cushion and support ratings, widths, fit.
2. Brooks US. Glycerin 23 (men’s) and Glycerin 23 (women’s): price, drop, weight, cushion and support ratings, widths, what’s new.
3. Brooks US. Glycerin GTS 23 (men’s) and Glycerin GTS 23 (women’s).
4. Brooks US. Ghost Max 4 (men’s), Ghost Max 4 (women’s), Glycerin Max 2 (men’s) and Ghost series.
5. Brooks. The evolution of the Brooks Ghost running shoe, 21 April 2026.
6. Brooks. The evolution of the Brooks Glycerin running shoe, 3 January 2026.
7. Fleet Feet. Brooks Glycerin 23 review: legacy meets luxury.
8. RoadTrailRun. Brooks Glycerin 23 review (January 2026) and Brooks Ghost Max 4 review (May 2026): release dates.
9. American Podiatric Medical Association. Seal of Acceptance: Brooks products; Which running shoe is right for you?; Heel pain.
10. NHS. Plantar fasciitis.
11. Morrissey D, et al. Management of plantar heel pain: a best practice guide informed by a systematic review, expert clinical reasoning and patient values. Br J Sports Med. 2021;55(19):1106-1118; free full text.
12. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (OrthoInfo). Athletic shoes.
13. Malisoux L, et al. Influence of the heel-to-toe drop of standard cushioned running shoes on injury risk in leisure-time runners: a randomized controlled trial with 6-month follow-up. Am J Sports Med. 2016.
14. Relph N, et al. Running shoes for preventing lower limb running injuries in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022; plain-language summary.
15. Hutchins S, et al. The biomechanics and clinical efficacy of footwear adapted with rocker profiles: evidence in the literature. Foot (Edinb). 2009;19(3):165-70.