After 2 weeks with these shoes I'm flat out impressed. The first thing that stands out to me is the comfort; right out of the box the shoes fit like a glove and provided a balance of all-around cushion without feeling loose. The fabric wears like a comfortable tennis shoes yet they maintain their structure when you're running or training in them. They're now my go-to airport shoe when I know I'll be on my feet for hours.

My next favorite aspect is the looks. If you have feet on the more narrow side like me, it can be tricky to find a shoe that gives enough cushion and padding without making your foot look gigantic. These shoes have a sleek profile and are perfect to wear with jeans or chinos...not to mention they add an extra inch or more in height!

My only two complaints with these shoes are the heel padding and the grip. While I love the pillowy feel around the foot, the heel padding can irritate my Achilles when I'm in a running stride. It seems to jut out into my heel space more than I'm used to. I'm hoping that over time it will conform to my foot better but out of the box it was not ideal.

Secondly, I'm skeptical that the grip will hold up to a few hundred miles on the pavement. It feels like a shoe designed for walking around town not pounding the pavement. These shoes have become a staple of my rotation but I'm hesitant to pull them out if I'll be on rough roads or gravel since I'm worried about longevity of the sole.

Overall I'm thrilled with the shoes and I think they nailed both comfort and looks with the Ghost Max 2.

When it comes to the fit and feel of the Brooks Ghost Max 2 it is a comfortable shoe with lots of support. It stays secure on my foot and I like how the tongue stays centered over the foot. I like a tight and secure fit for running and the shoe provides that without issue.

The style of the shoe is another positive. It is a good looking shoe to wear casually as well as wearing for training/running. I received an all white version, which provides and clean and sleek look. I do worry about its ability to stay clean looking after a long run. The upper of the shoe is very breathable and holds my foot nicely in place.

An issue I do have with the design is more to do with the performance. It is a bit heavier shoe than I would normally wear and the rocker design feels like the shoe is pushing me to land on the balls of my feet. Normally, I would say that’s great as I have worked really diligently to have a natural running form that avoids heal striking. However, I do this naturally and I don’t want a shoe to feel like it is “pushing” me to land a certain way. I also would like significantly less of a bottom cushion. I am two inches taller when I wear this shoe and I much prefer a more minimal shoe with a smaller heel to toe drop. I think the bulk and weight of the shoes would become a hinderance on longer runs.

Overall, the Ghost Max 2 is a comfortable shoe that looks great and appears to be durable. I think people that enjoy a well cushioned shoe will find this shoe perfect. For someone like me who enjoys light minimalist shoes, this would not be a shoe I would be willing to pay a high price tag for.

This shoe has a lot of cushion. It's nice not to feel the road and instead I feel a supportive sole under my feet. However, I wish the shoe toe was more rounded and in the shape of an actual foot so that I didn't have to purchase 3 sizes larger than I normally wear. The front of the shoe squeezes together my toes and caused tented toe nails. Also made my bunions worse.
Would be good if there was more room on the outside of the big toe, because it presses your toe against the 2nd toe. I guess that's due to the more pointed front of the shoe.
I noticed the inside of the shoe doesn't quite measure what a 4E should measure, I see you try to make up for that with more fabric on the top, but wish the shoes were actually shaped like a wide foot, that would be helpful. I don't purchase these shoes for fashion, I purchase them for comfort and stability. I'm noticing a lot of the shoe manufacturers are doing the same thing with the more pointed front, why is that? These are one of the last brands that carries an extra wide width, please stop streamlining the shoe shape.

When they say “max cushion” they aren’t kidding! I’ve been wearing the Ghost Max 2s for several weeks now, and the shoe provides a soft-yet-stable platform that I’ve loved for both running and walking.

The upper fabric is well made and very comfortable – it provides good lateral support while remaining breathable (been fine even in temperatures pushing 90 degrees).

My favorite part is the weight: you get all of the above in a surprisingly lightweight package.

Like the regular Ghosts, I do find my foot rolling in a bit (i.e. not ton of pronation support).

The only thing I’d change is that despite having less drop than the standard Ghost, I find my big toe hitting the front of the Ghost Max, even in the same size shoe. So it may be worth testing out a half size up.

The Ghost Max 2 is certainly a chunky/maximalist look – a specific shoe for a specific purpose. But if you’re looking for an ultra-cushioned option with mid-level support, it’s a great choice.