There are many occasions when a movie sequel fails to live up to expectations. Shoes, however, only tend to get better with more versions. For a series to reach its fifth edition, you know Brooks must be doing something right here. The best part is, they know it too.

First Impressions

Running shoes are really in a tough spot. Runners can be the most demanding customers – we want technology, comfort, aesthetics, design, colours, and everybody has different subjective tastes. On first sight, I admit that the Ghost 5 did not catch my eye. The blue and grey combination is simple and suits the average guy. Do not fret if you like your shoes flashy, they have it in a bright yellow colourway too.

Get past the colours, put on the shoes, and you are in for a ride.

Upper Unit

The upper is a breathable mesh, which helps to keep your feet relatively cool. The lining of the shoe is also soft and comfortable. It did not give me any blisters even in the first few runs. I did not try running without socks so I cannot comment if they might be suitable for triathletes.

Sole Unit

The midsole is made with Brooks’ Anatomical DNA technology. The non-Newtonian liquid responds to the amount of force placed on the foot and disperses the pressure, providing just the right amount of resilience. It really is a good balance of soft yet firm support.

The BioMoGo full-length midsole is made of environment-friendly, biodegradable materials. It degrades 50 times faster than the standard midsole in anaerobic conditions. So you know that when you throw out this pair of shoes, they are not going to hurt the earth as much as other rubber materials.

Outsole

The Caterpillar crash pad is segmented to flex with the foot. It felt a little like a minimalist running shoe but with more support and cushioning. The heel-to-toe transition was smooth and I could feel a slight spring with every push off.

The outsole provided good traction across road, track and dirt. The outsole design really helped with the midfoot strike.

Opinion

I took the shoes out to do a variety of runs – long runs, tempo runs, and some intervals. I was very pleased with the shoes.

Firstly, they are much lighter than they look and they really provide good cushioning and support. I did not feel any discomfort in my feet across the various runs.

Secondly, the roomy toebox makes the shoes very comfortable but if you like them snug, they have different width sizes too.

Lastly, I found the shoes to be so “friendly” on my joints; I wanted to name my pair of Ghost – Casper.

Runners' Boon

• Sturdy shoes with great cushioning
• Relatively light for long distance trainers
• Flexible outsole that adapts to shape of feet

Runners' Bane

• Design and colour way could be slightly better
• Inner lining of shoes could be thinner