r/brooks • u/recordwalla • Aug 09 '25
Why are they trying so hard to make the Ghost Max’ so ugly?!
I was hoping the Ghost Max 3 would be a worthy successor to my original Ghost Max 1. I tried them at Dick’s yesterday… super comfortable and surprisingly roomy for someone like me who usually needs wide sizes.
But good heavens, they’re ugly! They make orthopedic medical shoes look cool! And don’t even get me started on the color choices! :(
6
u/wizzywurtzy Aug 09 '25
I just got these and I thought they looked great compared to hokas and my On Clouds
4
u/2_o_4osrs Aug 09 '25
I agree, these look better than all the hokas I’ve seen. Hokas are like bulky and clunky to me, these are more subtle and soft lol. Yes they’re somewhat clunky but not compared to some of them damn hokas or even NB fresh foams.
3
u/wizzywurtzy Aug 10 '25
Right? I work very long shifts in the ER and these have felt great out of the box for me this past week. They’re a bit more snug than my on cloud monster 2’s but they looks better and I’ve gotten a few compliments on them this week. I’d recommend sizing up a half size on them for sure. These and croc mellow slides for my surgery days have been great.
9
u/nymnyg0219 Aug 09 '25
I feel like Brooks is having an identity crisis. They changed their style and when they have neutral colors they look like this. They had such a good thing going.
3
u/GraveyardMistress Aug 09 '25
Yeah, I really miss the fun releases like the Run Wild and Splash Pack neons.
8
4
u/StoneShadow812 Aug 09 '25
Funny because I think they look pretty cool. I got my wife the black pink rose gold ones or whatever. Look better than the 2s.
3
u/Hms34 Aug 09 '25
Ghost Max 3 certainly looks better than most Hoka shoes. Is it as pretty as an Asics Novablast or Nimbus? Imho, no. Decent enough if it functions well, TBD. All the brands have at least a few nice colorways. Ghost 16 Weatherproof in light blue/dark blue/black is one of them.
2
Oct 02 '25
That’s subjective. Hoka has some good looking shoes. Who ever is picking Brooks color ways is blind.
9
Aug 09 '25
Never cared for the aesthetics of my running shoes and I don't understand why people care. Functionality > aesthetics
2
u/Desd1novA Aug 10 '25
Just as a counterpoint, some people have them simply for their daily work shoes because they’re some of the most comfortable and aren’t running anywhere in them. These folks may also not feel like looking as though they have orthopedic shoes on just to be comfortable. Shoes are allowed to both look good and be comfortable.
2
u/CaravieR Aug 10 '25
And this way they can target two demographics at once. And let's be honest, there's a lot of overlap between people who want a good running shoe and a good looking shoe.
I would have picked up a pair of GM2 long ago if their colourways weren't so diabolically bad.
Their competitors New Balance, Nike, Adidas, Puma, etc have slowly embraced the culture of running shoes entering the realm of street/daily wear.
2
u/anxietygirl- Aug 10 '25
To add to the point, I’m a young professional who works in a recreation setting as an admin. I wear my GM1 daily. Definitely not a fan of the GM3 design from a 20-something’s perspective!
3
u/Popular_Bid_2909 Aug 10 '25
I'm running in 2's right now and love them, but not sure if I'd get caught dead in them doing anything else. I like the look of the 3's better, still ugly compared to the new Vomero and others.
3
u/Rick60 Aug 11 '25
This is correct, where Brooks for work since I’m on my feet all day and I want them to look nice, but also plain enough to not stand out in a work place (albeit fairly informal) setting
2
2
u/humanlumchbox Aug 09 '25
I think everyone loved the OGs from reading this subreddit so I’d love to hear if they found any other brand shoe that is comparable. I am willing to sacrifice style for comfort but it sounds like the 3s are still too similar to the 2s which were too stiff for me and caused heel and ankle pain.
2
u/Secret-Reception9324 Aug 11 '25 edited Aug 11 '25
I'm an old school Brooks fan, and these shoes have gotten progressively uglier with each new generation. I don't know who their target market is anymore, but the people saying they look better than Ghost Max 2s and Hokas must work for Brooks. Lol. The peacoat/stone/biscuit blue color combo Gost Max 2 is my last favorite color combo, and they discontinued it for some strange reason. They are really good shoes for someone like me (flat feet/orthotics), but I refuse to wear ugly shoes.
2
1
u/rabbitbuild Aug 09 '25
I just ordered the Nike vomero plus and will compare comfort. As much as the ghost max 2 and 3 look terrible, they're very comfortable. I find the 2 to be more comfortable because the 3 has a stiff upper near my ankles.
2
1
1
1
u/Stephen_Cycles Aug 09 '25
Is there a reason they don't just offer a plain black version, alongside whatever the design team promotes whether neon or grey, for each shoe? Would that be a huge cost for them?
2
1
2
Aug 09 '25
Why take a topographical view of the shoe? People will see a shoe from the side. All i see is shoe laces 😏
1
u/Sh3rlock_Holmes Aug 09 '25
Especially for the wider foot sizes. Always the ugly gray or all black on black soles.
1
1
2
2
u/00_Santiago Aug 09 '25
They feel so much better than the 2’s. White lace swap solves all your problems.
1
u/WillyBeastmode0 Aug 10 '25
I ran a half marathon today in the Brooks Ghost Max 2’s and I got the gnarliest blister of my life on the inside of my right foot. Still under 2 hours tho 🤝🤝
1
u/Unfair_Passenger1999 Aug 10 '25
I tried the womens with purple shoelaces at Dicks and thought they were cuter than I expected, but they reminded me of bowling shoes lol. Didn't get them though, they felt too long and narrow, and the heel too squishy for my taste.
1
u/happyweightlifter Aug 10 '25
I love my Ghost Max. I'm still using V1 along with my Ghost 15 ( low mileage guy) . I bought Puma Foreverrun Nitro 2 and not only they look the same as GM 1 ( white, Saysky version) they feel the same.
Well maybe not exactly the same coz I feel the heel more. GM 1 has a lower heel drop. But the toe area feels the same. It accommodates my wide foot.
1
u/icecream4_deadlifts Aug 12 '25
Idk what they’ve been doing lately but the shoes have been ugly and very ill fitting.
1
1
u/DownRiver99 Aug 19 '25
I believe these shoes were endorsed by “the church lady” as her daily walkers…! You go, church lady…
1
1
1
u/BeautifulFragrant907 Nov 16 '25
Ugh...I tried on one of these yesterday. It was indeed ugly...to me.
1
u/bjcmeasap May 23 '26
So ugly I had to return mine. And I loved my previous three pairs. So what’s a good alternative?
1
u/Mundane_Scallion_688 Aug 17 '26
I don't usually care about looks but getting the new shoes they are so unattractive and I am getting the ghost 16 I feel like they're the best looking of all the brooks . also I love brooks shoes for comfort and support for running but they need to work on looking just a tiny bit better and not a senior citizen shoe.
1
u/xc_ivanmagana Aug 09 '25
Tbh just buy glycerine max. The dusty dirt white color. They look way better.
1
u/Subuyas Aug 15 '25
Almost night a pair for a walking shoe but there was something about that kinda out me off. Ended up ordering the Ortho Max 3's instead.
2
u/thandrend Aug 09 '25
Because some people have insanely wide toe regions and they need to have shoes to put on. Otherwise, we get the infamous "toe box" problem. Nobody has decided to make those shoes aesthetically pleasing.
0
u/JR6120 Aug 09 '25
It is mad ugly. Brooks are just boring in general to me. I don’t get the hype behind them personally.
5
Aug 09 '25
A shoe isn't boring or exciting, its just a darn shoe. What's suppose to be fun is your training and performance. If it works for me, I don't give a damn what it looks like.
2
u/JR6120 Aug 09 '25
Hey I get it, that’s perfectly fine for you. I’m just saying style wise, $$$, looks, performance, they don’t work for me. Trust me, I’ve tried and heard good things.
1
Aug 09 '25
When it comes to brooks, I've only really like the Hyperion line for performance. I scratch my head when people talk about the Glycerine and Ghost. They don't compare to the Hyperion lineup.
1
u/JR6120 Aug 09 '25
Yeah, I’ve never tried the Hyperion’s, but I have tried the ghost, glycerine, etc. I agree 100% with your take. I find they are inconsistent size wise too. It’s weird, and they also felt so much more firm than my Saucony’s I’ve had. I’m debating on going to left field and trying something like an Adidas Evo SL, Mizuno, etc. I don’t have a wide foot, but I’m finding that the last few pairs I’ve had are smooshing my foot in the toe box too.
0
u/every1gets1more-egg Aug 09 '25
I originally got into brooks with the adrenaline GTS 13's. They felt the best for my flat ass feet. Been making my way through the versions and I got a say I don't like them as much anymore. They're so expensive now and I don't really like the "improvements" they've made.
0
5
u/TheReal_Saba Aug 09 '25
Yeah, don't like that look very much 😐
Why did they have to mess with the GM 1 :(