Brooks Ghost 18 vs Brooks Glycerin 23:
Which to Choose

These two land close in intent but diverge in feel. Both use a 37 mm heel and nitrogen-infused foam, but that's where the similarity narrows: the Ghost 18 runs DNA Loft v3 with a 25 mm forefoot and a tall 12 mm drop, while the Glycerin 23 uses the newer DNA Tuned foam with a 29 mm forefoot and a lower 8 mm drop. In practice the Ghost feels cushioned but firm and controlled — a planted, no-drama roll that heel strikers and newer runners tend to find predictable — whereas the Glycerin is noticeably plusher, with a soft, impact-swallowing heel and a slightly firmer forefoot to keep you from sinking. Cushioning is where the Glycerin pulls ahead (rated very high versus the Ghost's high), and its lower drop plus taller forefoot give a more level, cushioned platform underfoot. The trade-off is weight: the Ghost 18 comes in at 289 g in a men's US 9 against the Glycerin 23's 303 g, so the Ghost is the lighter, slightly more nimble of the two. Neither is responsive — both are plateless with medium-to-below-average rebound and top out around a 5:00 min/km effort before the foam starts feeling vague — so this is genuinely a comfort-and-geometry decision, not a speed one. Stability is comparable: both are broad, planted neutral platforms with no pronation posting, though the Ghost's firmer foam reads as marginally more controlled.