Brooks Ghost 17 vs Saucony Ride 18

Side-by-Side Comparison

Products

Brooks Ghost 17
Saucony Ride 18

Tested using Methodology v0.9

Updated Oct 27, 2025 04:30 PM

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Brooks

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2

Updated Nov 05, 2025 04:21 PM

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Saucony
Brooks Ghost 17 Picture
Saucony Ride 18 Picture

Our Verdict

Brooks Ghost 17

Saucony Ride 18

The Brooks Ghost 17 and the Saucony Ride 18 are each the latest iteration in a series of classic, everyday trainers that are undergoing a significant evolution process. In this respect, the Ride 18 seems to be further along in that evolutionary process, as Saucony has found ways to shave weight from the shoe while still maintaining a reasonable amount of cushioning. The Ghost 17, meanwhile, has put on weight and is not only less bouncy than its Saucony rival, but even less bouncy than its forebear, the Brooks Ghost 16.

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Variants

  • Ghost 17 (Acid Lime/Navy/White - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (Apricot/Grey/Pink - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Black/Black/Ebony - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (Black/Black/Ebony - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Black/Grey/White - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (Black/Grey/White - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Black/Purple/Coral - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Blazing Orange/Yellow/Ebony - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (Blue Heron/White/Orange - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Burgundy/Pink/Green - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Chateau Gray/Brown/Olive - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (Clearwater/Navy Peony - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Cloissone/Blue/Orange - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (Ebony/Black/Yellow - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (Grey/Chateau Grey/Portabella - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Grey/Clearwater/Purple - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Navy/Green/Turquoise - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Oyster Mushroom/Orange/Ebony - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (Oyster/Apricot/Pink - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Peacoat/Lime/Blue - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (Pink/Fuchsia/Gold - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (Primer Gray/Oyster Mushroom - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (White/Black/Rose Gold - (Women - US 7))
  • Ghost 17 (White/Black/Tea - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (White/Pink Clay/Gecko - (Men - US 9))
  • Ghost 17 (White/White/Grey - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Arctic/Barle - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Azurite/Peel - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Black/Gum - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Black/Shadow - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Black/Skydiver - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Black/White - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Black/White - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Cameo/Peony - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Cinder/Black - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Cloud - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Cloud/Dream - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Cloud/Dusk - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Cloud/Shadow - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Dove/Navy - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Dusk/Pollen - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Fog/Mist - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Hemlock/Bloom - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Ice Melt/Dream - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Lapis/Citron - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Moon/Woodrose - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Navy/Aster - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Olivine - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Peach/Sunny - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Pine/White - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Pollen/Pepper - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Quartz/Peony - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (Shadow/Vizi - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (Vanilla - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (White/Azurite - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (White/Coral - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (White/Lettuce - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (White/Olivine - (Men - US 9))
  • Ride 18 (White/Sunny - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (White/Thistl - (Women - US 7))
  • Ride 18 (White/Verbana - (Women - US 7))
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Main Differences for
Marathon Racing

Threshold 

0.10

Marathon Racing 

4.3
6.7

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

2.5
8.0

Heel Energy Return 
 

1.5
7.1

Forefoot Stack Height 
 

25.3 mm
28.0 mm

Weight  

5.1
6.0

Full Comparison

Design

Weight  

5.1
6.0

Right Shoe Weight Photo  

Brooks Ghost 17 Right Shoe Weight Photo
Saucony Ride 18 Right Shoe Weight Photo

Left Shoe Weight Photo  

Brooks Ghost 17 Left Shoe Weight Photo
Saucony Ride 18 Left Shoe Weight Photo

Weight 
 

282.3 g (9.96 oz)
260.2 g (9.18 oz)
Show Text 

Stack Heights 
 

Stack Height Photo  

Brooks Ghost 17 Stack Height Photo
Saucony Ride 18 Stack Height Photo

Heel Stack Height 
 

36.2 mm
36.8 mm

Forefoot Stack Height 
 

25.3 mm
28.0 mm

Heel-To-Toe Drop 
 

10.9 mm
8.8 mm

Advertised Heel-To-Toe Drop 
 

10.0 mm
8.0 mm

External Shape 
 

3D Model Full Shoe  

Brooks Ghost 17 3D Model Full Shoe
Saucony Ride 18 3D Model Full Shoe

Outsole Heel Width 
 

91 mm (3.6")
95 mm (3.7")

Outsole Arch Width 
 

75 mm (3.0")
72 mm (2.8")

Outsole Forefoot Width 
 

112 mm (4.4")
120 mm (4.7")

Heel Width-To-Stack Ratio 
 

2.51
2.58

Forefoot Width-To-Stack Ratio 
 

4.43
4.29

Internal Shape 
 

3D Model Internal  

Brooks Ghost 17 3D Model Internal
Saucony Ride 18 3D Model Internal

Internal Length 
 

279 mm (11.0")
279 mm (11.0")

Internal Heel Width 
 

67 mm (2.6")
66 mm (2.6")

Internal Forefoot Width 
 

91 mm (3.6")
94 mm (3.7")

Wide Sizing Available 
 

Yes
Yes

Other Features  

Other Features Photo  

Brooks Ghost 17 Other Features Photo
Saucony Ride 18 Other Features Photo

Tongue Gusset Type 
 

Non-gusseted
Semi-gusseted

Plate 
 

None
None
Performance

Heel Energy Return 
 

1.5
7.1

Heel Compression Video  

Heel Energy Return  

See details
See details

Heel Energy Return 
 

66.5%
76.7%
Show Text 

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

2.5
8.0

Forefoot Compression Video  

Forefoot Energy Return  

See details
See details

Forefoot Energy Return 
 

68.8%
80.7%
Show Text 

Heel Cushioning 
 

7.0
7.4

Heel Cushioning Picture  

Brooks Ghost 17 Heel Cushioning Picture
Saucony Ride 18 Heel Cushioning Picture

Heel Cushioning  

See details
See details

Energy Absorbed At 550N 
 

2.79 J
3.15 J

Energy Absorbed At 1100N 
 

8.76 J
9.24 J

Energy Absorbed At 1900N 
 

16.23 J
16.08 J
Show Text 

Forefoot Cushioning 
 

5.4
7.2

Forefoot Cushioning Picture  

Brooks Ghost 17 Forefoot Cushioning Picture
Saucony Ride 18 Forefoot Cushioning Picture

Forefoot Cushioning  

See details
See details

Energy Absorbed At 800N 
 

3.32 J
4.41 J

Energy Absorbed At 1300N 
 

5.84 J
7.76 J

Energy Absorbed At 2050N 
 

8.94 J
11.46 J
Show Text 

Heel Firmness 
 

5.4
5.7

Heel Firmness  

See details
See details

Firmness At 550N 
 

58.6 N/mm
55.3 N/mm

Firmness At 1100N 
 

101.4 N/mm
106.1 N/mm

Firmness At 1900N 
 

206.3 N/mm
248.3 N/mm
Show Text 

Forefoot Firmness 
 

8.9
8.2

Forefoot Firmness  

See details
See details

Firmness At 800N 
 

147.9 N/mm
108.9 N/mm

Firmness At 1300N 
 

280.5 N/mm
221.0 N/mm

Firmness At 2050N 
 

472.4 N/mm
461.2 N/mm
Show Text 

Forefoot Long Run Cushioning 
 

4.9

Forefoot Long Run Cushioning  

See details

Energy Absorbed At 10km 
 

5.41 J

Energy Absorbed At 20km 
 

5.28 J

Energy Absorbed At 30km 
 

5.23 J

Energy Absorbed At 40km 
 

5.21 J

Brooks Ghost 17

Saucony Ride 18

Comments

  1. Comparison

Brooks Ghost 17 vs Saucony Ride 18: Main Discussion

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