Brooks Ghost 17 vs Altra Experience Flow 2

The Brooks Ghost 17 and Altra Experience Flow 2 are still two very different shoes from two very different brands, but are an interesting study in contrasts and convergence. The Experience Flow is Altra's first shoe to abandon the brand's zero-drop design, introducing a modest 4mm heel-to-toe offset that makes it slightly more accommodating for heel strikers. At the other end of the spectrum, Brooks' daily trainers have long had one of the highest heel drops of any brand. However, as other legacy brands reduce heel drops, Brooks has slowly followed suit, decreasing the heel drop from 12 mm in the Brooks Ghost 16 to 10 mm in the Ghost 17. The Ghost is still a much more comfortable shoe for heel strikers, and the Experience Flow 2 is better for forefoot strikers, but neither is at the extreme end.