One of the first reviews that I wrote here on Runblogger was for the Saucony Ride 6. I liked that shoe because it gave me a tool to use in training that I didn’t have to think much about. It was basic in almost every way – basic cushion, basic ride, basic fit. This good experience led me to take a special interest in the newer Saucony Ride 7 model, and I was excited when Runningshoes.com sent me a review sample to try out.

(Disclosure: the shoe reviewed here was provided free-of-charge for review purposes).

Specs

We’ll start with the specs (via Saucony):
Weight: 9.4oz (Based on men’s size 9)
Stack heights: 26mm (heel); 18mm (toe)
Heel-to-toe drop: 8mm

Appearance

My first impression of the Ride 7 was that it was a great looking shoe. Some traditional trainers are so plain-jane that they’re just boring. Shoes don’t have to look fancy – I barely look at my feet when running – but there’s something special about slipping on an attractive shoe and lacing them up before heading out the door. The Ride 6 model in the blue colorway looked good, but these Ride 7s in a deep orange are awesome!

Fit

Upon first slip on of the Ride 7, I thought that they ran a little small. I’m typically a 10.5 in nearly all shoes that I wear (minus things like the Adidas Energy Boost), including the Ride 6, so I was surprised that my toes couldn’t wiggle much in the Ride 7s of the same size. I wasn’t terribly concerned with this matter, as I had a similar experience with the Virrata 2, and the stretchy inner “bootie” seemed to break in with more wear. To support this notion, the Ride 7 did seem to break in a little bit as I put more miles on, but I still found that there wasn’t a lot of room for my toes to move up and down, though they did tend to splay just fine. However, each time I put on the Ride 7, my feet felt cramped and somewhat claustrophobic, hurting my overall experience going into each run. Going up a half size in the Ride 7 might be warranted.

Cushioning and Durability

The cushioning was something that did not disappoint me in these shoes. Like the Ride 6, they were well-cushioned without being squishy. Durability also appears to be excellent. The outsole on the shoe has been changed up to incorporate more rubber (much like the Saucony Type A series), yet the weight has not increased from version 6 to version 7. I wore these shoes on several longer (read: 18+ miles) runs and my feet felt great. Furthermore, they showed almost no wear and tear on the outside. Some people are looking for shoes that can really handle the test of time and mileage, and it seems that these are really appropriate for lots of miles, both for the body and the shoe.

Sockliner Issue

One of my major complaints about this shoe (and I almost never judge a shoe by this) was the insole (or sockliner). I found myself heading into a hot, humid 20 miler with the stock insole and having some terrible foot cramps halfway into it. I understand that my feet probably sweat more than most people and I did them no favors by running in Texas weather, but the insole completely slipped around inside the shoe and even folded on itself. This left my feet in pain for a couple days after the run and I had to pull the insoles out of the Ride 5 for all future runs because the original was completely shot. See the attached photo for evidence.

Conclusion

Overall, the Ride 7 is a great traditional, neutral trainer that seems to be well built. It did a nice job of keeping my foot locked down while giving lots of cushion and holding up well to lots of miles. Unfortunately, I did not like the way that the shoe fit in the toes (likely solved by sizing up) and didn’t appreciate the way the sockliner was completely shot after one humid run. I’m pretty disappointed in the shoe since I liked the Ride 6 so much, but I will definitely find myself spending some easy miles in them going forward since this is certainly their forte.

The Saucony Ride 7 is available for purchase from Runningshoes.com.

Given my positive experience with the Pegasus, I was interested in trying another traditional neutral shoe to see how it might compare. Brooks was kind enough the send a pair of the Brooks Ghost 7 (Disclosure: these were media samples provided free of charge by Brooks), and I’ve gotten enough miles on them now to share some thoughts.

Specs

Let’s start with the specs. The Ghost 7 weighs in at just over 10 ounces in men’s size 9, and stack heights are 28mm heel, 17mm forefoot (data via Running Warehouse). The latter are pretty much in line with the stacks reported above for the Nike Pegasus 31 and the Hoka Clifton. What’s interesting to me is that standing in the Ghost, it doesn’t feel like a 10+mm drop shoe. It may be that my heel sinks into the midsole a bit, or maybe my tolerance has just changed with time, but I don’t tend to be bothered by a higher drop shoe these days unless the heel is very firm.

Upper Construction and Fit

The Ghost has a fairly substantial mesh upper with extensive welded overlays. Breathability is adequate, and I have not encountered any hot spots or points of abrasion.

The heel counter is fairly rigid, but the interior of the heel counter is well padded and covered by a soft material the feels quite comfortable against the foot. There’s more structure in the heel region than I’m typically used to as a more minimal-leaning runner, but I haven’t had any problems with it.

The tongue of the Ghost 7 is well padded and I have not felt any pressure from the laces as a result. There’s also a cool little loop near the top of the tongue that the lace on one side slides through – seems to do a good job holding the tongue in place and preventing slippage (you can see this loop in the image below – it has the alternating white/black band down the middle).

The fit of the Ghost is near perfect on me in my usual size 10. I have a full thumb’s width between my big toe and the tip of the shoe, so if anything they run a bit on the larger side. The forefoot is fairly wide and provides plenty of room for my toes to move around. It feels distinctly wider than the forefoot of the Nike Pegasus 31 (see image below – Peg on the left, Ghost on the right), though the latter has a stretchier upper. Fit through the heel and midfoot are comfortably snug, and the laces provide a good lockdown.

Sole Construction

As with the Hoka Clifton and Nike Pegasus 31, the Brooks Ghost has more sole than I typically like in a running shoe (28mm heel, 17mm forefoot), but I don’t feel like it’s a mis-match for my stride like the Clifton was. I’ve actually enjoyed running in them, and I’d compare the Ghost quite closely to the ride of the Peg – the heel is fairly soft (though the heel of the Ghost feels springy compared to the slightly mushier heel of the Peg), and the forefoot is firm and responsive. I have not run in previous versions of the Ghost, but apparently one of the changes in v7 is removal of the Brooks DNA inserts – instead the sole is a springy feeling BioMoGo-DNA blend. Feels similar to some of the Brooks Pureproject shoes I’ve run in. I think the cutout area in the center of the heel also contributes to the springy feel, and perhaps to the sensation that the shoe is lower drop than 10mm – my suspicion is that this area compresses downward while you stand in the shoe. Flexibility is decent given the thickness of the sole, but this is no Nike Free.

I’ve run over a range of paces in the Ghost and though it doesn’t compare to a racing flat, it has a decent level of responsiveness for a traditional neutral training shoe. However, for most people the Ghost will be best suited as a daily trainer or marathon shoe. I haven’t run in many other shoes in this category so it’s hard for me to compare it to shoes like the Saucony Ride or Mizuno Wave Rider for example, but I’d not hesitate to recommend the Ghost if you’re looking for a traditional neutral shoe with plenty of cushioning.

One possible area of concern with the Ghost 7 is outsole durability. There’s quite a lot of rubber outsole on the bottom of this shoe, but the little square nubs along the outer margin seem to wear quickly if they experience a lot of abrasion. I recently met another runner who had sheared a bunch of them off under the outer forefoot without too many miles on the shoe, and I’m seeing some shearing on the nubs along the side of the heel. Anyone else have comments on outsole durability in the Ghost?

Conclusions

I’ve been enjoying experimenting with footwear a bit outside my normal range of preference as it allows me to get a sense of how shoes in various categories differ from one another. The Brooks Ghost 7 is a fairly typical neutral training shoe providing ample cushion, a roomy fit, and reasonable flex for a shoe with a fairly substantial sole. I like the springiness of the cushion under the heel, and the firmer, more responsive forefoot.

The closest comparison I can make among shoes I have tried recently is to the Nike Pegasus 31, with the Ghost providing a roomier fit up front and springier cushioning in the heel. The Hoka Clifton is similar in stack but lighter and lower drop, so not quite in the same category. It offers a much softer ride that doesn’t work as well with my stride. Though I personally prefer a bit less shoe, if you’re looking for a neutral shoe to eat up miles and possibly use for long races, the Brooks Ghost 7 is worth a look.

The Brooks Ghost 7 is available for purchase at Running Warehouse, Zappos, and Amazon.com (or your local running specialty store). Purchases made via these links provide a small commission to Runblogger and help to support the production of reviews like this one – thanks!