Ghost 18 vs Wave Rider 30

The Brooks Ghost 18 is the shoe you reach for when you just want to run and not think about it. It is a smooth neutral daily training shoe, the workhorse end of the range, built to soak up easy miles and steady runs without fuss. The updated DNA Loft v3 midsole is softer and a touch more lively than older Ghosts, so it feels friendlier underfoot than the plain, dependable trainer this line used to be. With a traditional 10mm drop and a 36mm heel, it suits heel strikers and runners who like a bit of ramp under the foot. This is not a fast shoe and it does not pretend to be. At 289g it is on the heavier side, and there is no plate or snap here. What you get instead is consistency, a forgiving ride and the kind of shoe that just works, week after week. If you want one neutral daily trainer for the bulk of your running, the Ghost 18 is a safe, sensible pick. Runners chasing pace should look at the Nike Pegasus 42 instead.

For years the Wave Rider was the firm, slightly old-fashioned daily trainer that Mizuno fans loved and everyone else walked past. Version 30 is built to change that. Heel stack climbs from 37.5mm on the Wave Rider 29 to 42.8mm, the foam is much softer, and weight only creeps up to 266g. Most of the reviews we read call it a big step up. Fordy Runs rates it above the latest Saucony Ride and Pegasus. RTINGS is the cooler voice: its lab found plenty of protection and stability but little energy coming back, and it scored the shoe well below the others. Both readings hold up. It's a soft, stable daily training shoe for easy miles and long runs. It copes with steadier efforts, though it won't feel quick. At £140 RRP it sits beside the Ghost and Cumulus. Loyal Rider fans who liked the old ground feel may miss it.