Brooks just punked up its most dependable running shoe and I can’t stop staring at it

Brooks has done something unexpected by letting Babylon LA, the Los Angeles punk, skate and streetwear label founded by Trash Talk’s Lee Spielman and Garrett Stevenson, loose on the Ghost 17.

The result is a limited-edition running shoe/trainer that keeps the classic Ghost ride while giving it the kind of aesthetic you’d normally find on a downtown record-shop wall rather than a running store shelf.

Where the workhorse grows fangs

The Ghost 17 has long held a reputation as Brooks’ most middle-of-the-road shoe, the perfectly safe daily trainer millions rely on for easy miles – a perfect canvas for Babylon.

There’s a fractured “shattered glass” motif wrapping the midsole, custom dual laces, reflective accents and a blackout upper that feels more subculture than suburban.

It’s the same DNA Loft v3 midsole, the same smooth, reliable 10mm-drop ride, the same everyday comfort, but wrapped in something far edgier than anything the Ghost has worn before.

The collaboration aims to bring Babylon’s creative ethos into the running world, pushing the idea that a run doesn’t need to look or feel routine.

Brooks says the shoe takes the dependable Ghost 17 and “infuses it with Babylon LA’s signature edge”, and that’s exactly how it comes across: all the trust and comfort runners expect from a Ghost, paired with a design that actually turns heads.

It’s a proper crossover, equally at home logging easy miles or being worn purely for the fit.

A detour into the unexpected

Babylon’s influence goes beyond the logo or the colour swap: it shapes the mood of the shoe.

The reflective branding, heavy black palette and stylised graphics give it a scraped-knees, late-night-skate energy the Ghost has never had.

For a workhorse trainer that normally blends into the pavement, this is probably the most interesting version Brooks has produced in years.

The Brooks x Babylon LA Ghost 17 is available now through Brooks Running and select retailers for $165 (~£125 / €142 / AU$254).

UK pricing for the collab hasn’t been listed at time of writing, but the standard Ghost 17 retails for £135, so expect a similar premium.