Babylon LA Breaks Down Its Brooks Ghost 17 Collaboration

What You Need To Know

Bridges to Babylon

Babylon was never built for categories. Co-founded by Lee Spielman and Garrett Stevenson, both members of the hardcore band Trash Talk, the brand grew out of a skate ramp in their backyard and a desire to build something community-first. Part punk venue, part retail experiment, part youth culture hub, Babylon has always been about more than clothes. It’s about defiance, connection, and whatever comes next.

Now, after more than a decade spent defining an aesthetic around rebellion and self-made culture, Babylon’s taking on a new frontier: running. Babylon already lives at the intersection of street culture, art, and physical expression. Running just makes sense as the next arena.

Something to break

The “Break The Map” collaboration with Brooks is built on the Ghost 17, a daily trainer known more for its reliability than flash. That was the appeal. Babylon wanted a clean base to build on, and the Ghost was the ideal canvas. Their version stays mostly blacked out, with subtle 3M hits and a fractured glass motif along the midsole. That detail, the broken glass, sparked the entire concept for he campaign “Break The Map.” It’s about pushing past old boundaries, literally running off the edge of what’s familiar. The campaign’s short film, shot in Tokyo, shows running not as sport but escape, a way out of the grey grind of everyday life. We can relate.

We caught up with the Babylon team to talk design, movement, and how a punk brand ends up making running shoes.

Why the Ghost 17?

The Ghost 17 was the obvious choice from day one. When we first started working with Brooks and tried on the shoe, the comfort was immediate. We are not heavy runners, so that feeling pulled us in right away. It was the perfect base for us, solid and dependable, and ready for us to add our touch.

Is there a personal running story or experience that influenced this collaboration?

Not really a single story. Running has always been around in small ways throughout life, just not something I identified as “running” until recently.

Tell us about the details/design of this shoe.

When we approached the Ghost 17, we kept things in our usual lane. Understated, clean, blacked out, with a little personality added in. The 3M hits gave us that subtle flash we like. We also added a broken glass motif on the lower part of the shoe. That detail became the core of the concept.

You are strongly linked with skateboarding. How did running enter the picture?

A lot of friends and peers are getting into calisthenics and running, and the environment feels very welcoming, no matter where you come from. That kind of space feels special to me. I am extremely new to running, but it has been exciting to step into.

Running seems to be increasingly connected to punk and skate culture. Why do you think that is happening?

People are searching for new ways to connect. There is something meaningful about meeting up outside the usual bar or show setting. Building community in a positive and healthy way is becoming its own movement, and running fits that energy perfectly.

Babylon has existed for over 10 years now. How has your approach to design changed?

It has not changed much. We still design based on what feels true to our ethos and on what we see our younger selves, and ourselves today, wanting to wear. That has always been our guiding principle.

The campaign is also really special. Can you tell us about the concept behind it?

Break the Map stood out to us early in the project. Running has always been part of life in its own way, whether it was running from painting as a kid, running to a show, or racing home after school. It is a universal thread. We wanted the visuals to highlight how relatable those daily moments are and how movement shapes your story.

Is this a one-off collaboration, or does it signal a broader direction for Babylon into performance footwear and running culture?

We have a lot more coming. This is only the beginning. Stay tuned.

Do you envision running spaces or events as part of Babylon’s future expansion, similar to how you’ve built community around skateboarding?

Absolutely. The running community in Los Angeles is strong and overlaps with our worlds in a natural way, including music, art, skate, and street culture. For the launch, we teamed up with Long Distance and Renegade for a four-mile night run after a punk show at a dive bar. Bringing those different rooms and people into one experience is what inspires us. We are looking forward to creating more moments like that. Shout out to Long Distance, Renegade, and Boyle Heights Bridge Runners.

By the way, you can still pick up certain sizes of the Babylon x Brooks Ghost 17 directly from Brooks using the button below.