ProView – Brooks Running Men’s Cascadia 18 Trail Runner Review

We had four Outdoor Prolink Pros test the Brooks Men’s Cascadia 18 Trail Runner. See below for the review and check out for the women’s version!

Quality

Ryan Beachy

Over the 20 years Brooks has offered the Cascadia this shoe line continues to offer a workhorse trail shoe for a variety of conditions. The Cascadia 18 is priced at $140, or $170 for the GTX waterproof model, both which are accessible price points for a shoe that offers multiple features including a rock plate and velcro heel hook and loop tab for compatible gaiters. 

Sam Chaneles

As with all Brooks products, the shoes out of the box feel sturdy and high quality. The seams are well sewn, the laces are a high quality fabric, there are gaiter velcros on the back of the shoe…a number of features that make you hold the shoe and feel quality. Over time there are some typical wear spots: the gussets at the top of the lacing pattern, the edges of the lower, etc.

Peter Moreno

Brooks has been in the running game a long time, and their experience shines through with the quality of their new Cascadia 18 Trail Runners. The mesh uppers provide breathability for those longer, hot days. I especially like the combination of thick cushion and aggressive tread. A plush midsole keeps them comfortable, while the rubber outsole provides grip for variable terrain. They are nothing less than you would expect from a versatile trail runner. 

Seth King

The question I kept asking myself while testing the Cascadia is “What features make this shoe special?”. Brooks hasn’t added a flashy built-in gaiter, multiple BOAs, trimmable lugs, or any other eye-catching features that are growing more common in the trail running world (No offense, I love flashy). What did stick out to me as special is the pure utility of this shoe. It has a simple velcro gaiter trap, a small elastic band on the tongue if you prefer to tuck your laces, and a grippy outsole that has yet to fail me on any terrain. The midsole foam has kept its supportive bounce, and the upper is surprisingly breathable, especially in the toe box. In a nutshell, it’s got everything you need and nothing you don’t.

Fit/Comfort

Ryan Beachy

The shoe has a comfortable snug fit in the heel and midfoot with a roomy toe box and cushion around the achilles tendon. The tongue is soft and the laces stay locked even when bathed with trail dust. DNA LOFT v2 comprises the shoes midsole which only offers moderate cushion despite a stack height of 22mm compared to maximum cushion in similar stack height shoes from Arc’teryx and La Sportiva.   

Sam Chaneles

The Cascadia 18 has a roomier fit than previous models, mostly because of the revised upper. Previous versions of the Cascadia have had more soft/pliable mesh; this version (the 18) has a firmer ‘hold’ to it with not as much give. It is still comfortable out of the box but has a different grab of the foot.

Peter Moreno

The Cascadia 18 trail runners are a properly stiff shoe. This can be a good thing, providing stability and strength out on the trail. However, I have skier’s feet, which means nasty bone spurs, specifically near the achilles. The stiffness of these shoes do not cooperate with my bony feet. Even after a good break in period I still have a painful rub at these unnatural protrusions. If I did not have this specific issue, I would otherwise say they fit great, have a normal size toe box, and run true to size. 

Seth King

In my opinion, the most surprising aspect of the Cascadia 18 is the comfort. Initially, I didn’t notice anything special, but when I spent a long day off trail, the shoe started to make sense. There weren’t any pressure points, hot spots, or any issues of note. I remember telling someone in the group I was with, “these might be the most comfortable trail shoes I have ever worn”. I feel it is important to share that I have a fairly standard foot with a regular width and I haven’t had many issues with foot pain or shoe fit in the past. However, after a full day of very uneven scree and shale travel, I couldn’t believe how great my feet felt.

Durability

Ryan Beachy

I’ve seen no signs of significant wear or material failure on the shoes during the limited time I’ve been able to test the Cascadia 18’s. The mesh upper has overlays in the heel and toe to reinforce high-wear areas for increased durability and protection of your feet. I’ve had two previous models of the Cascadias both which held up for 400+ miles of rugged trail use.   

Sam Chaneles

I put the Cascadia through about 50 miles of easy ‘flow’ trails and then 75 or so miles of off-trail, rugged terrain. They are holding up impressively well for how much I abused them. The outer lug patterns aren’t worn down much at all; the sides of the lower are showing a bit of shredding after lots of choss and scree surfing.

Peter Moreno

Due to the stiffness of this shoe and quality of materials, the Cascadia 18 holds up fantastically well to the many miles that are sure to be put on the shoe. I have no doubt that the average runner could put 500+ miles on a pair of these. 

Seth King

I am excited to see how the Cascadia continues to hold up to wear from the rocky terrain around NW Montana. One big issue I’ve had in the past is the midsole getting shredded by scree, but after a month of testing in rough conditions, I am surprised by how well the foam has held up. Weighing in at 1 lb. 6.2 oz. or 628 grams per pair, the Cascadia 18 is one of the heavier “all-terrain” trail shoes on the market. It will run you $140 USD, and in my opinion, that’s a fair price for a shoe this well built and comfortable. With most carbon plated trail shoes well over the $300 mark, I am always on the lookout for a balance of price and quality, and I feel like the Cascadia is a great example of this.

Performance

Ryan Beachy

The Cascadia 18 has a responsive outsole on dirt and rocky mountain trails utilizing the TrailTack Green rubber outsole which is made of 25% recycled materials. Brooks’s new Trail Adapt System uses a integrated midsole, rock plate, and zonal outsole pods to provide a stable ride over any terrain. It is still dry in central Washington so there were no mud or wet conditions for testing. I also wore these shoes for a few 12 hour shifts in the Emergency Department where they remained supportive with no slippage through blood, vomit, or during chest compressions while the rock plate protected my feet from any stray hypodermic needles – I jest, I jest (or do I?).      

Sam Chaneles

The Cascadia aren’t the most nimble shoe but they are an off-trail beast. I found them to be too much for easy singletrack around my typical running loops, which usually are well groomed trails. The thicker stack and aggressive lug pattern felt like bringing a 4WD truck to a country road. But I did have the chance to take the Cascadia 18 on a 3-day off-trail backpacking trip and they excelled at off-trail terrain. They won’t be my go-to everyday trail runner for local, easy trails; but for adventure runs and certainly off-trail travel, they are a workhorse and will be a new favorite of mine.

Peter Moreno

Comfort is of utmost importance when it comes to performance, and because of the fit issues the Cascadia 18 trail runners were not my glass slippers. They do great on rocky and off-trail traversing, while the grippy outsole provides fantastic stability. Unfortunately, the rubbing on my achilles made it hard to push these to the limit. 

Seth King

I wasn’t shocked or blown away by the overall performance of the Cascadia, but I was pleased with how well it matched Brooks’ claims. As advertised, it truly does have “All-Terrain Stability”, “Soft Cushioning”, and “Secure Traction”. On every terrain, it performed exactly how I expected to. On the more technical terrain, I aired on the cautious side as it didn’t feel incredibly locked down in comparison to some of my other trail runners that are advertised as “technical”. Other than that, I wouldn’t hesitate to take the Cascadia 18 on any of my long training runs.

Style/Look

Ryan Beachy

Two of the 18’s color schemes are all white or black which seems like lackadaisical color schemes for the shoe designers. That being said the other two color options, citadel/ebony/lime and blue sapphire/black/orange were some of my favorite schemes I’ve seen in trail shoes for quite a few years. Each has pleasing contrasting colors without the neon color schemes I’ve seen among many other shoe lines.  

Sam Chaneles

I tested the all black/dark grey model and thought they looked quite sleek, kind of a matte black/’Batman’ look. The lugs on the outer are rugged and the lower foam design has an aggressive look to it.

Peter Moreno

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Brooks gives four varying colorwaves so one can choose their best look. The all whites caught this beholders eye and they look just as good on my feet as they do on the screen. A simple, clean designs make them a stylish choice for any runner. 

Seth King

Welcome to another installment of “In My Opinion”. I have never really enjoyed the look and style of Brooks Running shoes. I don’t like the color choices very much and the styles are a bit bland. Keep in mind, I am always one to pick the more vibrant and abnormal designs and colors when it comes to clothes and shoes. I do feel that they are starting to branch out with designs, and shoes like the Catamount Agil and the Hyperion series have since caught my eye.

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