Brooks Cascadia 18 Introduction
The Cascadia line by Brooks is known for being a medium cushioned, do-it-all trail shoe. They have many protective features that make them a great option for mountain environments. Great for both running and hiking, you don’t need to be a serious trail runner to receive the many benefits of this shoe.
Some specs include 11.1 oz in the weight department and 8mm in midsole drop. The weight is on the heavier side for comparable trail shoes but the midsole drop is typical for what you’d find in other models.
The Cascadia is also offered in a GTX, or GORE-TEX version as well if you prefer a waterproof shoe.
A price point starting at $140 will get you into these shoes and also give you a few other options within the Brooks lineup or elsewhere.
Brooks Cascadia 18 Impressions
Brooks sticks to what they know with this latest version of the Cascadia. This shoe is built for adventure which could be different things to different people. The most obvious activity is running and in the right situation, they do this extremely well.
Where I live in Pennsylvania, this shoe is a great option. It’s common and even expected to encounter trails with lots of rocks. Some sections are runnable and others are not. Trails also get washed away which exposes root systems. Another not so easy obstacle to traverse. For this reason, it’s always nice to have a shoe that holds up to the abuse and high impact scenarios like these.
If I lived in an area with less technical terrain, I think I’d be more critical of the Cascadia design. This would be overkill in areas with easy, smooth trails. Some of the features that make it great for Pennsylvania may be a liability in other regions. With the Cascadia 18s, you’re getting a heavy shoe that incorporates protection necessary for long term use.
On Trails that were runnable, I wasn’t eager to speed up. I found a steady groove and just cruised along. The DNA Loft V2 midsole is more forgiving than the last model, but they are still very rigid. The lack of flexibility is one thing that makes fast paces a challenge.
This shoe is not just for runners though. I thoroughly enjoyed using them on hikes with family and friends. Some shoes are great for running but look terrible for other activities. These are not one of those shoes. They are attractive and comfortable for many activities.
There’s no doubt this shoe was built to endure many many miles. Whether that’s running, hiking and in the mountains or exploring around town. I’ve found uses for them in all of these situations and continue to enjoy them.
Brooks Cascadia 18 Protection
I’ve had several pairs of Cascadia’s over the years and protection is never a weakness for this model.
Starting with the upper, they are built with a tough, wear resistant mesh. It would take a lot of abuse to wear a hole or tear the upper. If that weren’t enough, beefy overlays wrap around the shoe in high contact areas such as toe box and heel. In fact, the overlays all but cover the full bottom half of the upper. I’ve put these shoes through a ton of rock, root laden trails and barely a blemish in the upper.
The DNA Loft V2 is composed of two foam materials with the bottom being quite firm. This keeps the bottom of your foot protected from the constant pounding of uneven surfaces. I speak from experience when I say that running long distances on hard trails with a soft midsole will almost certainly cause soreness after a lot of miles. That’s not a fun situation to be in. Thankfully, the midsole in the Cascadia 18 is up to the challenge.
Brooks Cascadia 18 Durability
Durability might be the top attribute of the Cascadia 18. Much like protection, durability is almost never an issue for Brooks trail shoes.
I put this shoe through a difficult 50k mountain race which included every terrain obstacle you can imagine and they came away unscathed. I have well over 100 miles on this shoe and they still look almost new.
No separation of the DNA Loft V2 midsole, outsole or overlays and no rips or abrasions in the upper. Usually the first thing to go in my shoe is where the upper contacts my big toe. Since the toebox overlays provide coverage, the upper is not susceptible to wear in this area.
Brooks Cascadia 18 Responsiveness & speed
These shoes were designed for a bunch of things, however racing is not at the top of that list. There are more nimble options for short to medium distances and for longer races it’s not hard to find a lighter shoe with more cushioning.
Where this shoe shines is slow and steady miles.
Brooks Cascadia 18 Comfort and fit
A shoe like the Cascadia 18 can only be so comfortable in my opinion. The shoe is designed to be a workhorse providing the highest level of protection and durability. For these reasons, I’ve found that you’ll need to sacrifice a bit of comfort. That’s not to say they are uncomfortable, but they’re not the most cozy shoes I’ve ever put on. Heavy duty overlays surround much of the shoe. This can seem sort of restrictive and may not be beneficial if you don’t encounter obstacles found on many trails. The midsole is also fairly rigid which can prevent free flowing movement during other activities.
On the bright side, I never had issues with blisters or unwanted rubbing. In fact, I found a noticeable difference in the width of the toebox. From last year’s model to this year, the toebox is wider. I could wear these shoes all day and not have sore feet. Brooks still has a ways to go to be compared with the likes of Altra’s, but they’re catching on to the benefits of an adequate toebox.
As with most Brooks I’ve worn, the sizing is always precise. I wear size 11 and these fit just as I expected. When laced up, they are secure and there’s no movement in the heel or sliding of the foot. For those with wider feet, Brooks does offer the Cascadia 18s in 2E as well.
Brooks Cascadia 18 Conclusions
At the end of the day, is this the redesign we all wanted and hoped for? Maybe not. But when you consider the shortcomings of last year and realize Brooks aimed to improve those areas, it’s hard to be disappointed. This shoe is better than the previous version so what more could you ask for? I enjoyed every bit of them and have no doubt others will as well.
