Males’s Brooks Cascadia 18 Evaluation

Backside Line

The Brooks Cascadia 18s are versatile, snug, and breathable and a few of our favourite males’s mountaineering footwear constructed for lengthy miles on established trails. These footwear are one among our favorites at CleverHiker: we’ve logged over 6,000 miles on America’s most scenic trails in these footwear, together with the PCT, CDT, the Pinhoti Path, and sections of the Colorado Path. Weighing solely 11 ounces per shoe, they steadiness sturdiness and agility nicely due to strong traction and springy foam midsoles that make it a breeze to sort out varied terrains.

Nevertheless, the Cascadias are much less sturdy than different mountaineering footwear, particularly on tough routes, because the skinny higher mesh can develop holes after 400 miles. With a heel-to-toe drop of 8mm, they provide glorious cushioning, however on the expense of floor really feel. When you’re in search of light-weight footwear for a summer time of path runs, day hikes, and long-distance backpacking, these are an ideal selection.

Consolation

The Brooks Cascadia 18s are snug out of the field and require nearly no break-in time. Their comfortable match and easy, efficient lacing system is a profitable mixture that makes these one among our favorites for lengthy days. The Cascadias really feel safe all day without having to re-tie your laces each few hours. These footwear stand out for his or her glorious lateral stability, making them really feel agile and strong on most terrain and obstacles.

We’re additionally huge followers of their breathable mesh uppers that hold your ft cool and dry, which is very noticeable throughout intense exercise and scorching climate. Their versatile uppers permit for pure foot flexion, and the froth midsoles create plush cushioning whether or not you’re operating quick downhill on pavement or backpacking slowly uphill. 

The Cascadias have a number of downsides in terms of consolation, although. This model of the Cascadias has a inflexible inner plastic liner beneath its comfortable ankle cuff that may rub towards ankles over time, resulting in potential ache and irritation on longer outings. And the skinny tongue doesn’t present a lot cushioning, which we actually really feel on the highest of the foot after 15+ mile days. 

The laces, whereas efficient initially, are inclined to stiffen over a few hundred miles, and could be a bit cumbersome to string and tie. And, the 8 mm heel-to-toe drop is on the excessive finish in terms of help, which could not go well with everybody’s biomechanics or wants.

Traction

The Brooks Cascadia 18s have first rate traction due to their sticky rubber outsoles and knobby multidirectional lugs. This tread sample grips surfaces nicely throughout ascents due to their triangular tread on the toe and forefoot and supplies dependable braking on the heel on descents, making the Cascadias really feel particularly secure on trails with numerous ups and downs. The Cascadia 18s traction makes them preferrred for tackling a wide range of path circumstances for sustaining a gradual tempo and protecting glorious management.

Though the thick foam midsoles present nice consolation, this quantity of froth reduces your general floor really feel and diminishes the sensory suggestions wanted to regulate your stride and discover good foot placement on technical routes. The lugs on these footwear are additionally a bit shallow, limiting how efficient they’re on slick rocks, steep grime trails, and moist surfaces the place deeper traction issues. We additionally discovered that the tread sturdiness shouldn’t be as strong as different path trainers, so chances are you’ll wish to keep away from rugged terrain otherwise you’ll danger faster put on and have much less efficient grip over time.

Weight

The Brooks Cascadia 18s are among the lightest mountaineering footwear we’ve examined, weighing in at only one pound, six ounces for the pair. Because of their mesh woven uppers, skinny TPU overlays, and light-weight foam midsoles, the Cascadias’ low weight will make you’re feeling agile all day lengthy and scale back each foot and leg fatigue throughout lengthy days.

The con of such a featherlight shoe is that the Cascadia 18s aren’t very sturdy. Nevertheless, in case your high precedence in a mountaineering shoe is mild weight for quick motion throughout lengthy summer time adventures, the Cascadias are a winner.

Sturdiness

The Cascadias have quite a few options that give them added sturdiness. Skinny TPU overlays reinforce essential areas just like the toe, sides, and heel to offer further safety towards typical path obstacles like grime, roots, and bramble. The rubber tread extends over a portion of the toe for further resistance towards scuffs and impacts from rocky terrain, and the laces are textured, flat, and long-lasting. We additionally just like the Velcro gaiter attachment on the heel (gaiters offered individually) to assist hold particles out of the shoe and reduce abrasion on the mesh uppers whereas mountaineering.

However, there’s no manner round it: the Cascadia 18s aren’t our first choose for sturdiness. They’re at the beginning path runners, so that they’re meant to be mild, quick, and ethereal and aren’t corresponding to burly mountaineering footwear with leather-based uppers, thick outsoles, and protecting options. The mesh uppers are vulnerable to blowing out across the toe space after roughly 400 miles of use – however that quantity is far decrease if you happen to’re mountaineering technical terrain. Additionally, the tread on these footwear doesn’t final particularly lengthy, with the lugs sporting down inside 300 miles, diminishing their grip, and the comfortable heel cuff wears down shortly with common on/off.

Climate Resistance

One in all our favourite issues concerning the Cascadia 18s is that they dry shortly and supply stellar air flow. Their woven mesh uppers are glorious at dumping warmth and expelling moisture, so that they’re preferrred for mountaineering and operating on scorching days with sweaty ft. They’re additionally an ideal selection for hikes with numerous water crossings since they dry a lot of the manner inside solely 30-40 minutes after being totally submerged in water – though they’ll take longer to dry in climates with excessive humidity and decrease elevation. And, the gaiter attachment on the heel is a sensible function to maintain particles, rocks, and water out of your footwear.

Nevertheless, the Cascadia 18s aren’t weather-resistant and tackle water shortly attributable to their mesh uppers. You’ll wish to look elsewhere if you happen to’re mountaineering in shoulder seasons or colder circumstances the place your ft may get chilly and moist simply. Their lack of insulation and waterproofing means they received’t hold ft heat in colder climate, so that you’ll wish to hold these solely for summer time adventures.

Ought to You Purchase the Brooks Cascadia 18?

The Brooks Cascadia 18s are soft, secure, and responsive footwear good for path runners, day hikers, and long-distance backpackers. When you’re in search of strong all-around footwear that’s light-weight, versatile, and breathable to knock out intensive mileage on established trails, the Cascadias are for you. With over 6,000 miles logged by our crew on trails throughout the nation, these footwear have confirmed their consolation, performance, and dependability for years. They provide a steadiness of durability and agility, making them good for nearly any journey on a path, from deserts to forests and past. 

Nevertheless, the Cascadia 18s aren’t essentially the most sturdy footwear, so we don’t advocate them if you happen to’re heading off-trail or into particularly rugged terrain. Whereas they’re extremely mild and breathable, the higher mesh is prone to wreck and doesn’t maintain up nicely by means of bushwhacks, scree, and rocky trails in comparison with mountaineering footwear with sturdy leather-based uppers or strengthened toes and heels. We additionally discover they’ve much less floor really feel than different path runners, which is likely to be a difficulty for navigating obstacles. However if you happen to’re in search of a dependable, versatile, and well-rounded path shoe for operating and mountaineering, the Cascadia 18s will hold your ft completely satisfied.

What Different Mountaineering Footwear Ought to You Think about?

Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 Evaluation:  The Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 are simply as versatile and comfortable because the Cascadias, with a equally ethereal and light-weight design due to mild, breathable mesh uppers. Nevertheless, the Ultraventure 3s have a roomier toe field for pure foot flexion and a lacing system positioned increased on the foot for a extra personalized match.

HOKA Speedgoat 5 Evaluation: When you just like the soft soles, springy really feel, and secure trip of the Cascadia 18s, the Speedgoat 5s take these options to the subsequent degree. Just like the Cascadias, the Speedgoats provide unmatched consolation and agility however have a decrease heel-to-toe drop with essentially the most foam cushioning of any path runner we’ve examined.

Saucony Peregrine 14 Evaluation: The Peregrines are a really shut competitor to the Cascadias with their equally light-weight development, breathable uppers, and superior versatility on path. Nevertheless, the Peregrines have a extra aggressive lug sample that gives higher traction and fewer foam by means of the midsole for higher floor really feel.