Brooks Cascadia 17 Review

I've always wanted to have a go at some Brooks shoes, having heard great things about their fit and grip. The Cascadias have consistently reviewed well over the years and are the most popular trail shoe in their lineup. With the 18s now released the 17s were going cheap, so in I dived.

Expectations

This is entirely my fault for not researching and comparing these shoes a little better before jumping in, I'm impulsive like that. What I expected these shoes to run like, and how they actually run, were completely mismatched.

There are 4 main trail shoes in Brooks range aiming at different things:

• Divide - light road to trail / hybrid shoe
• Caldera - ultra marathon focused heavily cushioned trail runner
• Catamount - racing focused trail runner, lighter, more aggressive
• Cascadia - ???

In my mind the Cascadia was going to fit between the Divide and Caldera as a trail shoe for more technical ground, but less cushioned and more nimble.

This is very wrong! The Cascadia is the heaviest shoe in the above line up coming up at a whopping 329g (listed as 311g but RunRepeat tests show a higher weight. Strong recommend on RunRepeat when looking for shoes, they go nerdy deep into the specs).

For reference, that's heavier than RunRepeat found the Altra Olympus 5s to be, a tank of a shoe in anyone's estimation.

OK so where does this shoe fit in then?

For me after testing it's the workhorse shoe, one for soaking up lots of mileage. It's very stable and protective, again similar to the Olympus, a tanky plodder.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, to the review!

Key Specs

The upper has a breathable mesh with doesn't feel overly cushioned, with a very sturdy toe bumper overlay. You could kick a rock in these and not feel it. The laces are these great grippy flat ones that stay tied well, with a good lockdown over the foot. Though be cautious of the tightness, they did get uncomfortable when tied tighter due to the tongue being a little thin.

The midsole is their DNA Loft v2, with a good amount of underfoot cushioning. It sits on a wide base that provides a lot of stability and rigidity. The toe box is roomy, one of the wider ones I've used outside of Altra's style, very forgiving.

On the outsole we've got 4mm lugs which have reviewed well as sticky, grippy rubber using Brook's TrailTack compound.

Stack height is 33mm in the heel, 24mm under the forefoot, for a 9mm drop. That's a fairly high drop for trail shoes.

First Impressions

Did a few shorter local runs in these over a mixture of trail and road. It's pretty dry here at the moment so little mud to test them in, will have to believe the other reviews that state they perform well in the wet. Also did some hiking in them and a few days in the office for general comfort over time.

I couldn't quite believe how heavy they felt underfoot. The lasting impression was that they wouldn't be a great race pick, but would be good for soaking up miles. They have a feeling of durability about them, and the stability of the shoe counts for a lot.

That midsole is hard mind, stiff underfoot. It may loosen up with time but out of the box we're talking a rigid feel, the soles of my feet weren't happy, it's strange to be longing for the (very minimal) cushioning of my old Lone Peaks. Due to the stiffness you won't get much bounce, however it does give a little energy return.

Talking of rigid, the outsole: it is as solid as a rock with little flex. The advantage is the protection underfoot and the stability, however this is at the expense of nimbleness and ground feel.

Fit wise they were true to size for me, bang on in fact, fitting well with no issues in terms of rubbing or pinching. The cushioning around my foot was nice, roomy and comfortable. Felt cosy in them after a full days wear.

Pros and Cons

• ✅ Stable, a solid base that'll soak up miles & keep your foot in position
• ✅ Comfy, cosy feel of the upper and cushioning around the foot
• ✅ Protective, tank like, great toe bumper and outsole
• ✅ Feel durable, think they'd last a good time
• ❌ Heavy! Like the heaviest shoe I've ever owned, no going fast in these
• ❌ Rigid midsole, would take some getting used to, my heels ached
• ❌ Laces can get uncomfortable due to less padded tongue
• ❌ Little bounce, flat underfoot, very ploddy

Final Thoughts

I can't help but feel, after a fair bit of testing, that these would make AMAZING hiking shoes. The stability, protection, comfort and durability would be perfect for long days walking trails.

However the weight, rigidness of the midsole and lack of bounce make them more of a workhorse style trail shoe for soaking up miles and technical trails. I think they'd make a poor choice for any faster trail races, and the unforgiving feel underfoot may lead to issues when looking at longer distances, though the stability and protection would sure help.

For myself, I'll be using them for the odd easy pace run, though if I'm honest they will be mostly relegated to hiking instead as what will hopefully become a good durable shoe that lasts me a lot of walks.

Can I recommend these? Honestly, no. There's just better options out there IMHO, and I am struggling to see why they are so popular a shoe.

• If you're looking for technical trail shoes there are plenty out there with great grip and much less weight, such as the Hoka Speedgoats or Merrell Agility Peaks
• If you're looking for all day comfort on the trails Brooks themselves do a better suited shoe, the Caldera, which is lighter yet more cushioned
• If you're looking for a tank style protective shoe, the Altra Olympus are a good contender with deeper lugs, more comfort underfoot, yet still lighter