Brooks Cascadia 19 Review

Wooo boy was I not a fan of the Cascadia 17s, I found them heavy, clunky and overly firm. Despite being a well loved, durable, jack of all trades shoe, they just weren't for me.

So imagine my surprise when, having tried out the latest version, I found them not only vastly better, but ended up using them as my core trail runner.

Let's dive into what I feel makes the Cascadia 19s such a great shoe.

Specs

• Come in at 306g, a hair under the 330g of the 17s
• 35mm heel stack, 29mm forefoot stack
• 6mm heel to toe drop, down from the 8mm of the 17s
• Upper is a double layer soft mesh
• Softly padded heel counter and well padded tongue
• Uses the newer DNA Loft v3 foam, lighter and springier
• Rock plate to protect from sharp rocks underfoot
• 4mm lugs on the outsole using Brooks proprietary Trail Tack rubber

Fit & Feel

The first thing I noticed is just how much lighter and flexible they felt compared to the 17s. Whether it's due to the improved midsole, or the cutouts in the outsole, the whole shoe just feels more alive now.

They fit true to size for me, with a fairly generous toe box. They are no Altras/Topos, but on the wider side of things for sure.

The upper has a soft, padded feel. The tongue is especially comfortable.

The 6mm drop feels more natural and stable.

In general the step in feel was great, much less rigid.

First Impressions

Great lockdown out the box, they held my midfoot nicely. Descending in these was a joy, no toe bashing to speak of.

The upper felt comfortable without being overly plush. Except for the tongue that, whilst super comfy, also soaked up a lot of moisture due the padding.

Felt snappy and fast underfoot, despite still being on the heavier side of things compared to other shoes.

A solid, stable feel over technical terrain due to a combination of the lower drop, wide base and firmer midsole.

Have a solid, durable feel to them too, I get the impression they'll last me many miles.

Review

I've now covered just over 200k in the Cascadia 19s over a mix of running and hiking, with a good few longer runs mixed in.

They are now my main trail running shoe, and the best way I'd categorise them is as a great jack of all trades workhorse. If you're looking for one shoe to do a bit of everything, these are them. They feel stable, durable and dependable. They aren't the fastest, or the highest cushioned, but are a good pick for a range of distances.

What I Liked

• Lighter, snappier feel
• Stable, confident platform of technical ground
• Great midfoot lock down
• Forgiving, true to size fit
• Comfortable padded upper
• Durable, solid feel. The outsole isn't showing much sign of wear yet
• Good general purpose hybrid grip

What I Disliked

• Padding tends to get a bit sweaty in the summer, especially the tongue
• Grip doesn't do well in slippy conditions (mud, wet rocks / roots)
• Could do with slightly more width at the big toe in the toe box

Will I Use Them?

As my main shoe of the moment I'll be keeping these in rotation for a while. They make a good daily driver for running and hiking, and I'd be happy using these for an ultra of any distance.

Soon Brooks are launching the Cascadia 20; which appears to have similar specs except they'll have a Vibram Megagrip outsole and a little more stack height. Excited for those!