Cascadia 17

I just took my new Brooks Cascadia 19 out for their maiden voyage and I really enjoyed them. I had a pair of the 17s that I did not enjoy at all— too stiff, too clunky, no energy return— but the 19s are a huge improvement. They fit my feet well, have a moderate drop (6mm; 6-8mm is ideal for me), the uppers are super comfy, and they are so, so stable. I have ankle tendon issues (yes, I am diligently working on them with strength and balance training) so stability is super important for me, especially on trails.

Where the hell can you find Cascadia 17s or 18s for sale in a 10 nowadays?? I would trade my 19s for one of the previous two models in a heartbeat

Brookes Cascadia 17’s my beloved

This a thousand times this! A guy at REI taught me how to, and it helps reduce downhill pain. Alongside trail runners that fit my feet very well (Brooks Cascadia 17s), and Injinji Toe Socks. Reducing the moving and the rubbing is the goal. 

Not sure if you’ll be able to find them now but my beige colored Brooks Cascadia 17’s fit most of those points!

Similar situation and brooks cascadias have worked for me. 17 was great, testing the 19 now

I have the cascadia 17 (now retired from my rotation) and the Gel 13 (bought to replace the cascadia’s). I can’t really comment on fit other than to say I went half a size up in both, but I should have gone for my usual size in the Gel13’s as they’re slightly too big. The cascadia is a better shoe. the Gel13 has really terrible grip in the mud. I only use it for dry / non-muddy runs. It’s a fairly average shoe. doesn’t really sparkle. not plush. not sure where it excels, if at all. I prefer my HOKA’s overall (Mafate 5, Mafate X and Challenger 8) but none grip in the wet/mud like the cascadia’s did. The Mafate’s are SUPREMELY comfortable though. its a shame as the Gel 13’s look really really good.

I have a pair of Cascadia 17s - they are decent at everything but not great. * The lugs are not super aggressive but they help on grass and mud. I'm sure more specialized trail shoes will be better. * For example I was descending a mountain a few weeks ago, the trail was all wet leaves and mud, and I was slipping badly if I had any speed. I basically had to slow to walking speed on steep downhills. Generally did not have any issues ascending, some slipping but normal and manageable. However I think any shoe short of spikes would have been slipping some there. * The lugs wear pretty fast on the heel and forefoot where I impact and push off on tarmac, but the rest of the outsole lugs are fine and help on the soft surfaces. I do wish a shoe could somehow do road to trail perfectly but I'm sure it's hard * The cushioning is a little stiff for tarmac but feels good on earth/grass/gravel. * The rock plate and toe protection has been good for me in rooty/rocky forests. * Can find deals on old Brooks (the model updates are usually minor anyway) and they have good sizing options.

Daily and Recovery - **Brooks Ghost 16** (Around 600km) * Still have some life but a bit beat up since I use them as a travel shoe (has an unknown # of additional walking miles) * Have been running in Ghost since version 7, usually retire them to walking duty at the end of their running life * The Ghosts have always had a good mix of cushioning, flexibility, and durability for easy runs and walking for me, I don't like the high-stack shoes for daily use * Just ordered **Saucony Ride 18** as the new Ghost 17 geometry looks a lot closer to the Ride and I liked the feel of the Ride in-store and wanted to try something new Long Run - **Asics Superblast 2** (currently around 500km) * Generally treat them better than the dailies, still holding up strong, just some outsole wear * These have been super awesome for long runs for me, they do sound slappy, but for me the cushioning, protection, and energy return has been phenomenal compared to the Ghosts which I used to use for everything and would often get forefoot aches and pains after big efforts Tempo/Interval/Race - **Saucony Endorphin Speed 4** (Around 80km) * Outsole is pretty thin so not sure how long these will last, but my usage is relatively low * Toebox is on the tight side for me and I start to feel cramped on runs over 12km or so Trail and hiking - **Brooks Cascadia 17** * Don't track the mileage but pretty worn I have my eyes on the Puma Velocity Nitro 4 (need to try it on to see if it fits my foot) as an alternate daily shoe closer to the older versions of Brooks Ghost I've always run in (higher drop, high flexibility), and the Asics Megablast just because it's so hyped I'd like to try it, but the Superblasts don't need replacement probably for another few hundred km.

What kind of trails are you running? I probably spend up to \~40% of my running on trails but it's mostly decently packed, gravel, or grades under 10%. For all that running I just use my normal daily trainers like Brooks Ghost and Asics Superblast because my loops have so much road on them - no problems at all. I generally only break out the real trail shoes (Brooks Cascadia) when doing much steeper trails for the grip on the lugs and better protection from poky stuff. The most basic $140-$150 daily trainers like Brooks Ghost and Puma Velocity Nitro have quite substantial outsoles and good durability, but no big lugs. The lugs are the main part in question - the bigger they are, the more extra grip in dirt/mud/leaves - and also the less durable they'll be on road. In theory I would also use my trail shoes for trails in terrible condition (tons of rocks and roots) but in actuality I usually end up avoiding those trails because I find it hard to maintain a good aerobic pace and also reasonably avoid tripping and falling. In fact this past fall I took my Superblasts on a 14-mile mostly trail run with elevation and had 2 bad trips where I narrowly avoided wiping out very badly, and honestly the shoes had nothing to do with it other than maybe encouraging me to go too fast (possibly being 12mm taller than my other shoes also hurts). Just was descending and not maintaining my focus on some probably root/rock/obstacles as I fatigued. The main shoes I try to keep off anything but the best condition shoes are my more speed shoes like Endorphin Speed 4 where the outsole is more minimal and I feel the midsole foam just looks like it'll chunk apart if I step on a rock.

Brooks Cascadia 17/18s on sale for around 100$ here and there. I use the on very rugged terrain in the north east (Catskills/White mountains) and they hold up exceptionally well. I haven’t done 30+ in them but I’ve done a bunch of 20+ with 5-9000’ of vert and have zero complaints. Maybe the tongue isn’t/wont be as padded as you like but I don’t find that an issue at all. The outsole lasts a very long time and has not lost any grip even as it wears down.

Taller, more cushioned seems like it’s probably not going to be as stable as previous versions. Probably more towards a subtle Caldera as that line is being discontinued. I haven’t tried them yet but I can tell you that for what I run on I need all the stability I can get. I run in the Cascadia 17/18s and when I saw the updated 19 I stocked up heavily on the older versions. Eventually I’ll try a pair but I have a feeling they won’t be nearly the same shoe as before.

Amazon/Ebay/Poshmark/Mercari They aren’t cheap though. It is what it is. I love the 17/18s so I’ll pay what I need to I order to have them “in stock.”

I wear Cascadias on both road/trail. I’ve tried many different brands/ models and always had some issue (stability, too squishy, wore down quick, etc). Stumbled on the Cascadia several years ago and they just work so well for me. Now that version 20 will be an entirely different shoe I knew I needed to stock up. I run everyday so I will go through these in time but hopefully while that’s happening I can find something else or Brooks goes back heritage with the shoe. Also rotating the shoes will prolong the life of material. It’s constantly wet this time of year where I live in the northeastern US. Winter cold and snow beats the shoes down too. Sometimes they need a day or two to fully dry out.

I only use the Cascadia and love them for what I run on in New England/Northeast US. Grip, stability abd durability are phenomenal. Definitely not the lightest shoe but I’m also not anywhere close to the fastest runner either. On these trails I’d much rather sacrifice weight vs durability and grip. With that said, I haven’t put any trail miles on the 19s and I’m skeptical that they will hold up as well as the 17/18s. Softer material in the uppers and sole. Lugs are smaller and a less dense foam underfoot with a smaller rock plate. We shall see though. I’ve tried the Caldera and didnt like them and these feel very similar 🫤

After trying many different brands I found that the Cascadia is the only shoe that works for me. And now that they’ve drastically changed the shoe from the 18 to 19 and completely retooled it with the upcoming 20, I needed to have a good supply. The rotation is just to keep a fresh pair on feet all the time. I run everyday so beating a single pair or two daily isn’t good for longevity of the material especially when running through cold, snow, mud etc. Allowing the shoe to dry out and reset helps it retain structure. Some are relegated only to road and the others to trail. Every pair that I have will be used as I generally go through about 3 pairs a year.

Why is that? It’s the only shoe that works for me after trying multiple brands over the year and stocked up seeing as the new version will be an entirely different shoe. I’d rather have 50 pairs of one shoe that I know will get used to the point of destruction than have multiple pairs of barely used shoes that end up destroying me.

Those are the 18s. It’s weird because I’ve had some Cascadias wear quick in that area while others have barely a wear spot there after hundred of miles. I don’t notice it though as I wear thicker socks. It’s not in a spot that bothers me to be honest. The gray/yellow 17s have worn down on the inner corners pretty quick but I’m still getting normal use from the shoes. All of my other pairs have been fine 17/18s. I haven’t had the 19s long enough to see if that’s going to be an issue.

Thanks! Yeah Windham would definitely be a good run for sure. Not too technical. I hadn’t done Balsam Lake in forever and that’s a pretty easy trail and Slide is about as straightforward as it gets in the Catskills. I figured both would be well traveled with a good snowshoe trench already formed. Balsam was a little soft to be honest…wasn’t easy but super fun going back down. I just wear my Cascadias non gortex w/spikes. It’s was pretty dry powdery snow on Balsam and Slide had a pretty solid trench all the way up so my feet never got buried. I can deal with cold feet if I’m not going to be out there too long and always bring an extra pair with me.

Cascadia. Happy medium between ultra cushioned vs stability. Great all around shoe. Rock plate is a plus especially for me here in the northeastern US.