Cascadia 17

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.

I have worn semi-used trail shoes casually - walking, biking, running - particularly while traveling. Mainly the Brooks Cascadia. For me, they work fine. The Cascadia are a mass-market shoe so they are plenty comfortable. One thing I really appreciate on trail shoes is the slight extra upper protection, especially around the toecap - I often wear my used running shoes casually and frequently end up busting the thin knit around the toes in the everyday accidental kicking of things. Many trail shoes come in goretex or water-resistant versions, but I and many people prefer the normal versions as if you do get water splashed into the goretex uppers, they don't drain or dry out well. The big negative with trail shoes on pavement - the lugs wear out super fast - especially in the heel - if you walk a lot (like 20k+ steps a day). The outsole wear will have minimal impact on walking but it'll impair performance on loose/rough trails. I would also warn that most trail running shoes -even if lightweight - are often relatively wide at the base compared minimalist or traditional running shoes - this is for stability. So not sure that counts as "bulky". I think if you're into the idea you should just go for it. No better way to find out than to try it. The Salomon Speedcross have become popular in some circles for casual wear. I suspect amongst people who don't actually walk that much. Definitely make sure the Nordas fit your feet well. Some people have issues with the fit around the achilles. The upper is made of dyneema which is incredibly strong but less likely to flex and "wear in" if the fit is bad.