Cascadia 17

Cascadia 17s for me. I have no complaints at all. No marshmallow squishyness, very stable, grippy, durable, lockdown and comfortable. I generally run 5-8 mile w/1500-2000’ of vert on rocky, roots northeast terrain twice a week and they work great. People complain out the weight and responsiveness but these aren’t necessarily built to be a true racing shoe. It’s a trail runner and definitely gets the job done. I ran a 1/2 w/2200’ in early May and the shoes performed perfectly even on the 1.5 miles of road running during the race.

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.