Brooks - Cascadia 18 GTX
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Dec 5, 2025 Scoring
Liked most:
14
0
"Great hiking shoes too. ... I summited Mt. Bierstadt (CO 14’er) in Cascadias, which was around 6.8 miles and like 2670~ feet of elevation gain with light scrambling. ... Also summited Tallac in Tahoe, and Storm King in Olympic NP, in Cascadias. ... And plenty of much longer but less vertical hikes in them"
"Amazing on all types of terrain. ... Hard rock, mud, hard trail. You name it, Cascadia can do it. ... It's my big mountain shoe"
"vacation running and everyday shoes/boots"
16
6
"have always protected my feet at all distances (up to 50 mile)"
"have always protected my feet at all distances (up to 50 mile)"
"I did 40+ miles over a couple days in them with no issue."
16
6
"have always protected my feet at all distances (up to 50 mile)"
"have always protected my feet at all distances (up to 50 mile)"
"I did 40+ miles over a couple days in them with no issue."
23
4
"They grip like a lizard."
"These shoes never slipped once and I tested them in a bunch of spots. Toes straight down, to the side and backwards."
"They’re super grippy"
38
1
"Great hiking shoes too. ... I summited Mt. Bierstadt (CO 14’er) in Cascadias, which was around 6.8 miles and like 2670~ feet of elevation gain with light scrambling. ... Also summited Tallac in Tahoe, and Storm King in Olympic NP, in Cascadias. ... And plenty of much longer but less vertical hikes in them"
"These shoes never slipped once and I tested them in a bunch of spots. Toes straight down, to the side and backwards."
"I trail ran in Brooks Cascadias for years... and loved them."
27
12
"I prefer a stiffer sole for walking over roots and uneven rocks ... personally really liked the Brooks Cascadia for the additional support."
"have always protected my feet at all distances (up to 50 mile)"
"I really like the brooks cascadias due to... how the toe box is protected. ... I run in very harsh, rocky (sharp rock) and lots of cactus/thorny bushes. ... I sneed the toe and rock protection over comfort ... The cascadias toe protection has really impressed me"
25
5
"Cascadias are super durable. ... When I was a letter carrier they were my shoe of choice- you could often find last year's model on sale, and the outsoles held up much better than many other brands over time."
"I really like the brooks cascadias due to... how the toe box is protected. ... I run in very harsh, rocky (sharp rock) and lots of cactus/thorny bushes. ... I sneed the toe and rock protection over comfort ... The cascadias toe protection has really impressed me"
"I have over 400 miles and showing little wear."
11
3
"have always protected my feet at all distances (up to 50 mile)"
"I really like the brooks cascadias due to... how the toe box is protected. ... I run in very harsh, rocky (sharp rock) and lots of cactus/thorny bushes. ... I sneed the toe and rock protection over comfort ... The cascadias toe protection has really impressed me"
"I’ve been impressed with how much better they hold up to rocks than the speedgoats did! ... I’ve had 2 pairs and I keep thinking the mesh on the front is going to rip but it’s still fine…idk what they make it out of but it’s impressive"
22
5
"Cascadias are super durable. ... When I was a letter carrier they were my shoe of choice- you could often find last year's model on sale, and the outsoles held up much better than many other brands over time."
"I really like the brooks cascadias due to... how the toe box is protected. ... I run in very harsh, rocky (sharp rock) and lots of cactus/thorny bushes. ... I sneed the toe and rock protection over comfort ... The cascadias toe protection has really impressed me"
"I have over 400 miles and showing little wear."
15
2
"They grip like a lizard."
"These shoes never slipped once and I tested them in a bunch of spots. Toes straight down, to the side and backwards."
"They’re super grippy"
Disliked most:
2
5
"the Cascadia is on the beefier/sturdier side than the lightweight you might be looking for."
"the 18’s were absolute bricks though even for brooks standards haha."
"the 18’s were absolute bricks though even for brooks standards haha."
12
10
"first hiking trip and lots of chunks missing."
"The Atacama desert ate up my new Brooks Cascadias in one week."
"Making the lace loops out of fabric for a trail runner is a deal breaker for me. ... It got scraped on a rock or by my other shoe rubbing into it and snapped on my first day using them."
13
11
"Cascadias are GREAT shoes if you don't plan on running further than 5 miles. ... midsole is deader than my wife in the sack."
"my toes were rubbing on the top of the shoe."
"my toes were rubbing on the top of the shoe."
1
11
"Cascadias are GREAT shoes if you don't plan on running further than 5 miles. ... midsole is deader than my wife in the sack."
"I despise the 18s. ... After a run or hike my feet were always super sore and after a couple months I left them in the closet and bought another shoe."
"cascadia's never felt broken in to me, they remained really stiff"
6
7
"the toe box felt like it was pushing against the outside of my toes. ... The length was fine, but it was just at the outside edge of the pinky toe."
"they were too narrow in the toe box causing me to get blisters on the outsides of my big toes."
"they were too narrow in the toe box causing me to get blisters on the outsides of my big toes."
0
3
"the tread filled up with mud. ... While hiking along narrow rock I slipped several times and finally cracked a rib."
"the tread filled up with mud. ... While hiking along narrow rock I slipped several times and finally cracked a rib. ... He was bloody from slipping and falling."
"due to shallow lugs, they're comically bad on the mud we get in the UK outside of summer."
0
5
"I despise the 18s. ... After a run or hike my feet were always super sore and after a couple months I left them in the closet and bought another shoe."
"cascadia's never felt broken in to me, they remained really stiff"
"Only other thing is Cascadias are a fair bit stiffer underfoot, for obvious reasons, but it is pretty noticeable."
10
7
"the toe box felt like it was pushing against the outside of my toes. ... The length was fine, but it was just at the outside edge of the pinky toe."
"they were too narrow in the toe box causing me to get blisters on the outsides of my big toes."
"they were too narrow in the toe box causing me to get blisters on the outsides of my big toes."
1
4
"first hiking trip and lots of chunks missing."
"The Atacama desert ate up my new Brooks Cascadias in one week."
"Making the lace loops out of fabric for a trail runner is a deal breaker for me. ... It got scraped on a rock or by my other shoe rubbing into it and snapped on my first day using them."
2
3
"once the water is in it doesn't really leave."
"When water gets into a goretex shoe, it stays there, as waterproofing works just as well at keeping water in as out."
"I haven’t had luck with the GTX versions because they still have eyelets that actively let rain in!"
I just properly got into running on trail and road and I’m really enjoying a pair of brooks Cascadia 18 after having Salomon speed cross 6 for hiking and a wee bit of running. I picked myself up an innov8 racepac 8 as my runs were getting above 10km/ an hour. But I then got injured and I’m only back to running 3x 22 minutes this week. Though I’m sure I’ll be buying plenty more trail kit in the future!
r/trailrunning • What trail running shoes & gear are you all rocking this season? ->Man, I just bought Cascadia 18s because I have Brooks Glycerine 22s for road running and love them. I had to opt for the wides on the Cascadias as the toe box felt like it was pushing against the outside of my toes. I have never worn wide shoes at any point in my life. Our 2 differing experiences, point directly back to the comment you are replying to. Haha
r/trailrunning • The 25 most recommend trail runners on Reddit (in the past year as of Jul 2025) ->The length was fine, but it was just at the outside edge of the pinky toe. The employee at REI recommended the wides but they didn't have them in stock at the store to try. I ordered them and they fit much better.
r/trailrunning • The 25 most recommend trail runners on Reddit (in the past year as of Jul 2025) ->lol I ordered cascadia 18s like 3 weeks ago, sounds like I dodged a bullet
r/trailrunning • Brooks Cascadia 19: The Death of a Once-Great Shoe ->I run in them and never have foot issues! They last a long time too. I also made the same transition from adrenaline to cascadia as you.
r/trailrunning • Thoughts on Cascadia 18 for actual running? ->The Cascadias work just fine for me. I run streets in Glycerines
r/trailrunning • Trail shoe advice for someone who loves Brooks Glycerine? ->Yeah, and then once the water is in it doesn't really leave. I've run in two gore tex Cascadias and have stuck w the regular ever since
r/trailrunning • Brooks Cascadia 18, with or without GORE-TEX? ->All excellent points. This list is helpful to me right now, though, bc the Brooks Cascadia either got a little wider or my feet have narrowed, so I'm suddenly in the market for a new trail shoe and this gives me a decent place to start.
r/trailrunning • The 25 most recommend trail runners on Reddit (in the past year as of Jul 2025) ->Just did a 50k in Brooks Cascadia 18's, very comfy with injinji socks, no blisters.
r/Ultramarathon • Running Shoe Help ->I'm in a similar situation with a bit smaller build (180 cm / 72 kg). Tried on a bunch of shoes in-store, but none felt as comfortable as my current road runners (rotating between the Evo SL and NB5). Ended up ordering the Brooks Cascadia 18 since they were heavily discounted (to €80) with the 19s just released. Watched a bunch of reviews saying they’re super comfortable and a bit wider. Should be getting them next week.
r/trailrunning • Looking for my first trail running shoes..help needed ->I despise the 18s. After a run or hike my feet were always super sore and after a couple months I left them in the closet and bought another shoe. I miss the feel of the cascadia 15 and 16!! I’m hoping the 19s are back on form
r/trailrunning • Brooks Cascadia 19: The Death of a Once-Great Shoe ->Oh, I have exactly the same Salomon pair that I've been wearing duribg last year. Sadly they are no longer waterproof (Salomon doesn't have the same quality standards anymore) but super comfy, but for summer dry hikes I've just got myself a pair of Brooks trail runners 😌
r/UKhiking • Advise trail runners vs what I wear. Real world experience ☺️ ->They are getting worse quality wise. My household had 4 different pair in past 2 years, all of them lost their waterproofness in less than 6 months. So really shitty quality these days, after the brand was sold Get yourself nice train runners instead, especially for summer. I recently got myself Brooks Cascadia 18, very comfy
r/UKhiking • Which Salomon shoes are best for mixed hiking, waterproof, and flat feet (bonus if run-friendly)? ->I bought Saucony Peregrine 15, Trabuco 13, Hoka Challenger 7, and Brooks Cascade 18. Least fav was hoka followed by cascade. Peregrine and Trabuco were nearly identical in how I liked them but peregrine was a little too squishy for what I want in a trail shoe so I went with the Trabuco. I ran in each pair about a block and also ran with a different shoe on my feet to compare. I’d recommend doing something similar if you have a place you can buy online and return in person.
r/trailrunning • Asics Gel Trabuco 13 experience? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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