Brooks - Cascadia 19 GTX

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.

Altra will "train your feet". Just ease into them if you can. They'll make barely any difference if you are a forefoot striker. If you strike with the heel, check out cascadia 19s in the 2E and then if you can afford it rotate with the Altra Lone Peaks or Olympus 275 (make sure if the "Original" shape).

I have had multiple pairs of cascadias different years. Always wore a size 12 with no problems. For some reason the 19’s feel tight. Anyone else experiencing this?

94 ultra finishes @ 250 lbs. here. Dense foam is necessary, although I wouldn't overthink the cutting age foam thing. High arches = orthotics? The most recent version of Brooks Cascadia should be on the list. Nothing fancy, but they work, and I liked the bit of additional torsional stiffness for sidehilling. I also got along with the stiffer Hokas, although they didn't last long.

Another vote for cascadias. The 19s do come in wide too, alternatively you could try men’s for more width.

My first pair of Cascadia's are the 19's and so far, I've loved them. They're everything I wanted from the Caldera, minus the terrible overpronation from that shoe. 1. These might just be the new laces Brooks uses. Same laces on the Caldera 7's. So far, I've found that I need to try and twist the laces as little as possible, being really careful with ensuring they stay flat after each loop. 2. Totally agree about the back loop. I do have large fingers and it's impossible to use these loops at all. 3. I'm not a gaiter user, but I have noticed a similar trend with other shoes where they're removing gaiter attachments. Maybe this is the way the industry is going? I'm sure they've done enough research to see that the majority of users aren't needing/using them. 4. I've put in about 25 miles so far mixed trail/road running and see absolutely no wear yet on the lugs. They're super soft and I expected to see more wear, but they've been amazing so far. 5. This shoe might just simply be the wrong fit for you. It's a shame that once worked so well for you doesn't fit anymore. Did you end up returning the shoe? Have you tried wearing them longer to see if any of those issues resolve themselves?

Out of the shoes I’ve tried, my favorite have been the Xodus Ultra 4 and the Cascadia 19. They both fit true to size. If you try out the Trabuco Max 4, they seemed to fit small, and smaller than the same size Trabuco 13. And I actually really liked the Trabuco 13, but just found they didn’t quite have enough cushion. Black toenails is pretty normal in this hobby.

My suggestions are Asics Trabuco 13, Brooks Cascadia 19, or Saucony Peregrine 15. None of these are stability shoes but they have mid-stack cushion and work pretty well with different kinds of stability-type mechanisms in them.

I like the new ones… pretty comfortable cruising over the rocks in the AZ desert.

+1 the Cascadia 19 is a good update, and a good choice for wide feet.  It comes in wide sizing too.  For me, the heel fit is a smidge looser than the 18, and the upper a tiny bit snugger than the 18...but those are fine tradeoffs for an otherwise comfortable yet speedy ride.  Plus the Brooks soles last a long time.

Yeah good point, I think you are right there is a little more ground feel.  I haven't found it to be a problem yet for me personally.  I also haven't noticed a significant difference in tread wear yet (lugs still very good after 150+ mi so far).  Still seem to last much longer than my Hoka Speedgoats. So hopefully it's a balanced change.

Can't speak specifically on 100s, but I've paced 40mi in Brooks Cascadia, sized wide, for my hobbit ballerina-shaped feet and they are quite good.  Cascadia 19 was a good update...cush but not floaty.  And the Cascadia soles are indestructible compared to whatever cake icing Hoka uses these days for lugs.

Can't speak specifically on 100s, but I've paced 40mi in Brooks Cascadia, sized wide, for my hobbit ballerina-shaped feet and they are quite good.  Cascadia 19 was a good update...cush but not floaty.  And the Cascadia soles are indestructible compared to whatever cake icing Hoka uses these days for lugs.

Brooks Cascadias are my favorites. They can do it all, and have always protected my feet at all distances (up to 50 mile).

I keep popping up in questions like this to recommend Brooks Cascadia. They’ve been my old reliable that I trust for any trail and any distance (farthest I’ve done is 50 mile). They have never given me foot issues. They’re admittedly not very exciting. They’re like the Toyota Prius of trail shoes (I also love my Toyota Prius).

I put Velcro on my 19s for the gaiters because I also run burry trails. I also think it’s the best trail shoe I’ve ever run in, but I’ll update after my 100K this weekend.

I haven’t noticed that issue, but I have the wide version and my longest run in it was 15 miles. The only issue I’ve had is getting them wet with my own sweat in Texas humidity. They squelch like crazy and don’t seem to drain well. I’m going to try my darndest to keep them away from water.

I finished the 100K! It was definitely rough terrain pretty much the entire day. I tied the laces too tight for a long stretch, and there was lace bite. I retied them eventually and they went back to being comfortable. Got a blister under two of my middle toes right next to each other. I was clenching those toes a lot for some reason. The blisters didn’t affect my race, but would have been an issue in a longer race. Other than that, my feet came out unscathed. The toe bumper seems unsubstantial, but it absolutely saved me from a probable broken toe at one point. Except for the stretch when I laced the shoes too tight, I hardly had to think about my feet at all. I was steady cruising on that gnarly terrain all day. Came in well under my “A” goal, which was hopefully more of a testament to the purposeful training I’ve done this year (but the shoes came through).

I had several pair of the 16s and I got the 19s to replace my beaten-up 18s. The plush tongue makes it so *I* don’t feel the laces at all. I also did the heel lock lace loops. The 19s feel SO LIGHT to me compared to the previous versions. It feels like if my Glycerin 20s were made for trail.

It’s funny because “Glycerin 20 for the trails” is exactly how I describe my Cascadia 19s. I have two pair of Glycerin 20s as my daily trainers.

I love my wide Cascadia 19s. Best trail runners I’ve personally worn. Super comfortable. Finished my first 100k race in them. The Conversational Pace guys gave them a good review, including one of them calling it a great thru-hiking shoe.

Not yet. I have 100 miles on them. I was sparing them before my race my previous Cascadia versions had the midsole flatten out earlier than I wanted, but I’m hoping the DNA Loft v3 in the 19s holds up better than the v2 in the previous versions. Outsole still looks great despite my race being technical most of the day.

I can't speak more highly of Brooks Cascadias. I came down the Hi Cannon trail in NH yesterday. Steep, rocky, rooty, and wet in a lot of sections. Long stretches of exposed slabby flat rock. These shoes never slipped once and I tested them in a bunch of spots. Toes straight down, to the side and backwards. Great shoes

It is a different sole than prior. Definitely a plush ride. I have been feeling sharper rocks more. Maybe they did something with rock plate. All things considered, I really like the 19s