Males’s Brooks Cascadia 18 Assessment

Backside Line

The Brooks Cascadia 18s are versatile, comfy, and breathable and a few of our favourite males’s mountaineering sneakers constructed for lengthy miles on established trails. These sneakers are considered one of our favorites at CleverHiker: we’ve logged over 6,000 miles on America’s most scenic trails in these sneakers, together with the PCT, CDT, the Pinhoti Path, and sections of the Colorado Path. Weighing solely 11 ounces per shoe, they stability sturdiness and agility nicely due to strong traction and springy foam midsoles that make it a breeze to deal with varied terrains.

Nonetheless, the Cascadias are much less sturdy than different mountaineering sneakers, particularly on tough routes, for the reason that skinny higher mesh can develop holes after 400 miles. With a heel-to-toe drop of 8mm, they provide glorious cushioning, however on the expense of floor really feel. In case you’re in search of light-weight footwear for a summer time of path runs, day hikes, and long-distance backpacking, these are an excellent selection.

Consolation

The Brooks Cascadia 18s are comfy out of the field and require nearly no break-in time. Their cosy match and easy, efficient lacing system is a profitable mixture that makes these considered one of our favorites for lengthy days. The Cascadias really feel safe all day without having to re-tie your laces each few hours. These sneakers stand out for his or her glorious lateral stability, making them really feel agile and strong on most terrain and obstacles.

We’re additionally large followers of their breathable mesh uppers that preserve your toes cool and dry, which is particularly noticeable throughout intense exercise and scorching climate. Their versatile uppers enable for pure foot flexion, and the froth midsoles create plush cushioning whether or not you’re operating quick downhill on pavement or backpacking slowly uphill. 

The Cascadias have a number of downsides in terms of consolation, although. This model of the Cascadias has a inflexible inside plastic liner underneath its gentle ankle cuff that may rub towards ankles over time, resulting in potential ache and irritation on longer outings. And the skinny tongue doesn’t present a lot cushioning, which we actually really feel on the highest of the foot after 15+ mile days. 

The laces, whereas efficient initially, are inclined to stiffen over a couple of hundred miles, and could be a bit cumbersome to string and tie. And, the 8 mm heel-to-toe drop is on the excessive finish in terms of help, which could not swimsuit everybody’s biomechanics or wants.

Traction

The Brooks Cascadia 18s have respectable traction due to their sticky rubber outsoles and knobby multidirectional lugs. This tread sample grips surfaces nicely throughout ascents due to their triangular tread on the toe and forefoot and gives dependable braking on the heel on descents, making the Cascadias really feel particularly steady on trails with a lot of ups and downs. The Cascadia 18s traction makes them preferrred for tackling a wide range of path situations for sustaining a gradual tempo and conserving glorious management.

Though the thick foam midsoles present nice consolation, this quantity of froth reduces your general floor really feel and diminishes the sensory suggestions wanted to regulate your stride and discover good foot placement on technical routes. The lugs on these sneakers are additionally a bit shallow, limiting how efficient they’re on slick rocks, steep filth trails, and moist surfaces the place deeper traction issues. We additionally discovered that the tread sturdiness just isn’t as sturdy as different path trainers, so it’s possible you’ll need to keep away from rugged terrain otherwise you’ll danger faster put on and have much less efficient grip over time.

Weight

The Brooks Cascadia 18s are a number of the lightest mountaineering sneakers we’ve examined, weighing in at only one pound, six ounces for the pair. Due to their mesh woven uppers, skinny TPU overlays, and light-weight foam midsoles, the Cascadias’ low weight will make you are feeling agile all day lengthy and cut back each foot and leg fatigue throughout lengthy days.

The con of such a featherlight shoe is that the Cascadia 18s aren’t very sturdy. Nonetheless, in case your prime precedence in a mountaineering shoe is gentle weight for quick motion throughout lengthy summer time adventures, the Cascadias are a winner.

Sturdiness

The Cascadias have various options that give them added sturdiness. Skinny TPU overlays reinforce vital areas just like the toe, sides, and heel to supply additional safety towards typical path obstacles like filth, roots, and bramble. The rubber tread extends over a portion of the toe for additional resistance towards scuffs and impacts from rocky terrain, and the laces are textured, flat, and long-lasting. We additionally just like the Velcro gaiter attachment on the heel (gaiters bought individually) to assist preserve particles out of the shoe and reduce abrasion on the mesh uppers whereas mountaineering.

However, there’s no means round it: the Cascadia 18s should not our first decide for sturdiness. They’re at first path runners, in order that they’re meant to be gentle, quick, and ethereal and aren’t corresponding to burly mountaineering sneakers with leather-based uppers, thick outsoles, and protecting options. The mesh uppers are vulnerable to blowing out across the toe space after roughly 400 miles of use – however that quantity is far decrease for those who’re mountaineering technical terrain. Additionally, the tread on these sneakers doesn’t final particularly lengthy, with the lugs carrying down inside 300 miles, diminishing their grip, and the gentle heel cuff wears down rapidly with common on/off.

Climate Resistance

One in every of our favourite issues in regards to the Cascadia 18s is that they dry rapidly and supply stellar air flow. Their woven mesh uppers are glorious at dumping warmth and expelling moisture, in order that they’re preferrred for mountaineering and operating on scorching days with sweaty toes. They’re additionally an excellent selection for hikes with a lot of water crossings since they dry many of the means inside solely 30-40 minutes after being absolutely submerged in water – though they are going to take longer to dry in climates with excessive humidity and decrease elevation. And, the gaiter attachment on the heel is a sensible characteristic to maintain particles, rocks, and water out of your sneakers.

Nonetheless, the Cascadia 18s should not weather-resistant and tackle water rapidly resulting from their mesh uppers. You’ll need to look elsewhere for those who’re mountaineering in shoulder seasons or colder situations the place your toes might get chilly and moist simply. Their lack of insulation and waterproofing means they received’t preserve toes heat in colder climate, so that you’ll need to preserve these completely for summer time adventures.

Ought to You Purchase the Brooks Cascadia 18?

The Brooks Cascadia 18s are comfortable, steady, and responsive sneakers good for path runners, day hikers, and long-distance backpackers. In case you’re in search of strong all-around footwear that’s light-weight, versatile, and breathable to knock out in depth mileage on established trails, the Cascadias are for you. With over 6,000 miles logged by our staff on trails throughout the nation, these sneakers have confirmed their consolation, performance, and dependability for years. They provide a stability of durability and agility, making them good for nearly any journey on a path, from deserts to forests and past. 

Nonetheless, the Cascadia 18s aren’t essentially the most sturdy sneakers, so we don’t advocate them for those who’re heading off-trail or into particularly rugged terrain. Whereas they’re extremely gentle and breathable, the higher mesh is vulnerable to break and doesn’t maintain up nicely by way of bushwhacks, scree, and rocky trails in comparison with mountaineering sneakers with sturdy leather-based uppers or strengthened toes and heels. We additionally discover they’ve much less floor really feel than different path runners, which could be a problem for navigating obstacles. However for those who’re in search of a dependable, versatile, and well-rounded path shoe for operating and mountaineering, the Cascadia 18s will preserve your toes pleased.

What Different Climbing Footwear Ought to You Think about?

Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 Assessment:  The Topo Athletic Ultraventure 3 are simply as versatile and cozy because the Cascadias, with a equally ethereal and light-weight design due to gentle, breathable mesh uppers. Nonetheless, the Ultraventure 3s have a roomier toe field for pure foot flexion and a lacing system positioned greater on the foot for a extra personalized match.

HOKA Speedgoat 5 Assessment: In case you just like the comfortable soles, springy really feel, and steady journey of the Cascadia 18s, the Speedgoat 5s take these options to the subsequent degree. Just like the Cascadias, the Speedgoats provide unequalled consolation and agility however have a decrease heel-to-toe drop with essentially the most foam cushioning of any path runner we’ve examined.

Saucony Peregrine 14 Assessment: The Peregrines are a really shut competitor to the Cascadias with their equally light-weight development, breathable uppers, and superior versatility on path. Nonetheless, the Peregrines have a extra aggressive lug sample that gives higher traction and fewer foam by way of the midsole for higher floor really feel.