I was contacted around a month ago by Sportlink to ask if I would give an honest review of the Brooks Cascadia 16 trail shoe, obviously being a complete shoe geek I jumped at the chance. I will start off by saying that I’ve come to the Cascadia that has an 8mm drop from wearing a much lighter zero drop shoe.
Which leads me to my first impression, straight away the Cascadia felt heavy and clunky on first wear, but I imagine this would be less of a problem for the majority of runners that don’t wear zero drop shoes, and in fact after having now done nearly 100 miles in them I hardly notice it.
Colour – I will be honest and admit that I have been guilty of buying shoes in past because of their colour, (if you’ve been to one of our events you will have noticed my love for anything green). No green options here, but they didn’t make me want to barf which is always a good start.
Protection – The Cascadia comes with Brooks version of a rock plate, industriously named ‘Ballistic Rock Shield’. Which is designed to protect the bottom of the foot from sharp objects, and as someone that runs on a lot of rocky terrain I am always pleased to see included in a shoe. There is also a good amount of protection around the toes and ankles, without making the shoe feel stiff.
Grip – Lets be honest, this is the bit we all care about the most. The Cascadia has a decent amount of tread, and I have found them to be capable on my local trails. Interestingly Brooks market them as ideal for mountain trails on their website, personally I would go for something with more substantial grip for a day in the mountains, but again they cope ok with our wild Norfolk trails.
Specs –
- Drop – 8mm
- Weight – 297.7g
- DNA Loft v2 Midsole
- Width – D
- Terrain – Light Trail
Conclusion – The Cascadia is definitely not a light racing trail shoe, and feels more like a tank, but this means that it feels durable and built to last. The grip is not aggressive and the shoe does feel like it would struggle on really muddy terrain, but is more than capable of coping with our Norfolk trails, especially during the summer. The shoe is a great all rounder with plenty of support and cushioning, making it a perfect shoe for those looking for their first trail shoe, less experienced trail runners or anyone looking for a comfortable shoe to get the long miles in.
You can find the Brooks Cascadia 16 on the Sportlink website, or even better pop into the store and try a pair on.
Thank you to Sportlink with gifting me these shoes to trial.
