Brooks Cascadia 15, Men’s race Running Shoe

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While the midsole cushioning is softer, testers still note a hint of firmness. Clearly, on a scale of one to ten, with one being very firm and ten very soft, we are on six. The arch support is sufficient to be comfortable during long runs, regardless of your arch type.

Jeff V: Comparable in overall usage and versatility, the Cascadia is a bit more durable, protective and better suited for technical terrain. Sense Ride 3 is more plush. TAYLOR: I waited this long to say it, but both last year’s model and the new Cascadia 15 are on my shortlist of shoes that I really don’t like. Another overhaul would be welcomed! Honestly, it’s outdated and out-performed by so many other shoes, even from the same company. One of the first shoes that comes to mind when we think of trail running is the Brooks Cascadia. In its fifteenth iteration, and now with an added Gore-Tex treatment, the Brooks Cascadia 15 GTX remains as a standard-bearer for the trail running shoe community. The 3mm lugs allow for running on a variety of surfaces, including a pretty comfortable pavement experience when needed. Conclusion

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Canice: The Cascadia is one of the iconic shoes in the history of trail running and as crazy as it is, this was the first time I have run in the Cascadia. We’re now on version 15 and the shoe has evolved nicely over the years. When you first slip a pair on you’ll notice the shoe is soft and flexible and has a very roomy toe box. I found the shoe to fit true to size, has a good heel hold but is a little loose over the instep. Jeff V: Very close in my opinion in all ways, though the Mad River TR 2 has perhaps a touch better traction and a slightly softer midsole. After years of BioMoGO DNA, Brooks is shaking up its collection with new foams that rely on DNA LOFT technology. So, introducing DNA LOFT v2! We spare you the technical details (such as the so-called percentage improvement announced by the brand for the cushion) to focus on how the midsole felt for the testers.

Brooks also states, “Our unique Pivot Post System provides a stable platform that allows your foot to adapt to any terrain.” While the midsole is not super responsive or agile, the durability is what will cause a runner to keep on lacing these bad boys up for one trail after another. Outsole The increased flexibility coupled with a softer, more generous cushion provides a smooth run on natural terrains. One should also note the universal gaiter loops and durable lacing. Again, besides the restrictive feeling in the toes, this shoe is well constructed. Midsole We’ve also named the Brooks Cascadia 15 one of the best trail running shoes! See our Best New Trail Shoes of Fall-Winter 2020 for more recent trail running shoe releases.I am a big fan of bold, bright colorways on shoes that have really cool names like Citron Mutant. The Brooks Cascadia 15s don't have a lot going on in the style department. Canice: The Cascadia 15 is the Subaru of trail running shoes. Good at everything but not great at anything. For me the ride killed the shoe. Give it some life, keep everything else as is and this would be a “great” shoe. Do that and lighten the shoe up and it will be a “spectacular” shoe. As it is it’s an okay shoe, that is priced well, and has a nice wide toe box.

Brooks describes the upper as a “New engineered monoloop mesh, and 3D Fit Print upper [to] increase breathability and speed up dry time,” which is one of the few changes from the previous Cascadia 14 model. However, I did find a great variety of surfaces and environments to get a perfect sense of what to expect, with plenty of dirt trail running, crossing plenty of water and even some high altitude hiking. The Brooks Cascadia 16 is a stiff, supportive, protective trail running shoe that's great for long hauls on aggressive terrain.Canice: The upper of the Cascadia 15 is soft and flexible and seems to be simple but in truth has a lot of great features done incredibly well. The most important aspect of the Cascadia 15 is that it is comfortable. The overlays around the sides of the shoe and across the toe box are flexible and provide a great amount of durability to the upper. TAYLOR: To answer the question from before, sadly, the Brooks Cascadia 15 is more like the bighorn king who once was. I tried. I really, really tried. After reviewing the overhauled Cascadia 14 last year, I had zero interest in stepping foot in it again. I worked myself up to be excited about the 15 and was really let down again. Jeff V. runs mostly on very steep technical terrain above Boulder often challenging well known local FKT's.

The Brooks Cascadia 16 is a comfortable and versatile running shoe to run on trails. This new version is lighter (finally under 300 g/10.6 oz) while offering more cushioning (29 mm under the heel).And don’t worry about being on a bandwagon. We all have our preferences, and old habits die hard. Especially when it comes to footwear. However, to achieve this, Brooks removed the lugs from under the midfoot. In the end, testers didn’t notice it much: there wasn’t a moment when they thought it was missing. So let’s see in the long term how opinions converge. Interestingly, Nike’s Terra Kiger 7 has gone the other way: it now includes lugs under the midfoot, which was not the case in previous versions. Maybe it’s good for my feet to change my shoe brand now & then, certainly a lot to chose from. I believe the “key” is to know one’s foot. Canice: The outsole provides great traction both climbing and descending. I did feel it slip under foot a couple times on wet logs but it was minor. All in all the outsole performs quite well.