Introduction to the Brooks Caldera 8
SAM: Final 12 months, Brooks pulled an Anora on our year-end Greatest in Gear awards for the path, taking 4 of the 19 spots, greater than another firm. Whereas Brooks solely acquired runner-up within the coveted shoe of the 12 months class, it received “finest do all of it path shoe” with the Catamount 3, an award that’s mainly our shoe model of Greatest Director. This can be a large deal, seeing as Brooks has solely not too long ago begun to make waves — or, um, undulating singletrack — within the path house.
To see the erstwhile “everybody’s operating shoe” firm prove some frankly glorious path merchandise, I believe, excited everybody right here within the Dust Division. We needed extra. So, once we acquired phrase of the following iterations of each the Catamount and the Caldera, we had been all anxious to attempt them out. I even particularly requested Robbe if I might get my ft within the Caldera 8.
The Caldera 7 pulled down the runner-up title for “finest max cushion path shoe,” and it was by all accounts a stunner. Brooks properly determined to remain the course with this iteration, and the updates are minimal and principally targeted on the higher. The Brooks Caldera 8 retains the chunky DNA Loft V3 midsole and TrailTack Inexperienced outsole from the Caldera 7, with a complete stack of 38.5mm within the heel and 32.5mm within the forefoot. The previous higher has been swapped for a mix of engineered quick-dry air mesh with built-in TPEE within the outer layer with a brand new offset lacing chain that angles in direction of the medial sides of every foot — type of like what you see within the Nike Vaporfly 3, simply flipped.
And whereas the Caldera 8 is nearly so far as you will get from an ultralight plated street racing shoe, these higher modifications had been designed by Brooks to raise the consolation and technical prowess of what that they had already confirmed was a sturdy, enjoyable, long-distance path crusher. Will they arrive again to seize one other statue on the 2025 Greatest in Gear Awards?
