Brooks Cascadia 19 Review

The Brooks Cascadia 19. All pictures: iRunFar/Bryon Powell

The Brooks Cascadia 19 ($150) is, dare I say, my favourite Brooks Cascadia of all time. It has far surpassed its burlier however clunky early days and gives a lighter, faster, extra agile run whereas not abandoning these of us preferring extra safety and cushioning within the center and additional again within the pack. I wore these out of the field on an 11-mile hilly, rocky, rubbly Colorado Entrance Vary run and will have gone additional in that smooth-rolling, balanced-yet-dynamic path shoe if time and schedule had allowed.

The Cascadia 19 has lightened up a tad to an precise weight of 10.7 ounces (303 grams) for a U.S. males’s 9. Whereas the burden change could seem refined, it really is the zippiest feeling Cascadia so far — not fairly highway shoe zippy, however transferring in that path with out dropping the essential path traction and safety.

Apparently, Brooks dropped the shoe all the way down to a 6-millimeter drop, with claimed stack heights of 35 and 29 millimeters on the heel and toe, which usually raises some flags for me with my physique’s distinct desire for 8+-millimeter, however my calves and hamstrings didn’t appear to note the distinction, even after 105 miles in them. I’m not sure why that’s as I can normally give the Princess and the Pea a run for her cash with drop, however perhaps the notably upgraded Nitrogen-infused midsole and Path Adapt know-how assist to {smooth} out the distinction.

The Cascadia 19 is available in males’s and ladies’s sizing, vast variations, and a Gore-Tex mannequin that we didn’t evaluation right here.

This model of the Cascadia is for the brand new path runner who’s dedicated to the cross over to trails and mountains alike, and wishes a stage of safety that permits for that, but doesn’t need to sacrifice the faster and extra responsive really feel they love in regards to the roads. Equally, it’s for the long-time path runner who generally finds all-mountain sneakers to be a bit overbuilt and desires to have the ability to benefit from the agility, ease, and relative pace that have can deliver over quite a lot of terrain.

Sizing notice: I put on the bigger finish of my dimension vary for this shoe, identical to I put on in La Sportiva, New Steadiness, and others, and a full dimension bigger than Salomon. For those who’re in between sizes, undoubtedly attempt the smaller and bigger dimension — I’d identical to 1/4 dimension smaller for safety’s sake in additional technical terrain.

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Brooks Cascadia 19 Higher

A lateral view of the Brooks Cascadia 19.

The higher of the Brooks Cascadia 19 gives a robust instance of Brooks dedication to sustainability, because of the 53% recycled supplies utilized. The markedly breathable mesh is pretty much like model 18, however the overlays are a bit lighter and fewer steady within the midfoot and heel, which permits for related structural stability, however a bit much less stiffness and higher water drainage. I really feel like this iteration drains higher than all prior variations, even with a fast submersion. Your expertise might differ.

The toe bumper is phenomenal in protection however is versatile sufficient to not create any strain factors, even in case you’re a little bit of a toe-gripper like I’m on sketchy downhills.

The upper quantity toebox additionally permits for loads of splay and room even over the course of an extended extremely, however if in case you have a mean or barely narrower foot, it could present nearly an excessive amount of room for sustained off-angle slabs. It was tougher to essentially lock within the mid-foot and fore-foot for such terrain, perhaps partially because of the much less steady overlays, however since I don’t discover myself on that sort of floor for too lengthy more often than not, it’s not a limiting issue. I might see this being doubtlessly difficult in a number of the extra off-angle slabs in Moab maybe, or on the supremely rocky trails in upstate New York.

Three cheers for Brooks for holding the well-padded and pretty traditionally normal tongue form and type, ankle collar, and Achilles notch. My ankle bones, anterior and lateral ankle tendons, and Achilles are so, so completely satisfied. The flat laces keep tied with one double knot, and I by no means should futz with them as soon as I get into my run. I do just like the overlay design for the eyelet reinforcement because it’s unobtrusive to the foot and is holding up nicely with common put on and tear.

A light-weight, understated wire loop is on the again for the on/off of the shoe or transporting through carabiner outdoors your bag. All in all, I’ve no solutions for the higher. It’s nice. Nothing flashy, besides the highlighter yellow colour.

Brooks Cascadia 19 Midsole

A medial view of the Brooks Cascadia 19.

Brooks actually hit the mark with the up to date midsole within the Brooks Cascadia 19. They’ve lastly added the Nitrogen-infused model of the DNA Loft V3 right here and the consolation, resilience, and smoothness of this midsole makes it snug to run lengthy miles. It’s a stunning quick-stepping, nicely cushioned shoe, with no wasted power by the gait cycle.

The Path Adapt system has been improved such that the person pods and the built-in protecting but adaptable forefoot rock plate reply to the uneven floor with extra ease as a way to keep centered over your foot extra simply with out dropping contact with the bottom in my expertise.

For many who are agile mountain goats, I think about this makes quicker operating over technical terrain a lot simpler and extra fulfilling, as you keep good floor really feel because the shoe molds and adapts over the floor. For these of us who’re on the opposite finish of the mountain goat bell curve, I really feel much less beat up and fewer proprioceptive fatigue in technical sections as I can keep centered over my foot simpler as I attempt to hustle down the path. At 105 miles, the midsole and journey really feel simply as recent as that first run out of the field.

Brooks Cascadia 19 Outsole

The outsole of the Brooks Cascadia.

The TrailTack Inexperienced outsole on the Brooks Cascadia 19 stays related in make up with the 25% recycled supplies and retains the wonderful safe and sticky traction from model 18 in most circumstances. The sturdiness is proving to be simply as spectacular, particularly contemplating my runs have been notably rocky and rubbly so far.

The compound, itself, comes near rivaling Vibram in my expertise. The first distinction between model 18 and 19 of the Cascadia, although refined, is decreased lug depth from 4.5- to 4-millimeters and a rise within the number of chevron and different geometric-shaped lugs. The traction excels on moist or dry slab rocks, talus, roots, and smoother single observe however doesn’t have sufficient chunk for snow fields and the skinny sandy ball bearings masking hardpack ascents and descents. Mud sheds shortly, nonetheless, because the low-profile lugs don’t create a lot depth for it to cling to. There’s all the time a trade-off with lug depth and operating consolation, and given how snug it rolls on much less aggressive or slabbier terrain, I’m more than happy total.

I additionally recognize the slight design change with three extra steady lengthwise breaks within the forefoot and midfoot outsole because it appears so as to add {smooth} stability to the journey by permitting for extra medial/lateral contouring of the outsole to tough terrain, however not in a manner that fatigues the foot and ankle. A big cutout within the heel continues to be shallow sufficient to not tackle rocks or mud, however lightens the burden and permits for extra adaptability to rocks, roots, and different off-camber terrain.

Regardless of the rougher terrain I’ve been operating on, I’ve had no heel bruises up to now, which is fabulous.

Brooks Cascadia 19 General Impressions

A prime view of the Brooks Cascadia 19.

The Brooks Cascadia 19 is actually an all-mountain choice the place the protectiveness that permits for steep tundra climbs and descents doesn’t take away from the shoe’s skill to run quick on the smoother singletrack connecting the steeps. I really like the agility and ease of the run in these, which perhaps prior variations hadn’t fairly nailed as nicely. That is now not the clunky and heavy shoe of the primary few iterations.

Certainly one of two limiting features from the all-mountain declaration for me is that my foot isn’t all the time fully locked down on extended sharp angles — there could be a little sliding on the platform at instances with the roomy forefoot specifically. I can dabble in numerous shoe tying methods, however with my run areas of selection, this doesn’t have an effect on me too typically.

Secondly, the low-profile lugs aren’t fairly toothy sufficient for good chunk on the occasional snowfield or pebbly descent. But, they’re really easy to really feel good in, I nonetheless wouldn’t hesitate to put on these for one thing just like the San Juan Solstice 50 Mile within the San Juan Mountains, or pacing somebody on any part of the Excessive Lonesome 100 within the Sawatch Mountains, each of that are in Colorado.

They might do nicely across the mountains and rugged hills round Phoenix, the Mogollon Rim, and Flagstaff, Arizona. They usually’d really feel proper at dwelling on the doubletrack routes by the Sand Hills of western Nebraska, in addition to the Pacific Crest Path, or elsewhere within the Pacific Northwest till the mud season actually units in.

So, regardless of their lack of chunk at instances, for my part, that is one of the best Brooks Cascadia mannequin but for consolation and flexibility, ease of operating, and all-day adventuring. With Brooks Working’s 90-day trial run assure, with no delivery or restocking payment, the Cascadia 19 is a no brainer in case you’re interested in it to your subsequent path shoe for operating, mountaineering, and adventuring.

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