Customer Reviews Brooks Caldera 4

Just gave the Caldera 4 a couple days of testing. Specifically looking for the failure of the Caldera 3 in lateral stability. Well, it appears Brooks was listening. Took the 4's through dry rocky washes, some steep single tracks and the flats. I did not perform a "runner's tie", which was required on the 3's. Grimacing, I was waiting for my ankle to taco. Never happened! And, the really lame eyelets that locked the laces from self adjusting on the 3's are gone! The new eyelets on the 4's are perfect. I would of gone with round laces, but the flats look cool. Everything else is top shelf. Cushioning, comfort, grip etc,,,, The best part, unlike other shoe companies, Brooks listened and fixed the issues that the Calera 3's suffered. Suggestion to Brooks, improve your prototype testing. I've seen some glaring issues, on different models, that would not have made it out of my garage. The good, Brooks listens to it's customers, eventually correcting the problems. Thank You! The Caldera 4 is now my "goto" training shoe for the dirt.

I'm new to the Brooks lineup of trail shoes. I've been searching for the perfect shoe and have tried out 12 different models from various companies over the last 8 months. Here are my thoughts on the Caldera 4 after spending 80 miles with them. Pros: - Comfortable right out of the box. They felt really good when I put them on, albeit slightly too narrow in the toeox and midfoot. - The cushion is nice and springy. Reminds me of the Hoka Speed Goat (that's a good thing for me). - The midsole did not loose any springiness or support after the 80 miles I tested them. - I think the traction is the perfect balance of not too rugged, and not too shallow. 3.5 mm is the sweet spot. It has it's limits in the muddy stuff, but this is a great all around sole and rubber compound. - After my first run I thought that I had found the perfect shoe. - Nice mid foot lock down. I did not experience any foot slippage during steep descents. I also did not experience any heel slippage. - Excellent breathability. - Excellent water drainage. - Good support for their high stack height. I didn't feel any ankle rolling on the hill sides. - They feel wider than the Caldera 3's. I tried them both on side by side and ultimately chose the Cadera 4 because of the extra room. Cons: - After around 13 miles it became obvious that the toe box is just a tad too narrow for my foot. I'm talking maybe 1-2 mm too narrow. I found my foot to be rubbing on the inside edge of the shoe in the big toe area. My last run in these shoes was a 30 miler, and I had to switch these out for a different shoe after 20 miles because I was developing blisters in that area on both feet. - They feel a bit heavy They are indeed heavier than the Caldera 3, which I ordered at the same time, and weighed side by side. - I don't like the lacing system. It's overly complicated. There is an elastic lace anchor attached to the tongue of the shoe. It is placed right next an additional through the tongue lace eyelet. This makes it difficult to properly adjust the laces because it's also so cramped in that area. Also the lacing eyelets grab the laces which in turn adds to this difficulty or getting them properly tightened. - I personally don't like the limited color choices. I went with the blue, which looked more lavender in the sunlight. It turned pretty ugly are a few muddy runs. In their defense they did clean up easy enough, but I just don't like the 2 color choices they have. I'm truly sad these didn't work out for me. They are so close to being the perfect trail running shoe for me. I'm running lots of 100 plus mile races, so everything needs to be perfect for me. I would still highly recommend these shoes. I think they will be a go to shoe for a lot of people. If you are on the fence about this model, I say 'Go For It'. I will definitely continue to follow the Brooks lineup, and I'm looking forward to finding their model that works great for me. Happy Trails.

Like running with little Purple mattresses on my soles...

True to fit, roomy toe box, and just about the right amount of cushion. I could go for just a tad more cushion, especially in the forefoot area/pads of my feet. And my feet slipped a bit when pounding downhill, but those are the only things keeping this from being a 5 star review. I recently ran in these for a 50-mile race and they performed well.

First time out, you can definitely feel the spring-y action of the sole responding to the inverse action being applied with each step.

Comfortable and cushioned. Great traction is handy on snow and ice (stay on the balls of your feet though), but feels draggy if you run on pavement. Haven't had a chance to do any trail work yet. Wear with smartwool socks and gaiters.

Love how the shoe does not make your foot roll over uneven terrain. This is a game changer for my needs.

They're super comfortable and great for both on and off trail running. My runs usually begin on the road and the shoe was great on and off the trail. Super light and springy.

I'm not a runner, but I wear and understand good shoes. My sport is disc golf. These are the most comfortable shoes I've ever played with! The shoe is stable, even on uneven surfaces, giving me confidence to power through the shot. Afterwards my feet do not feel beat up after a round. Thanks Brooks!!! Fan for life! Please consider more colors.

Best trail shoes I have Best thing about them is the grip on the bottom

I have owned every Caldera made by Brooks. They are by far my favorite shoe. Plush feel on my feet. I use my shoes for running and walking. The only improvement I would suggest is more color options or maybe a custom color option. These are the best shoes I have ever used.

Absolutely love them Most comfortable shoes I've ever had

Quality is excellent. Fit is great. Very comfortable and helpful to my running. I'm 68 and just now trying to learn to run. These are working great to stabilize my feet and accommodate my orthotics.

Love them they fit great right out of the box and i have not had any problems with them.

Wow. I didn't know what to expect and usually run in a neutral road shoe. This shoe was a game changer for me on trails and had significantly fresher legs after 20 miles.

These are the best active shoes. Walking in them feels so great! I always feel like they make me want to walk faster and do more, they are so light and springy. Also, I am not a runner, I just bought these for walking. I recently had a baby and spent multiple days inside afterwards, the first day I went out for a short walk, I just took off running, and these shoes were made for it.

I had a partially torn Achilles and plantar fasciaitis troubles in both feet so these trail shoes were a game changer for me. The trails in our area are really rocky full of sharp stones. The cushioning protected me feet beautifully. The super grippy soles are excellent on wet rocks, slippery roots and mud. I just love them!

During practice trail runs I like my shoes to be comfortable especially when going fast downhill on technical terrain the Caldera is a good fit for that still having a good grip for the uphill run

Love this shoe! Was a huge fan of the 3 and the 4 is even better. The extra room in the toe makes this shoe a super comfortable ride for me. Highly recommend for any average Joe trail runner!

I really like these Caldera 4. I've had these for 6 runs now. Very happy. They are more of a mid sole shoe. I had Caldera 2 before these. They feel like the same foot sizes. I avoided the Caldera 3 because being to narrow. They run wide and have a plush feel. You can't go wrong with these. I run these shoes until I'm done with them and then retire them to my main hiking shoe. These are my favorite shoe next to the ghost series.