Customer Reviews Brooks Caldera 6

So I self diagnosed planters fasciitis and after a bunch of research figured this would be the best shoe for me. And it is! My Ghost 11's are still great but the insole was shot, new insoles helped but these are so good I bought a second pair. The only disappointment is the lack color options.

Bought my Caldera 6s last July. It was definitely an adjustment at first from the ghost 14s but let me tell you a month after getting them I ran my first 50 mile race and have put over 500 miles on them and they are still in great shape considering the mileage! My only complaint is that next to the big toe it feels like it's hard and when running long distances if you're not calloused or taped well you will for sure get a nasty blister! Love my Brooks! Orders a new pair of Glycerin GTS 20 that will be here this week! Ready to break them in!!

Nice snickers but rough. Not what I thought after having Altra's for a long time. Traction is good.

Pros: secure grippy sole, comfortable underfoot cushion, attractive shoe. Cons: had to get men's because of no women's wide so heel is a bit loose, poorly designed lace stays allow way too much foot motion inside the shoe on even moderate slopes and require frequent re-tying on steeper slopes, tongue could be about 1/8" wider to fit under the sides of the shoe (!) plus this shoe does not prevent my tendency to pronate like the Cascadia 16 did. I switched to this model when Brooks totally changed the Cascadia and am still not a happy customer, as I once was. Sometimes "it ain't broke" is a good enough reason to leave a good design alone!

For a thick sole hiking shoe - it works and is decently supportive, however I would say that if you looking for Hoka level padding on your feet - Your not going to get it on rocky trails. I do feel like these last as long as Hokas - however both of these companies need to be able to extend the life of their shoes. I'm replacing these every six months after around 300miles.

I never made it out of the house, no need with how snug the toe box was. I have the same size (12.5 men) in the cascadia 16 and the tie box is much roomier in those. I also road run in the adrenaline 23 and the toe box in the Caldera 6 feels even narrower. Unfortunately I had to send them back and have not been able to try out a size 13 yet.

I like Brooks products-normally. Quality was good on these, but a disappointment when compared to my Caldera 5's. This design has more foam (for a pillow feel like a Hoka) combined with too much thin stretch in the upper of the shoe....so your foot slides/ slops a little. I've never had any shoe give me blisters, but these did.

I love Brooks running shoes and the Caldera 2 are still one of my all time favorite trail shoes. I don't know anything about making shoes but the construction of this series felt cheap and like it was a downgrade from previous models which is why I returned them. They were very comfortable they just seemed cheaply made, especially the traction on the bottom.

I expected more from this shoe. The platform is too large for technical trails, which would be OK if it assisted with stability and comfort. Unfortunately, the inner arch area is very vulnerable, and my foot was destroyed on a long trail run. I felt very clumsy running in this, and I didn't feel any additional cushioning or sturdiness. I will probably go back to my Nike's.

Good cushion, easy running however caused blister on right big toe, had to return.

I really wanted to like these but the upper is rubbing the skin on my big toe joint raw after a few milesbelow 2-3 miles the shoes feel great but I just can't use them beyond that distance, which is a shame because the outsole and cushioning is excellent. Have tried different socks, etc. but there is a seam where some upper fabric joins and that seam is driving my big toes to pain and discomfort. Moving on from these almost new shoes

Very comfortable. I do not have problem with Toe box like others. My only complaint is with all the cushion and support from the oversized bottom comes a lack of feel on the trail. Several times I've found myself catching rocks with the back or sides of the shoe. I wish they just made the glycerine with a trail bottom.

I was excited to get this shoe and thought it was going to be my long trail run option. The underfoot feel is excellent. It has a nice ride with a smooth heel to to transition. The midfoot and heel fit is snug and it has a nice wrap around the foot. The issues begin with the upper materials and extremely stiff overlays. The 3D printed overlays are stiff and ridged and cause pinching in the toe box when you toe off in propulsion phase. The toe box is more on the narrow side, so if you have a wider forefoot the stiff toe cap tends to cause blisters/hot spots on the 1st metatarsals. I got severe blisters after one run on both feet. While the toe cap might be nice to have on rocky terrain, the combination of the narrow toe box width and stiff materials wrecked havoc on my feet. I didn't run in the previous model so I have no comparison, but after one run I am considering returning and getting something else.

Three stars for the cushioning...its outstanding. Downhill running has never felt better. The fit in the forefoot is the main drawback with this model. It is too narrow and curved on the lateral side. If you enjoy the fit of the Adrenaline, Glycerin, Cascadia etc...avoid this shoe. If you have a straight and relatively narrow forefoot, this shoe will be your go-to for distance trail runs. Let's hope Brooks puts this mid-sole on their traditional fitting last very soon. This one is sooo close to perfection, but the fit flaw in the forefoot, which holds it back, is a big one.

GREAT looking shoe, but too loose and not enough lace to correct. Surprisingly unforgiving on uneven trails in terms of stability with the wider sole/lower. Super cushiony though. Wish I had ordered half a size smaller.

Sole is comfortable, but I have a narrow foot. When I tighten the laces the plastic/rubber piece at the bottom of the laces pinches down and rubs my foot. I'd return if I hadn't already worn them on the road. Ghosts normally fit me well. Might try that new bigger sole version of it at some point.

I was suggested by a Brooks Guru to try Caldera for trails since I mainly rely on Glycerins for my road runs. However, Caldera does not feel like Glycerin at all despite the sole being the same. Te biggest issue that I have seen other reviewers referring to as well is the toe box as I believe it is defective. On the right foot, my big toe hits the toe box with every stride and caused blisters in a short 5 mile flat run. You can imagine how much worse this would be on a downhill. I do not have this issue with Glycerin, Adrenaline, Catamount 2, and Cascadia 16. All of those other shoes work perfectly for me, so I expected no issue with Caldera, but seems the toe box design is different. Other than the toe box, the cushion also feels much much plushier than the glycerin, which I did not like at all. It absorbs all of your energy and it's hard to get going on them. I ended up relying on Catamount 2 and Cascadia for my trail runs as those seem to not have these issues.

First of all, I knew I was taking a risk by buying these. I use Brooks shoes very successfully for road races/marathons and have nothing but good things to say about the majority of models. In the past I have used Altras for trail races, but I foolishly I assumed that the Brooks Caldera trail shoe would work for me. I ran a 50k in the Calderas and ended up with very painful blackened toenails. I NEVER had this happen with Altras. So, I am afraid I am not going to be using Brooks for trail shoes again.

this shoe is super comfy with all that cushion. its also tall. i rolled my ankle 3 times . main issue is the toe box design is flawed. my other brooks road shoe is 11 d , this shoe fits good all around but its tight right at the big toe and rubbed my big toey raw.. i had to cut my run short to just under an hour./ my trails are rocky and rooty. but the cushion on this shoe is great. so im disappointed i have to return them

Seems loose in the heel for me. Not sure if I'm going to keep them. I'll give them a few more outings before I decide.

i have had 3-4 pairs of ghost running shoes since the 10's. (20+ pairs) love those shoes. this is the worst shoe i have ever put on my foot. its not stable, its not comfortable, is doesn't remotely fit like the ghost (much more narrow) it basically killed my foot. and to run trails with this shoe was miserable, absolute no stability what so ever. it looks great, has amazing grip and traction- past that i was the biggest waste of money on running shoes since 2015

Zero stars. This is not as wonderful as the previous. I have been using the Caldera 4 & Caldera 5 for many, many years with miraculous feet, hip & back pain healing/relief from those sneakers. Why did you change the sole? It is now higher & harder with a different design. It does not give and cushion anymore. I don't know what I'm going to do. This was my go-to work and leisure sneaker. You should sell that old technology to foot/back pain sufferers & hip replacement recipients. This sneaker looks nice and comes in more wonderful colors but does not perform as the older ones did. I am so sad. See photos (my old to the left and the new to the right). Will you ever go back?