Customer Reviews Brooks Cascadia 18

So far these have been a great pair of light-weight running shoes. Living in Utah, the trails around here vary from loose, dusty dirt to chunky rock, and the Cascadia 18 have held up on these changing trail conditions. They're sturdy and grippy, but not overbuilt. I appreciate the simple features - the fitted heal collar (to prevent rocks from getting in the shoe) and the elastic band to tuck my laces into. And the shoes breathe fairly well despite the grueling summer heat. The biggest downside in my opinion is the narrow toe box. I'm used to wearing trail shoes with a wider toe box, so I don't think these will be my only pair of training shoes. When it comes to the style/design, these shoes aren't much to look at, but are fine for a straight-forward pair of trail shoes.

I have tried plenty of running shoes in the past 10 years, but these take the cake for running shoes especially when it comes to running on trails. I have been using it to run on other settings outdoors and it is great. I can not wait until they start selling the new iteration of this awesome Cascadia 18 running shoe. After acquiring these shoes, I have now found my new favorite running shoe brand.

I have flat feet, ankle that's been shattered twice and the list goes on. I'm always looking for the "magic bullet" in footwear hoping to make walking more comfortable. Brooks had a guide that seemed reasonable so I went with it's recommendation. What I found was the shoe is comfortable but it is a lightweight shoe, with corners cut at every turn. For example, the tongue is so short it is hard to keep the laces from slipping off it, onto your foot. The label says designed in Seattle but it most definitely is made offshore (Vietnam I believe). I expected a more sturdy shoe, but it honestly is pretty cheesy. Would I buy again? Nope. Hype doesn't make a good shoe.

I really love this shoe for its stability and tractionboth are excellent, especially on the trails. However, the durability leaves a lot to be desired. I'm already on my second pair after the first gave out in under 200 miles, and unfortunately, this new pair is starting to fall apart too. Hopefully, the next version will be more durable, because otherwise, it's a fantastic trail shoe.

This is a nice looking shoe. It has good tread on the soles. However, I have narrow and very bony feet. There just wasn't enough padding for the shoe to be a comfortable fit. Thanks to Brooks return policy, I returned these and ordered another style.

More durable than the last brand I tried but the soles are absurdly overstuffed and large. Waaaay too much cushion.

Good traction on rocks but this shoe fills up with sand very quickly. The rock plate doesn't seem as substantial as previous versions and the tongue loop is gone for some reason. I'm trading mine in for the wider version and coating the toe surface with aqua seal to help keep the sand out.

I've been wearing and loving Brooks Cascadia shoes for hiking and backpacking for about five years now for the fit, design, and performance. On the Cascadia 18, the mesh that connects to the sole (underneath the plastic reinforcement) and right at the start of the toe box, blew out on both shoes while the shoe was still fairly new. Seems like really poor design and Very disappointing.

Honestly not as comfortable as I had hoped. I recently took these shoes out on a trip where I was on my feet for about 8 hours with little breaks in between. The shoes are extremely lightweight, but the cushioning is a less than adequate for extended periods. I bought these shoes to compare to HOKA's brand, and I would honestly recommend HOKA due to their cushioning on the inside of the shoe. For comparison, I have hiked Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and Zion parks in HOKA's shoes with no foot discomfort after 10 hour hikes. Shoe comfort is very subjective, so I would take advantage of Brooks' guarantee, and at least give them a try to see how they work for you. I will keep these to use for local short hikes.

I think Brooks makes great shoes, but it was a bit too stiff on the bottom for me. They offer an excellent military discount, and have a great return policy, so I was able to return them at no expense and no hassle. Thank you!

A great shoe with one fatal flaw: not enough volume in the forefoot area. My hats off to Brooks for creating a great trail running shoe. Unfortunately my feet become sore after wearing these for 5 minutes. It's not the width, it's the volume in the forefoot area. Shoe making 101 is that the shoes should be roomy in the forefoot area and snug in the back ankle area. Shame, best shoe I've tried on.

I decided to give the Cascadia 18s a try since I've known Brooks is an excellent running shoe company. Normally, I wear Merrell Agility Peaks, so they're my primary comparison point. The Cascade 18 materials seem every bit of what I expected. They're well built and after my initial mileage, I saw nothing that would suggest that they would break down prematurely. I really liked the materials on/around the toe. I didn't have any fear of stubbing my toe during a run/trot on a wooded trail. The major issue, for me, was I did have mid-foot pain. It felt like patellar tendonitis, which I've never had in my foot. Initially I wrote this off as a break in period, since it occurred a little in to my 7mile trail. Giving them another chance, the pain occurred again on a 2 mile trail, about a quarter mile in. Again, this isn't something I've experienced. I decided to try adding an insole I have for my soccer boots, and this solved the problem on a subsequent day. I spent about 8 hours on my feet that day without issue. I'll be adding these to my rotation, but I will be sure to include insoles and may buy something specifically for these shoes. I did wear these shoes on particularly hot days and had no issue at all with the heat affecting my feet. Top marks there. If you have any hint of arch issues, I wouldn't hesitate buying these as long as you also have an additional insole.

I loved the Cascadia 16 and returned the 18 immediately because of changes in small things. I hope Brooks has rethought the design of the Cascadia 19 if there is going to be one

I like this shoe due to its nice robust sole, however I ordered a 13 wide and it fits very snug. Please do not be deceived by the wide option, save yourself time and look for a different shoe.

Not a fan! These were replacing a pair of Cascadia 17 that were great. Wish I would have stuck with the 17's. The sole is too soft so on rough trails, I feel like the bottom of my feet are bruised after every hike. Seems like I have much less protection when stepping on sharp rocks or rough terrain. Hoping this issue hasn't carried over to new production 17's since they look like similar soles. These are great however for softer, non rocky terrain. Just not a good match for Arizona hiking.

Cascadia has been my (and my family's) go to for years, unfortunately it seems the 18s have new/cheaper materials that just do not hold up. I have 1000s of miles on a few pairs of 17s and none of them have wear like this. These are failing badly after just a couple months and not that many miles. Have switched back to my best pair of 17s and will start the search for my next go to. Maybe Brooks will fix it for the 19s. On the positive side not much has changed in feel of the shoes.

Didn't get to the running part. The little straps that hold the shoe laces broke almost immediately so I returned them.

Bought these to run the UTMB Puerto Vallarta in November. I'm not sure they are for me so ordered the Catamount Agil. I'll keep the Cascadia for hiking in.

These are the worst pair of Brooks I have ever purchased. I feel robbed after buying these shoes. I wear Brooks at work as a package delivery driver. These have fallen apart so fast compared to any other shoe I've purchased. For the price of these shoes it should be a crime to charge this much for such poor quality. Very disappointed in Brooks Running for this shoe.

I have owned well over 100 pairs of Brooks shoes in my life. These are the first ones I have absolutely hated. Wore them 5x, never had a comfortable run in them. Killed my soles. Way too stiff.