Brooks Cascadia 15, Men’s race Running Shoe

Product Information

On the PCT in 2015, I coaxed one pair of Cascadia 9s to 650 miles and retired the others after 500 miles. John: Agree with Jeff and I will only comment that I felt that the Mad River TR 2 midsole is much softer and cushier than the Cascadia 15’s, at least during the initial break-in period.

The two big stand out impressions I had when I first tried the Cascadia 15 is that the toe box is great and there’s not a lot of cushion in the shoe. The Brooks Cascadia 16 is a stiff, supportive, protective trail running shoe that's great for long hauls on aggressive terrain. If I’ve seen them out on the trail, then I haven’t noticed them amongst the tidal wave of Lone Peaks. I still have some of that with the 15s but they certainly tried to fix things and they got about 50% of the way there.

Jeff V: Comparable in overall usage and versatility, the Cascadia is a bit more durable, protective and better suited for technical terrain. Despite the limited rock plate coverage, I found the midsole to provide ample protection and experienced minimal issues with jagged rocks and roots. iRunFar’s Trail Running Shoe Archive: 2009-2014 Releases What follows is a collection of iRunFar’s semi-annual trail shoe roundups for shoes released from 2009 through 2014.

Greg Pirtle (Male / 6' 0" / 180lbs / 38 years old) road and trail runner who has run everything from 5K to 100K races. The heart of the shoe (outsole, midsole, fit) remains the same and will be pleasantly familiar to anyone who knows the brand. It also comes from the extra stack: 29 mm heel height(21 mm under the toes), at least 3 mm more than on the Brooks Cascadia 15. However, on long sustained descents on a service road, I felt like my forefoot was slapping the ground.It is a great shoe for more casual running or hiking; yet I was longing for more flex, heel to toe rock, and bounce when trying to pick things up a bit, especially on non-technical descents. The shoe is still extremely stable, thanks to its slightly wider base, but ultimately removing the post is a smart move. The shoe also has a lace loop to tuck your laces in so they don’t trip you up, a nice feature and detail.

Unlike some trail-specific shoes, the Cascadia 15 doesn’t come with a built-in gaiter; however, they do have front and back attachment points to secure gaiters to if you wish to use them. The TrailTack outsole has low profile, multidirectional lugs that are smooth on the road and perform well on trail. The BioMoGo DNA foam is composed of recycled material and designed to provide long-lasting cushioning that adapts to the foot, offering personalized comfort.

Some days I have a specific agenda and select a shoe that will perfectly fill that niche, but other days, I walk out the door not knowing the route, terrain, how fast I feel like going or if it will involve scrambling, some fire roads, wet, mud, snow, etc… On those days, the Cascadia 15 is the perfect shoe to grab that will handle just about anything you throw at it.