Men's Cascadia 8

As an avid 66 year old trail runner doing 50-60 MPW all on trails, I have gone through over 30 pairs of Cascadias. I did not like the lacing on the C7s, and found enough pairs of C6s to get me through last year, even though the C6s had some tread wear issues. For me, the C8s have resolved my problems - the asymmetrical lacing that reduced the toe box is gone and the toe box actually seems a bit larger than it was on the C6s (I heard this from two other runners at a recent 50 miler), a tighter weave fabric keeps out much of the dirt and dust, and the tread is much more durable than the C6s. I use gaiters and orthotics, and the shoes are competent on trails, talus, mud, snow, and up to Class 3 rock scrambling. Obviously, the C8s are the only shoe I will use.

It is unfortunate that Brooks has to put a warning on the website regarding using the Cascadias for backpacking. I suspect that some hikers/runners with stronger ankles and not carrying 40# packs will fare much better, but for some, boots will be needed for the ankle support.

I have owned 3 versions of the Cascadia for trail running, road running,and ultralight backpacking. Love the durability of the shoes to take on a variety of terrain. With Cascadia 8's the eyelet was changed to a "cord" type eyelet and on my very first use (day after purchase) on a short ultralight backpacking trip into the Sespe Wilderness, the top "cord-eyelet" pulled out of the shoe. Fortunately the tongue of the shoe stayed in place so I continued with the trip.

Not sure what the shoe designers had intended but, unless you sew the cord in place wouldn't you just be asking for quality issues?

Still love the fit and feel of the Cascadia and plan on being loyal to the model. Hopefully, the design will go back to something that is more durable for trail use. Thanks in advance Brooks for listening!

I've had many pairs of Brooks over the last 10 years, and absolutely loved nearly all of them. I had a previous Cascadia model in 2009 and was delighted with those. On my first time out with this new 2013 pair, the eyelet broke as I was lacing them at the trailhead. The bottom two eyelets are a thin thread loop, perhaps I got a defective pair or lace my shoes with above average strength. I suspect though this is a shoddy design, which I hope is not a practice infecting other models.

I am requesting a refund.

I bought these shoes to use for running and for my upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon. These shoes worked great hiking on this strenuous trail, and gave me lots of support. I removed the brooks insoles and put in my own and I could not have been happier with this product, but they were a little pricy. These shoes are great for running and hiking.

Best technical trail shoe made. Lightweight, cushions impact (even on the sharpest of trails), and very stable. Love the shoe.

I purchased these due to recommendation and love the shoe but they were worn out and the sole was cracking (cleat was pealing off) in 2 months (approximately 120 miles). The terrain I wore these on is a bit rocky but I was told they should have lasted longer by the show salesman and they thought that they might have been defective. I purchased another pair and hopefully they will last longer.

I use the Cascadia 8's for trail running and walking, totaling about 40-60 miles per wee; however, I have topped out at 90-mile weeks and have felt fairly comfortable in my feet. During the average non-race week, I'll walk 3-4 miles most days at lunch on sidewalks at a 13 min/mile pace, do a max-incline treadmill workout on Mondays, run a 5-mile hilly trail loop on Tuesdays, run a fast 5-mile, 7:15 min/mile flat road run on Thursday, hike Fridays, do 13-26 miles of mountainesss trails in East TN, southwest VA on Saturdays, and run about 8-12 miles of trails on Sunday.

In these shoes, I have completed three 50-milers and six 50-kilometer trail races, including the Old Pueblo 50, Mountain Masochist 50, Iron Mountain 50-Miler, and Terrapin Mountain 50k. While wearing Smartwool,Fits, or Darn Tough socks and layering my feet with petroleum jelly, I have had little issue with blisters and impact soreness. I have developed a few minor blisters on the road and in a 50-miler due to poor quality socks. I have had unusual soreness while wearing Superfeet Black (for my flat feet) with the Cascadias and ended up putting the manufacturer's insert on top of the Black's. This helped considerably with soreness experienced around the 38-mile mark of a 50-miler.

Major pros: (1) I am impressed with the Cascadia's rockplate. Great protection. (2) The 8's are comfortable shoes all around, including open roomy toeboxes. (3) The 8's are great trail shoes that can be worn on the roads, with little wear and tear even after use on pavement.

Major cons: (1) The Cascadia 8 eyelet design is not dependable. I have already sent back one pair due to 2-3 loops breaking. The eyelets (not really an eyelet but an attached thin loop of string) are external from the frame and break where the eyelets meet the frame. Brooks sent me a replacement pair. Two eyelets have broken already on the replacement. I wish Brooks would send me a Cascadia 7 to replace my replacements. (2) As with the Cascadia 7's, the 8's are a bit wide at the heel for me, so I feel unstable while cruising downhill on rocky surfaces, and therefore I slow down my pace. I have flat and narrow feet, so I must tighten the laces down considerably. Since I tighten them down so much, I have to skip the third or forth level of laces to prevent pressure on the top of my foot. The skipping of a layer of laces probably causes strain on the other eyelets and undoubtedly contributes to the breaking of laces; however, I have not had this problem with the Cascadia 7's or Merrell Mix Masters 2; the latter of which has body-ingrained eyelets.

If the heel was a bit more narrow and the eyelets more stable and durable, I would give the 8's a five-star rating, however, a shoe that feels unstable while going down hill on rocky terrain is not on my good list when running mountainess ultras. A shoe does not stay on without lace connections. Therefore, I give the Cascadia 8's a two-star rating and hope Brooks will correct these problems with future versions.

Okay, so I've owned a lot of Cascadia's over the years, but these are definitely the best version to date! I was a little disappointed with the 6's and 7's (not that they weren't excellent trail runners), but they didn't outshine some of the earlier models of this shoe. The 8's, on the other hand, are my ideal trail shoe: supportive, protective and durable, yet light and responsive. They are my go-to shoe for trail running, fast hiking, and generally rambling in mother nature. I've tackled a number of Colorado's 14,000 ft. peaks in them. I'll probably pick up a second pair in the funky red color. Stop reading...go buy some! Do it!

Solid shoe, good traction. Am used to lighter shoe (such as Newtons). So hopefully you can work on making the shoe lighter without compromising too much of its sturdyness.

I am hooked. I love the Cascadia line and will continue to run on the trails in these shoes.