Brooks Cascadia 20 Is A Comfortable, Versatile, Crowd-Pleaser
This review is sponsored by Brooks Running, but the opinions expressed are my own
Twenty-two years after its first release, the Brooks Cascadia 20 remains a comfortable, versatile, mountain trail workhorse. I’ve been running and hiking in my pair for over a month, and zero blisters later found very little to complain about. Given the accessibility, durability, and broadly appealing stack height and drop combo, we’re prepared to call this one a crowd pleaser! While it is by no means the most technologically advanced running shoe option available, nor does it have a wide toe box, it’s a classic recipe that will probably serve you well as a daily trainer or hiking shoe.
- Price: $160
- Weight: 10.8 oz for M’s 9 | 9.7 oz W’s 8
- Heel-Forefoot-Drop: mm 38-32-6
- Lugs: ~4 mm | Rockplate: Yes
- Width: Average | Length: True to size
- Wide Sizes Available: Yes
- On Trail/Off trail/Pavement? Yes/Yes/No
- Siblings: Cascadia 20 GTX, Ghost Trail, Cascadia Elite, Catamount Agil
- Pros: Comfortable. Versatile. Broadly appealing stack height and drop. Great for running and hiking. Cushioned tongue. Good traction.
- Cons: A bit heavy. Modest breathability. Toe box could be wider.
Fit: Average throughout heel and midfoot, widening slightly in the forefoot. My foot fits well into men’s size 12 shoes 90% of the time, and my men’s size 12 Brooks Cascadia standard width fit perfectly. Note that it is not a wide forefoot in the sense of Altra or Topo for toe splaying purposes. If you like an extra wide forefoot, look elsewhere.
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Brooks Cascadia 20 are at home in the Central Cascade Mountains of WA
Expanded Pros
Comfortable: I’ve taken my Cascadia 20s out on some pretty intense trails with barely any break-in period. The most intense day involved 4.5k’ elevation gain, including snow, microspikes, frequently wet feet, and some light off-trail travel. My feet did great, without even a hot spot. On longer mileage days, the thick midsoles and rock plate help to prevent sore feet.
Versatile: From meandering local parks to steep mountain ascents, Brooks Cascadia is a versatile shoe that can get the job done.
Broadly appealing stack height and drop: This shoe has broadly appealing specs, hitting the average sweet spot for heel stack height and drop based on modern preferences. It measures in at 38/32/6 mm. Cascadia 20 will feel good for most runners, unless you prefer minimalist or ultra maximalist styles.
Great transition model from hiking shoes to running shoes: If you’re used to hiking in hiking shoes or boots, but are curious to try trail runners, Brooks Cascadia 20 would be a great choice. They aren’t overly sporty, have a well-cushioned upper, a moderate rocker, and a protective rock plate. Also worth noting that Brooks Cascadia is one of the original trail running shoes that was favored by hikers, long before Altra Lone Peak.
Cushioned tongue: I have a low volume foot that often requires aggressive lacing solutions. The cushioned tongue helps immensely, and is preferred to thin ultralight tongues that fail to disperse lace pressure at the top of the shoe.
Good traction: Vibgram Megagrip traction lugs are the gold standard for all-terrain use, and Cascadia’s ~4mm lugs dig in and hold on to just about everything.
Expanded Cons
Our testing yielded no major flaws, so we’ve filled this section with nitpicks about what would make us like Brooks Cascadia 20 even more.
Could be lighter: The average men’s performance trail running shoe comes in around 10 oz. At nearly 10.8 oz for M’s size 9, the Brooks Cascadia 20 are about 10% heavier than average. They aren’t heavy per se, but are just on the wrong side of average. We’d love to see Brooks get this shoe down closer to 10 oz, because lighter shoes drastically improve efficiency on the trail.
Moderate breathability: An up close visual inspection of the mesh upper reveals two layers of fabric, a top with aeration holes, and a solid bottom. Held up to the sun, no light passes through directly. While this solid construction helps boost durability, it does block the escape of warm humid air, increasing sweatiness. Sweaty feet are more likely to blister. The other side of this spectrum are some shoes in which you can literally see your sock through the mesh.
Forefoot could be a bit wider: While I don’t have a particularly wide foot, I’m still partial to a wide toe box for high mileage days. Feet swell after so many hours and so many miles of use, and a bit of extra room up front helps prevent with potential rubbing. The Brooks Cascadia 20 widens ever so slightly at the forefoot, but I would have cranked this even higher. The advantage to keeping it moderate and not widened in the toe box is that the shoes perform better on technical terrain with less lateral movement inside of the shoe.
Who Should Choose It
Choose Brooks Cascadia 20 if
- You want a versatile, comfortable trail shoe to be your daily trainer
- You want a well-rounded moderately tall stack height and drop combo, not too much, not too little
- You want to take advantage of its availability in wide width sizes
- You value a rock plate for rocky terrain; most trail shoes now forgo this
- You are shopping for a trail runner to use for hiking; these are a great option especially if coming over from traditional hiking shoes
- You appreciate good value in a long lasting durable and affordable trail runner
Don’t Choose Brooks Cascadia 20 if
- You want a generously widened forefoot
- You live in a hot climate and want maximum upper breathability (Consider Ghost Trail)
- You want a shoe that is optimized for low weight, high speed, and highest energy return (Consider Cascadia Elite)
- You prioritize ground feel and want a low stack height
Compared to other Brooks Running Trail Shoes
Cascadia 20 GTX: Waterproof running shoes, like the Gore-Tex version of Cascadia 20, are more niche than you’d think. We almost always prefer non-waterproof shoes because they’re more breathable, less sweaty, and cause fewer blisters. However, in snow, sleet, or cold rain, waterproofness can be an asset. But as very few people run or hike in those conditions, I recommend the non-Gore-Tex model 99% of the time.
Ghost Trail: Ghost Trail is a personal favorite of mine that’s lighter, comfier, and more breathable than Cascadia 20. The look and feel is like if you slapped trail traction outsoles onto a road running shoe that’s optimized for gravel and moderate terrain. While Cascadia 20 is designed for rugged traction in the mountains, Ghost Trail is designed for speed and comfort on gravel, local parks, and forest roads. Between them, Ghost Trail is what I would choose a majority of the time, but they’re designed for different purposes and neither is strictly better.
Cascadia Elite: Cascadia Elite is an ultra premium trail racing shoe for an ultra premium price point. It’s built with a carbon propulsion plate, a more rockered shape, knit collar to block debris, and best-in-class PEBA midsole energy return foam. If you are running trail ultras, and want to optimize your performance to the most possible degree at any cost, Cascadia Elite would be the pick. Otherwise stick with Cascadia 20 because it’s a better value, and better daily driver.
Catamount Agil: Is an ultralight trail racing shoe that is as different as can be from Cascadia 20. The Catamount Agil have a low stack height with minimal cushioning, extremely aggressive traction, and a carbon propulsion plate. This is a niche shoe for a specific racing use case, but 99% of people would be better served by Cascadia 20.
Cascadia 19: If you loved the 19 edition of Cascadia, you will continue loving Cascadia 20. It remains an overall similarly rugged trail beast with a the same specs and design philosophy. The biggest changes are swapping to Vibram Megagrip, and the switch from DNA Loft V3 (a soft cushiony foam) to DNA Flash V2, a stiffer foam designed for higher energy return. 4mm of extra stack height are added.
More From The Cascadia Range
There is more to Cascadia than just the shoes! Don’t miss the rest of these trail running staples.
Cascadia Hydration Vest: The Brooks Cascadia Hydration Vest is decked out in an array of front and back pockets to store everything you need for a long run, including a windbreaker. It comes complete with two 500 ml soft flasks and is available in five sizes to give you that perfectly dialed-in torso hug. ($175)
Cascadia Running Belt: For a lower profile storage solution, check out the Cascadia Running Belt. It’s large enough to store your keys, wallet, snack, and a single soft flask. ($55)
Cascadia Shorts: The brief-lined Cascadia Shorts are made with an ultralight, ultra thin polyester fabric treated for antimicrobial-ness. They have six built-in gel or key sized pockets, and one rear phone pocket. Available in a men’s 5” and women’s 3” inseam. Runs loose so down if in between. ($80)
Cascadia 2-in-1 Short: Like the aforementioned Cascadia Shorts, but better! Available in a men’s 5” and women’s 3” inseam, this version swaps out the brief liner for a 4-5” inseam boxer brief liner that includes a side hip phone pocket. Otherwise same fabric and pocket configuration. Also runs loose so size down if in between. ($90)
Cascadia Tights: If you prefer a more secure fit, check out the stretchy Cascadia Men’s Half Tights (8” inseam) and Women’s Short Tights (6” inseam). These are notable for their ultra high rise, built-in storage belt, decked out in pockets to hold your valuables and snacks on a long run. ($95)
Brook Cascadia 20 Review Conclusion
Brooks Cascadia 20 makes for a great daily trail training shoe, and is exceptional when used for hiking. The reason that Brooks Cascadia has been so prominent for so long is that it’s versatile, affordable, durable, comfortable, and widely appealing in terms of stack height and drop. The 20th edition does this better than ever, and with very little to complain about, unless you demand a wide toe box or race day optimization. Happy trails.
