Canice: This was a big miss for me. I was looking or expecting a well cushioned shoe with good rebound and didn't find any of that. They felt flat and had no spring or pop when toeing off. Yes, I felt protected but that was about it.

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. If you hadn’t noticed, Brooks has been dropping some great updates and new shoes in its trail line. The Catamount is a new flashy speedster, the Divide provides some promise as an entry-level trail shoe, and the Caldera has a plush and smooth ride. Greg Pirtle (Male / 6' 0" / 180lbs / 38 years old) road and trail runner who has run everything from 5K to 100K races. Runs 70-90 training miles a week with about 20-30 of those miles being on the trail. Typically run 80-90% of my road miles easy/low HR (less than 145bpm) @ 9:00 to 9:30/mi. The famed Brooks upper The Cascadia 16 is ideal for trail runners who want a stiff, protective shoe that’s stable on varied terrain.The overlay on the tip of the toe box does not feature any drainage holes. There are slits on the sides and near the heel, but if you are a forefoot striker, the water can stay accumulated in the toe box.

The increased flexibility coupled with a softer, more generous cushion provides a smooth run on natural terrains. Canice: The upper of the Cascadia 15 is soft and flexible and seems to be simple but in truth has a lot of great features done incredibly well. The most important aspect of the Cascadia 15 is that it is comfortable. The overlays around the sides of the shoe and across the toe box are flexible and provide a great amount of durability to the upper. However, to achieve this, Brooks removed the lugs from under the midfoot. In the end, testers didn’t notice it much: there wasn’t a moment when they thought it was missing. So let’s see in the long term how opinions converge. Interestingly, Nike’s Terra Kiger 7 has gone the other way: it now includes lugs under the midfoot, which was not the case in previous versions.TAYLOR: To answer the question from before, sadly, the Brooks Cascadia 15 is more like the bighorn king who once was. I tried. I really, really tried. After reviewing the overhauled Cascadia 14 last year, I had zero interest in stepping foot in it again. I worked myself up to be excited about the 15 and was really let down again. The upper is an engineered mesh with some welded overlays to provide some extra stability and structure. The mesh is soft and flexible, which allows the shoe to hug the midfoot very well. The toe box is wide enough to be comfortable, but it isn't so wide that it's sloppy. And given the extra protective element of Gore-Tex, how does this shoe do in some sloppy and wet conditions?

Annie Behrend is a gear reviewer for iRunFar. She’s been writing about running gear since 2020. Aside from iRunFar, she’s authored and co-authored nutrition and fueling-related publications in research journals. As a registered dietitian and ultrarunner, she’s worked one-on-one with athletes, primarily runners, since 2013 to optimize performance via fueling and hydration. Based in temperate southern Oregon, Annie has year-round access to marvelous trail systems and public lands that she shares with more wildlife than she does people … the perfect paradise. I put on the Cascadias for the first time as I headed out the door for a 20 miler around Coyote Canyon here in Utah. Anything worth doing is worth overdoing amIright?! The new Brooks Cascadia 16 is more cushioned and softer at the same time. Also, its outsole offers more flexibility. The result is a smoother and more responsive run. Ah, and the legacy Pivot Post system is finally gone, without any negative impact on stability. One of the classic complaints about the Cascadia is its weight. There are so many trail shoes out there that tip the scales more positively than Brooks’ long-running legacy trail shoe.John: The mono loop mesh upper is new in this version and is a welcome upgrade. The material breathes fairly well, although, I did feel my feet getting hot in summer-like temperatures and direct sunlight. More than anything, the upper feels good on the foot. In most shoes with a seamless design without the engineered mesh upper, my forefoot will wear through on the outside bottom of the upper after 200-300 miles of running. However, despite this support, the Cascadia is not the most glamorous trail shoe out there. Also, it’s a model that has changed a lot over the years, with some versions better than others. The grip is also top-notch. Even if some reviewers note that the profile of the lugs (medium depth) may not be suitable in some rare cases (really technical terrain, such as mud), not much to complain about here.