When you've been making sports shoes for over a century, you know when you're onto a good thing, and that's why Brooks keeps coming back to its near-legendary Cascadia trail running shoe.
The Seattle-based brand just dropped details of the next iteration of the popular line, the Brooks Cascadia 19, which it says is its most advanced trail shoe to date.
The very first Brooks Cascadia trail running shoe was designed with ultra running legend Scott Jurek, and released all the way back in 2004, only a year after the first UTMB race and before trail runners had their choice of shoes built specifically for rough terrain. It allowed the brand to position itself at the forefront of the trail scene and the shoe was such a success that it was re-issued last month.
Technology has come a long way in the last 24 years, and Brooks keeps finding ways to improve upon the design of the Cascadia. It's calling the 19 the most versatile yet, with testers describing it as "the multitool for trail runners."
What's new?
The main headline with the 19 seems to be the updated Trail Adapt System, which is the brand's proprietary system of cushioning, outsole, and rock plate that's designed to provide stability and protection on uneven surfaces. The Cascadia 18 featured the Trail Adapt System, but now the brand says it's been improved to include "a co-molded Ballistic Rock Shield" which basically increases your comfort on rocky trails by protecting your feet.
As far as cushioning goes, the official specs show a healthy 35mm wedge of softer, nitrogen-infused DNA LOFT v3 cushioning, which allows for more flexibility underfoot without sacrificing control. The 19 has an added 2mm of height under the heel, but the total drop remains modest at just 6mm.
Upgrades have also been made on the sustainability front. The redesigned TrailTack Green outsole is now made with 25% recycled rubber and sports 4.5mm lugs to help with traction and control. Overall, the 19 uses more recycled materials than its predecessors and is a CarbonNeutral certified product.
In design, the brand is clearly going after runners who want to explore more technical terrain than they could do in a style like the lightweight Catamount, whether that's scree slopes or slick switchbacks, but don't need something as aggressive as the Caldera.
Despite the added tech, it's on the lighter end of trail shoes we've tested, with an average weight of just10.5oz (300g) for men's sizing and 9oz (256g) for women's.
The Brooks Cascadia 19 is out August 1 for $150 / £135 at Brooks with a Gore-Tex version available.
