- The Brooks Cascadia 19 proved itself on long ultra-training runs across rugged Catskills and Adirondacks terrain.
- Built with TrailTack Green rubber, a rock plate, and DNA Loft v2 cushioning, it balances durability and stability with a surprisingly lightweight feel for high-mileage adventures.
- With the Cascadia 20 arriving soon and the 19 likely heading to sale pricing, now may be the ideal time for trail runners to grab a proven workhorse before the update lands.
The Brooks Cascadia 19 spent several weeks with me getting dragged through the Catskills and Adirondacks on long ultra trail training runs, and they handled it better than I did on some of those days. We spent hours of mixed terrain: fire road, rooty singletrack, rocky technical sections that required as much strategy as athleticism, and sustained climbs that rocked my butt hard. The shoes came through. My quads have a different story.
Brooks Cascadia 19
Pros
- Lightweight
- Good on the scramble
- Great for long trail runs
Cons
- Gets a bit warm
- Not great in super dusty areas
Specs
| For | Long trail runs, technical trails, gravel |
| Weight | 10.7 oz (M), 8.9 oz (W) |
| Drop | 6 mm |
Here’s the thing though—the Cascadia 20 is coming, which means the 19s are heading to sale. If you’ve been on the fence about these, it’s your window. There’s an argument to be made for locking in a shoe you know works before a new version arrives and potentially muddies the waters.
The Specs
The Cascadia 19 is built around Brooks’s TrailTack Green rubber outsole with 4.5mm lugs, a DNA Loft v2 midsole, and BioMoGo DNA cushioning. Stack height sits at 32 mm in the heel and 24 mm in the forefoot, with an 8mm drop. There’s a rock plate in there protecting you from the nasties on the trail and that’s the kind of component that never gets thought of until it’s not there. The whole shebang comes in lighter than you’d expect for a shoe with this much underfoot protection, which is a pleasant surprise when you’re staring down a 35-mile training day.
The woven upper is decently breathable, but I am not planning on hitting 80-degree days in these; I think they’d probably run a bit warmer than I’d like for that. And the collar doesn’t have a ton of protection around it, so pea gravel and sand are not going to be your friends without a gaiter.
On the Trail
The Catskills and Adirondacks are not gentle testing environs. You get fire road, rooty singletrack, rocky technical sections that demand every bit of your brain, and long sustained climbs that will have you cursing yourself, your mother, and your ancestors. The Cascadia 19 handles all of it, which is more than can be said for your running partners. (Stares at my husband.)
Where it’s most at home is on the long runs with high mileage across varied terrain where you need the shoe to stay comfortable and functional for hours. The cushioning doesn’t pack out, the ride stays smooth, and the rocker geometry moves you forward without demanding a ton of extra effort on the push-off. It keeps you keeping on, which is about the best you can ask for.
On more technical rocky terrain it performs pretty spiffily, but honesty is important here. The Cascadia 19 is more purpose-built for covering serious ground efficiently than it is for aggressive up-and-down on genuine gnarly trail, but that being said, I never felt like I was in danger of losing my footing. That TrailTack really kept me solid in the scramble with enough flexibility to maintain my grip.
What Our Wear Tester Found
We put the Cascadia 19 in the hands of Brooke Schnell, who runs the rocky Pennsylvania Appalachian Trail and trains primarily in the Hoka Speedgoat 6.
Schnell’s first impression out of the box was the weight. “From the moment I picked up the Cascadia 19s I loved how light they felt for a trail shoe,” she said. On trail, the ride caught her attention. “The first thing I noticed was the bounce or rocking. I didn’t feel as though I had to exert extra energy on my push-offs. The rock plate did not hinder the feel under my foot as I hit the ground.”
On the outsole, where trail shoes either earn their keep or don’t, Schnell was direct. “No matter the condition of the trail or surface, whether it be wet or dry, the TrailTack grip is top-notch. The grip gives me full confidence gliding over technical sections of the trail as well as transitioning to a flat dirt or gravel section.” She called out the 4.5mm lug depth specifically—you feel them digging in on climbs and holding on descents, which is what lugs are supposed to do and yet somehow not every shoe gets right. Her final comparison to Vibram MegaGrip landed simply: “They are very comparable.” From a Speedgoat loyalist, that’s a big freaking deal.
The Bottom Line
The Cascadia 19 is a boss of an ultra training shoe that does its best work on long, varied efforts where consistency matters. You may think it’s not going to be your weapon of choice for the most technical terrain in your rotation, but you may end up grabbing them after a few scary pitches. Mostly, you’re going to choose them for the bulk of high-mileage trail training and love them. With the 20 dropping soon and sale pricing on the horizon, the case for grabbing a pair right now is pretty straightforward.
Buy Men’s Cascadia 19 | Buy Women’s Cascadia 19
Cat Bowen, senior editor of commerce; reviews, is a seasoned runner with more than 20 years of distance running experience, including dozens of marathons, half marathons, and even a few ultra marathons. For over a decade, she has tested parenting, fitness, home, and running gear and written in-depth guides to help readers with their next purchase. Holding multiple advanced degrees and currently studying kinesiology, Cat Bowen brings research-backed insight to all of her guides. Passionate about women’s health and neurodivergent inclusion, she advocates for closing research gaps and helping others—especially AudHD people—find joy in running and fitness.