The Brooks Cascadia 17 ($140) guarantees versatility on “any path,” a worthy aspiration for a path working shoe.
My entryway is at the moment the house of my excessively foamy path sneakers, my path sneakers with spikes, my luggy path sneakers, my mud-specific path sneakers, my path sneakers that dry quick, and extra. Whether or not my toes really feel beat up, are headed to snow, sliding down shale, or dancing with excessive tide, I’ve a go-to shoe — nevertheless it’s not often the identical shoe.
So, can the Brooks Cascadia 17, which presents 8 millimeters of drop and has an precise weight of 11.5 ounces (325 grams) in U.S. males’s dimension 9, reside as much as its declare? Up to date stabilizing expertise and enhanced traction on this mannequin are positive giving it the school attempt.
We love the Brooks Cascadia 17 a lot that it’s a high choose in our Finest Path Operating Footwear information.
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The Brooks Cascadia 17. All pictures: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Brooks Cascadia 17 Higher
The composition of the Brooks Cascadia 17 higher seems much like its predecessor. Single-layer resilient mesh is encompassed by a TPU toe cap and dust guard, which each present safety and sturdiness.
The mesh on this mannequin is PrintDyed, a course of that apparently saves a major quantity of power and water in comparison with the standard dye course of.
I ran a number of miles in these sneakers on the Northern California Misplaced Coast Path this spring; whereas it wasn’t truly raining, the coastal drip and relentless foliage had us saturated. In distinction to the sneakers I had worn the day prior via these distinctive coastal components, the Cascadia 17 drained effectively, awarded me zero blisters, and dried utterly in a single day below the vestibule of my tent.
The sneakers lace up simply over a gusseted tongue and stay tied. Whereas slippy laces was a problem I skilled with the Cascadia 15 — right here’s our Brooks Cascadia 15 overview for reference — this appears resolved now. A stretchy lace keeper is located two thirds of the best way down the tongue for those who need some additional safety in that regard.
The sneakers have housed my slim midfoot properly whereas the toebox continues to comfortably accommodate my ever-prominent bunions. Nonetheless, fellow testers on the iRunFar workforce have reported a barely sloppier match via the midfoot in comparison with the previous two renditions. I run most of my miles with customized orthotics, which the sneakers accommodate very effectively, however may fill the additional roominess famous by others.
The Cascadia 17 will not be made with a built-in gaiter, nevertheless it does have back and front attachment factors to safe gaiters to for those who want to use them.
After roughly 100 miles of testing, via a formidable quantity of moisture and aggressive vegetation, the uppers are trying pretty much as good as new.
A lateral view of the Brooks Cascadia 17.
Brooks Cascadia 17 Midsole
Brooks’s DNA LOFT v2 foam was added to the Cascadia 16 — look again at our Brooks Cascadia 16 overview — for improved consolation and stays on this present mannequin, the Brooks Cascadia 17.
What’s new is the Path Adapt System, which makes use of an built-in midsole, rock plate, and outsole for enhanced management and stability. The rock plate is housed between two layers of the DNA LOFT v2 foam in an effort to offer the required safety whereas additionally preserving flexibility within the shoe.
If I evaluate my skill to manually flex the shoe subsequent to a highway shoe, there may be definitely much less flex. Nonetheless, as has virtually at all times been my expertise with Brooks, the Cascadia 17 continues to show comfortable proper out of the field, requiring no break-in time.
As talked about, a drop of 8 millimeters has been maintained over the previous few fashions of the Cascadia.
A medial view of the Brooks Cascadia 17.
Brooks Cascadia 17 Outsole
The Brooks Cascadia 17 TrailTack outsole has been up to date to what’s now referred to as TrailTack Inexperienced Rubber, made with 25% recycled content material and designed to offer versatile traction on moist and dry surfaces.
Whereas testing these sneakers, I used to be delighted to find that the 4.5-millimeter lugs are oriented to imitate the anatomy of mountain-goat hooves for traction. Whereas I didn’t persuade my favourite yard goat to take them for a spin, seems the lugs and her hooves do in truth look lots alike. I plan to race her up our native peak erelong to additional take a look at simply how effectively Brooks executed this marvelous little supply of inspiration.
The Brooks Cascadia 17 is goat permitted. Picture: iRunFar/Annie Behrend
The forefoot outsole is cut up to be able to present higher grip on uneven surfaces. I’ve had the pleasure of working on most surfaces within the Cascadia 17 with none slip and slide of word. Their snow publicity has been fairly restricted to the upper elevation residual June drifts and nothing intensive; I’d possible return to my quiver for one thing a bit extra aggressive if planning to run for a protracted interval on snow.
Circling again to Brooks’s efforts to create a shoe appropriate for “any path,” I’d additionally argue that the Cascadia 17 is loads snug to tackle and off highway in case your commute to the path requires a little bit of pavement.
The outsole of the Brooks Cascadia 17.
Brooks Cascadia 17 General Impressions
Any model of the Brooks Cascadia — together with the Brooks Cascadia 17 — will little doubt at all times be a fairly secure possibility; the corporate’s efforts to ship versatility and luxury via this shoe’s many iterations have constantly meshed with my working type.
I’ve traditionally valued the Cascadia like a reliable commuter automobile, reliably match for many terrain and a value level that almost all are prepared to pay for. The trouble of precisely predicting situations and selecting the proper path shoe has one among my working buddies merely throwing up her arms and reverting again to her favourite cushioned highway sneakers to run all of the issues. Whereas they’re not as fluffy as my marshmallow sneakers, as stealthy or aggressive on the outsole as my technical path and dust sneakers, as nice on snow as my studded sneakers, or as versatile as my highway sneakers, they’re one pair of sneakers that may run on most surfaces effectively.
Should you’re out there for simplicity, these could also be value your whereas.
Do try our Finest Path Operating Footwear information, to see why we’ve named this one of many high path trainers and see how we evaluate the Brooks Cascadia 17 to different high sneakers in the marketplace.
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A high view of the Brooks Cascadia 17.