Brooks Cascadia 20 Review

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The Brooks Cascadia 20 ($160) trail running shoes arrived on my front porch as I was loading up my truck to head to Montana for the Crazy Mountain 100 Mile. I’d packed a couple of shoe options for the race but wasn’t feeling enthusiastic about any of them, so I tossed the new Cascadia in. I’d worn the Cascadia 18 out of the box to pace a friend at the Western States 100 a few years back, and I’d put hundreds of miles on both the 18 and 19, so I figured, why not?

I didn’t start the Crazy Mountain 100 in the Cascadia, but by mile 19, I knew the shoes I’d chosen were going to cause carnage to my toes, so I switched and ran the final 80 miles in the Cascadia 20. I’d done a few shakeout runs by then, so they weren’t truly out of the box, but pretty close.

Over the past 20-plus years that the Cascadia has existed, Brooks has made subtle adjustments, gradually evolving the popular trail running shoe into its current form. With this newest version, key changes include an update to its nitrogen-infused midsole foam, four millimeters of additional cushioning (after adding cushion from the 18 to the 19, as well), and a new Vibram Megagrip outsole. The Cascadia 20 has 38 millimeters of stack height under the heel and 32 millimeters under the forefoot, with a 6-millimeter heel-to-toe drop. The shoe has an actual weight of 10.3 ounces (292 grams) for a U.S. men’s 9.

The Cascadia has been included in our Best Trail Running Shoes guide for years.

Shop the Women's Brooks Cascadia 20Shop the Men's Brooks Cascadia 20

Brooks Cascadia 20 Upper

The Brooks Cascadia 20 upper is built with breathable mesh, a 3D-print overlay mudguard, and a TPU toe cap on the front. The padded tongue is held in place with an internal midfoot wrap, which also helps lock down the midfoot. Flat laces can be tucked out of the way under a small elastic strap on top of the shoe. The heel cup has some cushioning around the collar, and it cradles the heel nicely, though I wouldn’t mind if my heel sat a little deeper in the shoe.

I’m usually a women’s size 9.5 or 10, and I wear size 10 in the Cascadia. The shoe’s last is traditional, with a middle-of-the-road toebox. I have enough room so that my toes aren’t hitting the front of the shoe, yet my foot also remains fairly secure in the shoe. I get a more secure lockdown in other shoes I’ve tested, but I don’t have any complaints about how these fit. I’ve now put 120 miles on these shoes — on some very challenging trail and off-trail surfaces — and my toes have remained happy, and I haven’t experienced any hot spots. The upper around the inside heel on both shoes is showing wear, though this is a common wear spot across many of the trail running shoes I wear.

I had ample opportunity to test the Cascadia 20’s draining and drying capabilities during the Crazy Mountain 100 as I splashed through countless creeks throughout the entire course and dunked in every alpine lake possible during the heat of the day. Every shoe squishes a little after being submerged in water, and I was satisfied with how quickly the Cascadia returned to feeling fairly normal and dry.

Brooks Cascadia 20 Midsole

Another notable update for the Brooks Cascadia 20 is the midsole material. Previously, in the Brooks Cascadia 19 (review), and all the way back to the Cascadia 16, the midsole incorporated Brooks DNA Loft foam, which testing proved to be soft and comfortable over many miles, though some iRunFar team members noted it felt less responsive than other trail running shoes. With the Cascadia 20, Brooks replaced the DNA Loft with its DNA Flash V2 midsole material.

Like the DNA Loft, the DNA Flash V2 is nitrogen-infused, though it’s claimed to be lighter, slightly less plush, and more responsive than the Loft. Interestingly, Brooks also added four millimeters of cushioning to the midsole. The Cascadia’s Trail Adapt Technology, which features a wide base for stability and flexibility where the foot naturally bends from heel to forefoot, remains unchanged from the 19th version. With the addition of more foam underfoot, Brooks removed the forefoot rockplate of the prior versions.

The Crazy Mountain 100 provided perfect testing grounds for any trail shoe. The course included runnable singletrack, technical and rocky mountain passes, steep climbs and descents, and many creek crossings. When I first switched shoes, the Cascadia felt noticeably stiffer than what I was wearing, and this took some getting used to — though it’s possible the shoes were not fully broken in yet. For the most part, my foot remained securely locked in throughout 80 miles, and the shoe felt responsive enough on technical descents yet comfortable for more than 25 hours.

Brooks Cascadia 20 Outsole

Finally, one more big change for the Brooks Cascadia 20 is the replacement of the previous Brooks TrailTack Green compound with Vibram Megagrip, which is a well-known outsole material and arguably the highest standard among trail running shoes. The 4-millimeter lug depth is unchanged from the Cascadia 19, though the multi-directional lug design is slightly different.

Vibram Megagrip is known for providing excellent traction on both wet and dry ground. I’ve also found that it offers superior grip on snow. Over mountain passes, across talus fields, and through creeks, the Cascadia 20 provided excellent traction. Even over the Crazy Mountain 100’s infamous Sunlight Pass, which most runners cross in the dark, the shoe gripped the thin layer of pebbles over packed dirt on the steep mountainside. I felt confident in my footing every step of the way.

I always thought the previous outsole was good, but this is definitely an upgrade. I would trust the Cascadia 20 on any mountain terrain that I’d consider running.

Brooks Cascadia 20 Overall Impressions

I’ve been fortunate to test the last few versions of the Cascadia line, and I’m convinced that the newest Brooks Cascadia 20 is the best version yet. In my experience, this shoe has evolved from a clunky and kind of “meh” trail running shoe to one of my favorites. It’s a great option for everyday trail running or a mountain ultra, and it’s a great value for the price.

Personally, I’d still want to keep a lightweight, bouncy, and snappy shoe in the rotation for workout days, but the Cascadia 20 is an excellent choice for just about everything else.

Shop the Women's Brooks Cascadia 20Shop the Men's Brooks Cascadia 20

Call for Comments

• Have you run in the Brooks Cascadia 20 or any of its predecessors? What did you think?
• What’s your favorite trail running shoe?

Our Favorite Trail Running Shoes

Check out our Best Trail Running Shoes article to learn about our current favorite trail running shoes!

Brooks Cascadia 20 Review by Alli Miles.