Brooks shoes being one of the most iconic running shoe brands in the world, has now started to become a choice for hikings too. But since running and hiking are two different activities, people are now wondering if Brooks are good for hiking or not.
Some of the Brooks shoes are definitely good for hiking. Brooks Cascadia range is known to offer the best hiking experience for the breathable mesh, lacing, longtime durability and more. Other than this, Brooks Catamount and Brooks Caldera are also considered two options for hiking due to their flexibility and durability.
If you want to know more about the Brooks shoes, specially for hiking, make sure to stick till the end.
✤ Do Brooks Make Hiking Shoes?
Hiking is an amazing lifetime experience and to make it more amazing, Brooks shoes company do make hiking shoes, from which Brooks Cascadia are the most renowned ones.
The Cascadia Brooks shoes are overall known as trail running shoes but the grip, stability, cushioned sole and long durability has made it overall a perfect choice for hiking.
The Brooks Catamount and Brooks Cascadia after Brooks Cascadia range are offering utmost comfort and perfect cushioning for long time running and hiking enthusiasts.
✤ Are Brooks Shoes Good for Hiking?
Brooks shoes are definitely good for hiking but not all of them can provide the same comfort to you. The Brooks Cascadia , Brooks Catamount and Brooks Caldera 6 are now gaining attention for some of their features for hiking:
______ Advantages ______
• Ample cushioning:
The cushioning of the Brooks hiking shoes are perfect to provide your feet utmost comfort and protection at the same time.
It provides the bounce and protects feet from rocks and roots and helps to keep your feet stable by pushing it inwards.
• Stability:
The stability of Brooks hiking shoes are amazing as it allows your feet to perfectly stabilize itself inside the shoe for long periods of time.
While hiking, it’s extremely important that your feet are kept in place and not moving too much. That way you can handle yourself while walking or climbing a sturdy pathway.
The Brooks hiking shoes allow you to keep your feet inside the midsole foam walls, alongside other materials, providing a stable hiking experience
• Trailtack outsole:
The TraiTack outsole helps providing grips and doesn’t let the rocks or roots make the walking experience uneven.
The outsole allows switching from wet pathways to the roads or pavements easily due to strong grip with the surface.
The grip does not get affected with any surface materials, though can be a bit slippery which however won’t affect your hiking experience.
The durability of these outsoles are fantastic and they don’t wear away with time even after going through rough road conditions.
______ Disadvantages ______
• Cushioning:
The cushioning in midsole can also make your feet sweat due to the thick layer in the long hiking times.
• Slippery:
Due to the wet soils or muds on the road, or roots and rocks, your Brooks might get slippery with time. This is a big concern as while climbing any hills, you may slip off.
✤ Can You Wear Running Shoes for Hiking?
You can wear running shoes for hiking and there is no “NO” for that. But there are some facts that you need to keep in which are:
- Waterproofness
- Traction
- Support
• Waterproofness
When hiking, you need to carry waterproof shoes as without it you cannot cover a long distance. If you know that the weather is supposed to be rainy, make sure to make your shoes waterproof.
• Traction
The traction is needed to be in a shoe as without it, the roots or the rocks or the hard paths will cause damage to you walking shoe.
In this case, you need to buy a shoe that has super stable traction.
• Support
The hiking shoes are made in a way that provides ample support to your feet and stabilizes it in the long run. Hence your walking shoes also need to provide equal support and stability and keep your feet positioned perfectly.
You can also read our article, are Brooks good for walking?
✤ Is Brooks Cascadia Good for Hiking?
Brooks Cascadia is absolutely a great choice for hiking due to their stability, fitting, durability and breathability. For any light or ong hiking experience, Brooks Cascadia can survive for a long time while providing extra comfort to your whole hiking journey.
☛ What Are The Best Brooks Shoes For Hiking?
There are many Brooks Cascadia which are good for hiking, and among them we have listed only the best few, which are:
- Brooks Cascadia 12
- Brooks Cascadia 13
- Brooks Cascadia 14
- Brooks Cascadia 15
- Brooks Cascadia 16
✦ Brooks Cascadia 12
Brooks Cascadia 12 shoe is an old release of Cascadia range and it has been surviving like hiking shoes for a long time now.
• Uppers
The uppers of Brooks Cascadia 12 has a durable plastic layer that has been applied to the lower half of it. This unique design has made the uppers more stronger by strengthening it and allows for more stability and durability.
• Soles
The soles of the Brooks Cascadia 12 can survive for a long period of time. The material of the soles are durable and it provides great traction for hiking.
• Non-Breathable
The Brooks Cascadia 12 are non breathable as some part of the mesh of the shoe has been covered to make it more durable. This now does not allow any room for a lot of air passing through the shoe.
However the air can pass through slowly and make the shoe dry but not as fast as other Cascadia’s.
✦ Brooks Cascadia 13
The Brooks Cascadia 13 shoes are very breathable, stable, fast drying and comfortable.
• Uppers
The uppers of Brooks Cascadia 13 are very soft and anchored to a stable and ankled sole that prevents your ankle from rolling.
• Tongues and heel cup
The Brooks Cascadia 13 has both hydrophobic mesh tongues and heel cup that helps to remove sweat or the presence of water from the shoe easily.
This also makes your feet cool and comfortable, preventing any blister formation.
• Laces
The lacing system of Brooks Cascadia 13 is separated from the inner sock and it prevents the laces from creating any pressure on top of the foot.
The laces allow for a secure grip by pulling side walls near the inner sock and making your feet stable in a particular direction.
The lace pocket in front allows you to keep your laces inside it to keep the laces clean all along the hiking.
• Soles
The soles are very rigid with shallow lugs. These soles provide amazing traction but sometimes can become slippery due to wet or muddy surfaces..
• Toe Box
The Brooks Cascadia 13 comes with a wide toe box that helps your toes to splay out. The front of the toe box has a toe kick that is integrated into the sole.
You can also check our article, are Brooks good for wide feet?
✦ Brooks Cascadia 14
The Brooks Cascadia 14 has now become a new companion for light hiking and trail running.
• Upper
The upper of the Brooks Cascadia 14 has a breathable open mesh with a unique cordura rand wrap. This gives full protection and stability to the shoe.
The upper is breathable and dries easily when wet or sweaty.
• Fitting
The Brooks Cascadia 14 runs true to size and the midfoot can fit really well as the shoe expands accordingly.
• Heels
The Brooks Cascadia 14 heels have very nice padding. A stiff half counter can be found in the heel area, and it extends all the way up to the seam tape on the rear of the shoe. This counter offers a high degree of stability as well as excellent lateral support.
• Tongues
The Tongue of the Brooks Cascadia 14 wraps the midfoot perfectly and provides comfortness as well. However, The tongue does not have a complete gusset, and there are holes on both sides of the toe box base.
• Toe box
Brooks employs a TrailTak material with a trapezoid lug arrangement for the outsole of the Cascadia 14 running shoe. The TrailTak is rigid and has shown itself to be exceptionally long-lasting.
On surfaces that are both smooth and moist, the outsole is a touch too stiff. The outsole performs exceptionally well on terrains that are dry and rough.
The deep lugs are made of a sturdy material that performs admirably on talus, sand, hardpack, and dry soil.
✦ Brooks Cascadia 15
Brooks Cascadia 15 is now very durable and stable from all the other Cascadia’s.
• Uppers
The top is constructed of monoloop mesh, which, in conjunction with the additional mudguard slots, combines to promote ventilation and drainage.
Because it is breathable, there is more area for air to enter, and as a result, any moisture, such as perspiration or water, dries out more rapidly.
• Outsole
The outsole of Brooks Cascadia 15 has TrailTack rubber material that provides excellent grip. This outsole does not allow any roks or roots to bind with the shoe and prevents from making the shoe slippery.
• Protection
The Brooks Cascadia 15 has BioMoGo DNA cushion with a Ballistic Rock Shield that prevents bruising of the soles. Thus you can go for a long hike without caring much about your shoe.
✦ Brooks Cascadia 16
The Brooks Cascadia 16 with a wild base is an amazing hiking shoe that helps you to go for long walks and runs as well.
• DNA Loft midsole
The DNA Loft midsole provides ample cushioning and helps to reduce stiffness for the outsole.
The deep grooves found in the midsole helps in cushioning.
The deep channels on the sidewalls of the midsoles compresses and transitions when you land or walk in it.
The wider midsole of Cascadia 16 compared to Cascadia 15 makes it very stable while hiking. This also allows a secure positioning of your feet inside the shoe.
• Stability
The cushioning of Cascadia 16 seems firm but it’s very gentle and soft when you walk in it. Thus it alongside the midsole helps provide stability.
The bottom of the Cascadia 16 is surrounded by rock plate and rubber outsole and yet the unique design allows a comfortable riding experience.
• Outsole
The outsole of Cascadia 16 has a groove splitting under rearfoot alongside grooves found under and sideways of the midfoot.
The grooves in the longitudinal position helps in moving your feet freely. The grooved design helps maintain cushioning softness and provides overall grip.
• Fitting
The Cascadia 16 does not run true to size and might be a good option for people with wide feet more. People with narrow feets might need to go one size down or wear socks with it.
✦ Brooks Caldera
The Brooks Caldera shoe range is a perfect choice for making your hiking experience memorable. This recently launched shoe is highly comfortable and has perfect cushioning for any rough hiking experience. The fitting though is however not true to size.
• The DNA Loft v3 midsole
The DNA Loft v3 midsole is made up of soft materials yet they are not too gentle for your feet. Your feet will not sink inside the foam while walking or running, thus it makes the shoe very responsive.
The midsole is capable of absorbing long hiking or trail runnings as well. It makes the feet stay in its place while assuring the utmost protection for a long time.
The Brooks Caldera is stable while having a chunky midsole beside. The midsole with honeycomb top layer makes your feet stay in a single place and does not let it move.
This is not uncomfortable as the midsole descends towards the ground and thus widens with each step and thus the foot becomes stabilized.
• Tongues
The tongue of Brooks Caldera is extremely comfortable and non slippery, making it the best setup for any kind of hiking experience.
• Fitting
The fitting of Brooks Caldera is not true to its size. The size literally goes half a size down to the actual size of your feet.
✦ Brooks Catamount
The lightweight Brooks Catamount is another amazing choice for hiking. The traction of this shoe does not allow for rocks or roots while walking or running due to its stickiness.
The TrailTrack made outsole is made up of grippy rubber that allows smooth walking or running for upto 50+ miles. The durability is amazing as well.
• DNA flash foam
The DNA flash foam infused with nitrogen with a rock plate is what makes the midsole of this shoe. The midsole gives proper bouncing and helps speed up the running or walking while providing extra comfort.
• Support
The Brooks Catamount allows your feet staying in a stable position inside the midsole and hard internal heel counter.
Synthetic suede strips stretch midsole to the lace loops, thus preventing rollovers.
• Tongues
The tongues of the Brooks Catamount is an open cell foam with honeycomb pattern. This open cell foam helps to relieve the pressure and makes hiking more enjoyable.
• Fused TPU mudguard
The fused TPU mudguard is an amazing material specially for the rainy season. As these mudguards actually allow the removal of water through the holes, making it wearable in muddy or rainy areas.
• Fitting
The Broos Catamount are true to size. People with wide feets get the best support and ample room for toe splay.
✤ Are Brooks Shoes Good for Everyday Use?
Some of the Brooks shoes, such as – Brooks Ghost or Brooks Adrenaline can be a great choice for everyday choice. Both of these provide durability and longer stability that makes them great fit for anyone who wants to wear them all day, everyday.
you can also check our article, how to spot fake Brooks shoes?
Summary
Brooks shoes are an amazing choice for hiking, walking or trail running. The special hiking range of Brooks, Brooks Cascadia alongside Brooks Catamount and Caldera can make your every hiking journey memorable and enjoyable. You can also go for walking shoes if those contain some unique features that are necessary for hiking. Thus, you can assure a perfect hiking experience for a lifetime.