This year Brooks, thanks to an extremely high-performance, “phenomenal” product, has stirred excitement across the whole lineup and made more people start paying attention to—and anticipating—what this “running-shoe heavyweight” will bring to trail running next. To tell the origin of its lineup, we have to start with the Cascadia (山岩) Elite. It debuted at the Western States 100 trail race in June 2025. Chris Myers wore it to post the fourth-fastest time in the event’s history and take second place. The midsole uses 100% PEBA-based foam, balancing downhill cushioning with outstanding energy return. More interestingly, it uses a horseshoe-shaped, carbon-injected plate with the opening facing the toe, balancing propulsion and agility on technical sections and helping the thick stack remain stable across varied terrain. The outsole and upper materials are top-tier as well. The Vibram MEGAGRIP Elite outsole holds firm even on wet, smooth tile in tests. Trail shoes equipped with this outsole can be counted on one hand. The upper uses Matryx engineered mesh blended with Kevlar fiber, so you don’t have to worry about upper durability once you head into the mountains; there’s also a gusseted sock design to keep debris out. It balances cushioning, grip, and stability just right, easily handling the demands of mid-to-long-distance surfaces. The Cascadia 20 is currently the latest product in the Cascadia line. A thicker, single-piece, lighter and more responsive DNA FLASH v2 improves comfort and return for short-to-mid distance trail runs. It also keeps up with the times by adopting a widened MEGAGRIP outsole and adding flex grooves in key bending areas to increase flexibility, improving the shoe’s terrain adaptability and stability. The Catamount (山猫) 4 is a lightweight model aimed at short-to-mid distance trail running with a slightly racing-oriented character. If you need a pure short-distance race shoe, there’s the Catamount Agil; because it’s hard to acquire, we won’t elaborate here. A “split-toe” Pebax propulsion plate paired with DNA FLASH v2 foam makes the ride lighter and more agile, which helps on technical terrain. But the in-house rubber with 3.5mm lug depth may require caution for traction in muddy conditions. The Caldera (山啸) 8 is a more accessible mid-to-long distance cushioned trail shoe. Unlike other cushioned trail shoes, the Caldera puts effort not only into cushioning but also into stability and technical-terrain adaptability. DNA LOFT v3 provides ample cushioning; an upward-turned midfoot high sidewall effectively improves support and security; the widened outsole and 4mm lug depth let it handle various conditions with relative ease. The Ghost (幽灵) Trail is a light trail shoe based on the versatile Ghost series; a 3mm lug depth is sufficient for conditions from city to countryside, and it carries over the running feel of the Ghost 18. The Cascadia Elite’s success in the trail running world has generated huge buzz for Brooks—will they deliver more standout products in the future? #Brooks #trailrunning #trailrunningshoes #TrailRunningExplosion