Article by Sam Winebaum
Brooks Cascadia Elite ($275)
Introduction
The Cascadia Elite is Brooks’ first entry in the trail super shoe category designed for faster paced ultra running. My definition of a trail super shoe is that it has a high stack height (approaching 40mm at the heel), supercritical foams, a plate of some kind (but not always) and weighs under 10 oz / 280 or so. Current competitors in the class include Hoka’s Tecton X and Rocket X Trail, Terrex’s Speed Ultra, ASICS MetaFuji, and On’s Cloudultra Pro.
The Cascadia Elite fits the bill with a stack height of just under 40 mm at the heel and 34mm at the forefoot with the weight of the US M9 sample 9.7 oz / 276g. Its midsole foam is Brooks DNA Gold PEBA compound and is the same as in the road marathon racer Hyperion Elite 5.
It differs from several but not all of its competitors in having a carbon infused PEBAX horseshoe shaped plastic plate instead of a carbon plate. The non full carbon plate is a consciously considered choice along with a notably broad 100 mm heel / 90 mm midfoot platform.
As a result, I found in my testing that the Elite has a broader pace range and is more stable/adaptable to technical terrain than most of its competitors. And not to worry about its speed Chris Myers ran to 2nd place in one of fastest times in Western States history in his Cascadia Elites
The outsole is Vibram’s new Megagrip Elite compound with 3-4mm lugs.
The upper is a Matryx mesh with a generous fit and superb hold.
To date, I have run them at UTMB in Chamonix where I received my pair, in New Hampshire on a mix of gravel and pavement and on smoother Park City single tracks.
Pros:
Ultra max cushion friendly riding and fitting trail shoe for elites.. and the rest of us
Very light at 9.7 oz / 276g US9 given its 40/36 stack height, broad platform, and full coverage Stable consistent ride feel: no sharp edges, no special learning curve or particular strike needed
Deep forgiving cushion with a well integrated PEBAX plastic plate with some flex
Light, totally supportive, debris proof, comfortable Matryx upper
Technical trails capable (at slower paces)
Versatile Megagrip Elite outsole
Cons:
If you’re out for an hour or two quicker run you may find it a bit ponderous, even if for sure light
Notably broad midfoot platform (and heel) lead to a flattish (but very stable) slower to transition rear feel than competitors
A narrower platform and slightly lower stack height could reduce weight and increase agility
Very noisy outsole on hard surfaces
Stats
Approx. Weight: men's 9.7 oz / 276g
Sample Weight: men’s 9.7 oz / 276g US9
Stack Height: 39.85 mm heel / 33.85mm forefoot
Platform Width: 100 mm heel / 90 mm midfoot / 115 mm forefoot
$275. Available March 2026
Most comparable shoes
Hoka Rocket X Trail
On Cloudultra Pro
Nike ACG Ultrafly 2
Terrex Speed Ultra 2
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
The upper is a Matryx mesh with a stretch knit tongue which extends to the rear to form a debris collar (and a very effective one)
The Matryx mesh is single layer, thin, very densely woven for debris resistance yet still in my testing very breathable. The vertical gray stitching are Kevlar fibers.
The inner heel and ankle area is amply and quite softly padded for a race shoe with a black soft fabric lining the rear of the shoe with no further lining further forward
The heel hold is superb, important given the 40mm heel height.
The stretch knit tongue has a central pad and is equipped with “krinkle” cut laces which assure a solid never have had to adjust hold. It extends to the rear to form the collar. There is no gusset and none is needed.
The toe box construction is particularly excellent. Not overly broad or narrow but notably high, the combination of Matryx mesh and some short toe bumper overlays lock me in perfectly here with plenty of foot splay, no squeezing or sloppiness again, all vital given the big 34mm front stack height.
My sample is a US9, so half size up from my normal and fits my narrow to medium foot just right. Most should do the same and size up a half especially if you plan is to run long distances in heat in the Elite.
Much as with the ride, the fit is consistent, smooth and comfortable with great hold, plenty of room and no “sharp angles”, or inappropriate from trail run purposes sloppiness.
Midsole & Platform
The midsole foam is Brooks DNA Gold PEBA compound, the same as in their road marathon racer the Hyperion Elite 5. Sandwiched between two layers of DNA Gold , with both layers to pressing and on the run feeling the same density/softness, is a carbon infused PEBAX plastic Speedvault+ plate.
Prototype plate: note the wider medial midfoot for support as well as wider big toe width for push off
The plate is horseshoe shaped and really more of an elongated U shape than a traditional plate.
Brooks introduces Cascadia Elite at UTMB 2025
The difference between this approach and a full plate. or even partial full carbon parallel plates, is clearly felt. The plate disappears in the shoe. The midfoot is not overly springy at slower paces, the geometry does dictate a mid to forefoot strike and the RapidRoll rocker spring forward is comparatively mellow yet effective. With a 40mm heel / 34mm full stack height there is plenty of forgiving and dynamic cushioning for long efforts
When combined with the broad platform, and especially the broad 100mm heel and 90 mm midfoot dimensions, the plate foam combination is the most stable of any supershoe I have tested.
The underfoot feel is consistent through the stack height (no plate harshness or preferred stride type) with the ride similar at all paces. No big bouncy (Rocket X Trail) or aggressively springy (Terrex Speed Ultra) sensations in the Elite but a solid, well planted and smooth flow at any pace and over time.
Outsole
The outsole is Vibram’s latest and greatest Megagrip Elite on Litebase. Only the 2024 Norda 005 has had Elite to date.
Here the 3-4mm lugs are enhanced with Traction Lug mini lugs on the front facing surfaces at the heel for braking and rear facing surfaces at the front for toe off traction. The design and compound clearly helps reduce weight with rubber the heaviest material in a running shoe,
The traction is fantastic on all surfaces to date with the broad lugs also having plenty of contact for firm surfaces.
The rising sections at midfoot, a common Vibram design, help with midfoot stability and the Elite has plenty of that even with its big stack height as it is also notably broad at 90mm at midfoot..
In a small negative, will say this is one of the noisiest midsoles on road I can recall, likely due to the full coverage (except for some circular cut outs) and the very broad platform.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Brooks has created a max cushion ultra shoe for elites.. and for the rest of us much as they did in their Hyperion Elite 5 road marathon shoe. The weight is low for the stack height and broad platform. The foams are top notch as is the MegaGrip Elite outsole. The Matryx upper is generous in fit yet totally secure.
You will find more “exciting” ultra trail shoe rides as the feel here is consistent no matter the pace and terrain, very stable and somewhat flat feeling. The Elite has no sharp edges, no prescriptive certain way to run it, and no narrow agenda of being a shoe designed just for one course and or one athlete. As such, it is not as exciting as say the very aggressive firm and narrow platform super forefoot focused Terrex Speed Ultra or the giant stacked roll and bounce off the front Rocket X Trail.
In the end, while it may lack a bit in “character” it has been a super practical and friendly super trail shoe option and one I do not hesitate to lace up for any kind of trail run.
Sam’s Score: 9.3 /10
Ride (30%): 9.1 consistent, versatile, leg friendly and easy all paces and terrains but lacking some pizazz
Fit (30%): 9.6 total support, total comfort
Value (10%): 8.7 at $275 pricey but versatility for both training and racing
Style (5%): 8.8 white for trail? with big branding a bit overdone and quickly dirty
Traction (15%): 9.4 MegaGrip Elite is performant, light, durable and versatile
Rock Protection (10%): 9.7 deep foam and outsole provides plenty
😊😊😊 ½ consistent, reliable, versatile but not the most exciting
Video Description and Mini Review after 1st Run at UTMB
Sam is the Editor and Founder of Road Trail Run. He is in his 60’s with 2025 Sam’s 54th year of running roads and trails. He has a decades old 2:28 marathon PR. These days he runs halves in the just sub 1:43 range if he gets very, very lucky. Sam trains 30-40 miles per week mostly at moderate paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah be it on the run, hiking or on nordic skis. He is 5’9” tall and weighs about 160 lbs, if he is not enjoying too many fine New England IPA’s.
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