Hikers shopping for new trail shoes face a bewildering array of choices. Boots or trail runners? What about stack height, drop, and stability?
Ultimately, the choice is personal. Your trail partner might like a zero drop shoe, but you might be more comfortable in a shoe with a higher drop.
This year I’ve tested three hiking shoes with very different attributes. And because I have flat feet and land heel first when walking, I tested higher-drop shoes that have more arch support. Here’s a look at the three.
Brooks Cascadia 16
An update this year of the popular Cascadia. Brooks shaved some ounces off the Cascadia, and increased the stack height by 2mm. The result is a light-on-your-feet trail runner that relentlessly grips rocks and gives all-day comfort.
HOKA ONE ONE Anacapa Mid GTX
Also new this year, the low- and mid-cut Anacapa build on HOKA’s thickly cushioned, lightweight hikers. The mid-cut shoes, which I tested, are a smart choice for someone who likes the above-ankle grip of a boot but wants the lightweight flexibility of a trail runner.
Vasque Breeze LT NTX
A new mid-cut boot from Vasque that’s light yet provides some of a higher-cut boot’s stiff, solid cushioning. The shoe’s water resistance keeps your feet dry until you step in a deep puddle.
Why the Cascadia?
These shoes can take the worst a trail can offer. On muddy, rocky miles on Vermont’s Long Trail I rock-hopped through mud when I could, and slogged through mud and water when I couldn’t. My feet got wet but still felt comfortable through it all. Bonus points: I didn’t get any blisters.
I’m committed to trail runners, and these checked all the boxes for me.
Weight: 9.5 ounces women’s, 10.6 ounces men’s per shoe. The lightest shoe by far in this comparison.
Drop: 8mm. 18mm/26mm women’s; 21mm/29mm men’s. I have found that with flat feet I need a high-drop shoe. Anything less than 5mm doesn’t provide enough arch support and hurts my feet.
Stack Height: 26mm women’s; 29mm men’s. A lot of cushion for anything from trail running to rocky hiking.
Outsole: Soft and elastic, flexing with the terrain. Rockplate.
Water Resistance: No water resistant fabric treatment. Water gets in easily, but drains well.
Fit: Plenty of room for my narrow feet, but not sloppy.
MSRP: $130
Why the Anacapa?
The Anacapa are a great shoulder season shoe. Their higher cut is good for walking through snow or ice-cold streams. Half boot, half trail runner, this is a good choice for hikers who like the high cut of a boot but want a shoe that weighs less than a boot.
Weight: 13.5 ounces women’s, 16 ounces men’s per shoe.
Drop: 6mm. 28/22 women’s; 30/24 men’s.
Stack Height: 28 mm women’s; 30 mm men’s.
Outsole: Vibram. Grippy and flexible.
Water Resistance: GORE-TEX lining.
Fit: A good fit for my narrow feet, but HOKAs tend to run small so be sure to try them on in the store.
MSRP: Mid-cut, $170.
Why the Breeze?
The Breeze have a thick outsole that boot wearers will recognize, but with more flexibility than a boot. The low cut gives the feel of a trail runner.
Weight: 1 pound, 9 ounces per shoe. More than twice the weight of the Cascadia.
Drop: 6 mm. 28/22 women’s; 30/24 men’s.
Stack Height: 28 mm women’s; 30 mm men’s.
Outsole: The Vibram outsoles provide a solid cushion under your feet, but aren’t so stiff that you can’t feel the ground underneath.
Water Resistance: Vasque Nature-Tex 50% recycled content waterproof membrane.
Fit: The medium width Breeze are a good fit for my narrow feet, with plenty of room in the toebox. You might consider the wide-width Breeze if your feet are medium to wide width.
MSRP: $150
What’s My Choice?
Now that I’m firmly settled on trail runners for hiking and backpacking, I’ll be racking up plenty of miles in the Cascadia.
I like the flexibility of a trail runner, and in the Cascadia I was able to rock hop with certainty that I wouldn’t slip. The 5mm lugs—more than the 3mm in the 15s—give me traction in mud but don’t slow me down while trail running. Brooks dropped the lugs in the midfoot to cut weight, but the shoes still provide plenty of grip.
The Cascadia 16 are broader in the toebox and through the midfoot than the 15, and the result is a more stable outsole. My feet didn’t feel pinched in the toebox while descending steep rocks. And the shoes were wide enough that I haven’t gotten blisters.
Some years Brooks changes the Cascadia significantly, while other years it tinkers. This is a tinkering year and the results are positive.
