Brooks Women's Cascadia 14 Trail Running Shoes - Lightweight & Durable for Hiking, Jogging & Outdoor Adventures

I bought these shoes for the Pacific Northwest Winter which is quite wet. Gore-Tex is a requirement if you want your feet to stay dry on runs for multiple hours in the snow and rain. The Cascadia 14 GTX are very water proof and keep my feet plenty warm and dry. The traction is very good on muddy and wet terrain. I haven't tested on much snow yet. I would like to test the traction in some more conditions, but at this point it seems like one of the best traction shoes for nasty wet and muddy terrain I have ever used.Last years Cascadia 13 GTX caused foot pain on the top of my foot where the laces tied across the tongue. I had to return them. These are not having that issue at all - which I am very pleased by. The shoe feels quite comfortable and I think the fit is great. I wear size 15 and it's very hard to find quality Gore-Tex running shoes in this size.My only complaint is the shoe does not have any responsiveness and doesn't feel all the cushioned when it lands. Most running shoes fall into one of two categories these days. 1) Cushioned - softer ride for longer runs and/or rougher terrain, but not as responsive. 2) Responsive - Gives good ground feel and provides some responsiveness or bounce out of each step, but not as cushioned. The Cascadia 14 GTX feels like it doesn't have much cushion or responsiveness. This could be mostly psychological, I can't make a good determination yet.Conclusion: I'm not having any issues with my body feeling "beat up" by the shoe after several weeks and 50-60 miles of running in this shoe. They are dry and aggressive with the traction, which is what I really need them to do. I would highly recommend these for wet running.I bought these somewhat last-minute prior to a trip to Colorado in February. My plan had been to only use them on a sporadic basis but an injury sidelined me from snowboarding so these became my main shoes while there. I spent hours each day outside in the snow while my family was snowboarding. The shoes stayed warm almost the entire time without fail. The only time there was an issue was toward the end of the day, it started snowing and we were at higher elevation (about 12,000 feet) tubing. After being at that elevation for about 1 hour 15 minutes, the cold was noticeable and uncomfortable in the right shoe. That may have had something to do with my injury though. The next day we went on snowmobiles in temperatures that started at 3 degrees below zero and the cold did not bother my feet (my hands were a different story). I could not run in these shoes because of the injury but look forward to the day that I can.I have worn the cascadia model going back to at least cascadia 7. Year after year, each pair has always been great right out of the box with no issues. I have a narrow foot and these have always worked for me. Until last year with the Cascadia 14. The inside back heal is just a mess. It's just torn up and falling apart. All the destruction is also causing the heals of my socks to abrade like no other shoe ever has.I still have my cascadia 9's in the closet just as a back up when I'm in my pink mood. My cascadia 9's which have been worn since 2014 are in far greater shape than the Cascadia 14. If materials were switched out for in the manufacturing for something cheaper, it's not going to cut it with this customer. I'm going to be on the look out for another pair of cascadias soon and if I have the same experience next time, I'm afraid it may be time to say so long to my faithful go to brand.I had an earlier version of the Cascadia (the 8 I think) and loved them. I'm very happy to report I love these as well! They're great for someone who has a neutral foot or even supenates. I love that they're super neutral because I can put my favorite insole in them and the base of the shoe allows the insole to sit as intended. I use them on streets/sidewalks and various trail terrains, walking or running. I also love that they're not overly flexible but I would not consider them too stiff either. Good support but flexible as well. I'll keep buying the Cascadia as long as you keep making them excellent like this version and the others I've worn out!I've had Brooks shoes off and on for years. I'm comfortable ordering online, knowing the fit will be right every time. I work in a school and wear the trail runners so I can be ready for anything. Maybe they are overkill for concrete floors, but I like the support and a good grip. The mesh uppers mean my feet stay cool for car rider duty and dry out quickly if it's a rainy day.I'm a Brooks fanboy and have been buying about 2-4 pairs of Cascadias a year since the Cascadia 8.The GTX line is great in the winter but in the past the materials around where the outside (distal?) Metatarsal meets the phalange has been a week spot prone to cracking.The good:This newest model seems to have corrected this issue.Is this not the best looking Cascadia since the 8?Great support a fantastic shoe for anyone who has struggled with Plantar Fascitis.Brooks Customer Service has been super accommodating in the pastThe bad:The horizonal seam where the heel meets the Achilles has failed in both shoes within 2 months.This is not typical of Brooks quality (there is a reason I'm a fanboy, and don't complain how much these cost)Love the shoes, appreciate the design change, sad about the horizontal upper heel seams failing.I've probably put 40 miles on these shoes in a little more than a month and everything seems great except for the bottom of the shoe where it comes up on the toe. It doesn't seem to be handling the rugged Arizona terrrain very well and is already starting to peel back. The tread on the bottom of the shoe is amazing!Typically I wear the adrenaline and wish they made a hiking shoe with that level of support.Not as much arch support as I like and a little less cushion, but they do the job while trail running. I don’t think these will last as long as my New Balance sneakers but should be durable enough for the season. Tread is great for on road-off roadGood grip, waterproof, comfortable.The lace holes stretch when worn. After three weeks light use one lace hole was badly cut by the laces, and almost worn entirely through. (see photo)Returned them to Amazon, who replaced them within 24hrs, excellent service.Now using replacement pair having fitted them with thicker laces. The lace holes still appear vulnerable, and after 10 months are almost worn throughI contacted Brooks customer service who were not interested, did not engage and sent a 'sorry, thanks, will pass it on' reply.Shoes have never been waterproof.Loving these shoes. I purchased them after my wife purchase the ladies version and continued to rave about how good they are... The shoes are perfect for my runs across the public bridleways (fields), the goretex ensures my feet stay dry, while the cushioning is perfect with great support. The sole is also great, dropping mud/dirt and not clogging up to quickly.. Not the cheapest running shoe, but quality is there, and I suspect these will last me a while!Great for trail running as it's protected against muddy grass and puddles. Foot last and outer just the type for Blocky Brit feet.Cushioning is firm against trail ruts undulations and rocks as it has to be, but excellent for longer runs over 5k.Lightweight for the type of shoe. Careful tugging hard at the laces though. They might pull out of the flimsy eyelets!They're not really up to Fell Running or Deep Winter Mud, get Speedcross 3s for thatYes I always need extra width. These are perfect fitting .. No problems so far after a few runs. I might buy another pairvery high quality materials, fots very well,really comfortable to wear