Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

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With uppers that repel and drain water, the Brooks Caldera 2 trail-running shoes help you stay light on your feet as you fly across technical terrain toward your goals.
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View the Brooks Caldera Product LineView all Brooks Women's Trail-Running ShoesBest Use | Trail Running |
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Trail-Running Shoe Type | Rugged-Trail |
Running Shoe Cushioning | Moderate Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 4 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Synthetic |
Lining | Synthetic |
Midsole | EVA |
Outsole | Blown rubber |
Rock Plate | No |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 2 oz. |
Gender | Women's |
5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | |
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U.S. Women's | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 |
U.S. Men's | 3.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11.5 |
EU | 35.5 | 36 | 36.5 | 37.5 | 38 | 38.5 | 39 | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 44 | 44.5 | 45.5 |
Sizes along top of chart are U.S. Women's sizes. Correlating U.S. Men's sizes and EU sizes provided for clarity.
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Really surprised at the reviews for these. I LOVE this shoe for hiking and backpacking. It has cushion that can’t be challenged. I’ve never seen this much cushion in any other shoe, and it makes a huge difference when hiking and backpacking. I haven’t experienced any of the issues that others have, like blisters or a narrow toe box. The toe box to me is actually great, and I have wide feet and love a good wide toe box. I haven’t experienced blisters either. I bought and half a size up so I would have room in the toe area when hiking. This shoe feels supportive and gets me through 6+ hour backpacking trips up mountains. Love it.
Why Brooks...why?!?! The original Caldera 1's were the perfect shoe! When the new model came out I was so excited to see improvements to an already great product. When I first put them on I realized my relationship with the Caldera 2's wouldn't last long. The new version features a very narrow toe box, and caused blisters and numbness on my outer toes. Please bring back the old ones!
The first version of the Brooks Caldera was perfect! When I heard they had released a second version, I was excited to try them. Unfortunately, these don't resemble the first version at all. The toe box is cramped and the stiff heel gave me blisters within 6 miles. I am going to buy up all the remaining pairs of the first version that I can find and hope they return to that model in the future.
I have run trails and road with the original Caldera and love love these shoes. So when the soles wore down I searched in vain for another pair only to find they morphed into the Caldera 2. I took a chance and ordered the same size 10.5. The Caldera 2 has a narrower toe box so my toes felt cramped which is strange since I have an A narrow foot. Was very disappointed. I returned them (love REIs return policy) and got a size 11 which gave me ample length. Keep in mind, the toe box is still narrower than the original Caldera but is fine for my narrow foot. These shoes might not be the best for people with wider feet. Still wondering why Brooks re-invented and wrecked an already perfect shoe.
These are great trail runners. The thick soles and great support take any ricks and obstacles the trail has. They work well on rocky trails and grip desert sands well. The fit is also good. The toe box is generous in size and provides plenty of room to keep toes from getting cramped.
This shoes is comfortable and well constructed. It supported my flat foot and I never had any knee pain .hip pain and back pain. I bought 4 pairs for me and my family for our major hike to the Half Dome in Yosemite. We did the entire hike without any blisters or discomfort on our feet.
I rarely buy athletic shoes at full retail, but I needed a sturdy new pair to take on a trip overseas. These were very comfortable. And I invested in a pair with treads on the bottom so that I can also wear them hiking this summer in VT. Doubled duty! Pleased with the purchase overall.
I just spent the last 3 weeks wandering around Scotland, England, and Italy in these shoes, and my feet felt amazing the whole time!
Great comfort. The cushion really helped ease my inflammation of mi hip.
I run 30-40 miles per week with a lot of runs on single track or gravel roads. I was looking for a shoe for the gravel road that gets slick when it rains. My Saucony Peregrines don’t have enough cushion for all the gravel so these Brooks seemed to fit the bill. Pros: good traction, good cushion, look nice. Cons: sloppy design -the tongue is too short, the shoelaces are too short if you want to tie a runners loop, which you need to as the heel is quite wide and slips on long downhills if you don’t. Also the shoe mid foot is too stiff adding to fatigue. I’m 5’6” 135 lbs with a medium foot, wear a size 9.5 but couldn’t get the fit right on these. I’m sure they will work great for other people who can get the fit right.