Brooks  Caldera 3 Trail-Running Shoes - Men's

Perfect Hybrid Runner

Just spent my first hour running in these and love them. They are the perfect middle ground between Altra’s zero drop, super wide toe box and the too-narrow toe box and higher heel to forefoot drop of the Cascadia. As a lighter shoe they feel great as the miles pile up, and the higher surface area, slightly less aggressive tread is great for transitioning back and forth from tarmac to trail. The semi-rigid mesh upper drains well, and the gaiter loops are in the right places. The shoe fits true to size and has a wide, stable platform. I got mine in the crazy teal/gray mountain camo color scheme and they look awesome. Please, Brooks, give this shoe a chance before redesigning it for a 4th time and messing up the best version yet.

Fun Trail Shoes....

These were my first trail shoes. They have spoiled me. Others are correct. The fit is a bit narrow, but I have a narrow heel and have often struggled to find a comfortable shoe that isn't too tight or too big. They break in beautifully. The cushion gives stability, but not extra bounce. I feel grounded and secure on the trails with these. They're perfect for steamy and muddy days in Chesapeake summer. I enjoyed them even in the winter, but opt for the Pegasus Gortex 37 on days when it was too icy and/or too wet. I know it's a trail-running shoes, but honestly I've enjoyed even using these on the road. ;-)

Ok - Comfortable, but Prone to Ankle Rolling

I did my research for a hybrid trail and pavement shoe and this came out on top. I've put 50+ miles on them in a month and while incredibly comfortable I find the foam too soft and on rougher trails I've rolled my ankles. They're great on pavement and gravel, but for very rocky/rooty trails you have to be very careful to land each foot as flat at possible. I'm going to reserve these for pavement and order a harder sole more minimalist trail shoe.

continues to be a great shoe

This is my fourth pair of Caldera and so far I’m pleased. The fit is a bit more snug than previous versions with a wrap around tongue. I briefly tried the Hoka One One Challenger 5 just for something different and quickly came back to the Caldera. In my opinion, the foam on the Challenger is quite a bit softer leading to a less stable feeling. I was having pain in an old ankle injury when running in the Challengers and have not experienced anything similar in the Caldera.

high value moderate trail runner

Fantastic shoe. Especially considering the outlet price and a 20% off coupon code, these are the best deal I've experienced at REI. They feel durable. The toe box is ample. With my aging feet, I'm moving to slightly more cushion. These are moderately cushioned, but don't feel mushy, sluggish, or bulky. Still feel quick. They have attachments for gaiters - which I have no use for. The laces feel like ribbons - and ought to be changed.

One comfortable shoe, one not so much.

I was so excited for these after my brother told me about the brand and how he wears a pair for hiking. I've been walking on trails and pavement, so I wanted something that would buffer the rocky paths more than the road. Not sure why, but after a handful of walks, I had horrible blisters on my heels to the point where I had to wear backless shoes just to go out. I tried wearing thicker socks too, but nope -- still getting blisters! I had some discomfort with one of the shoes, but the other one was great for the most part-- made walking on the street a lot better than it did for the trails.

Originally posted on brooksrunning.com

My perfect hybrid shoe

I have 300+ fairly hard trail miles on the Caldera 3's. I'm VERY happy. I typically was running a more natural shoe on my trails and they, and my feet, got beat up. Switching to something with more padding, the Caldera has allowed me to push into the ultra mileage. The shoes have been drug over rocks, kicked, mudded, swamped, and banged with minimal wear showing. I do not get any hot spots and have used them as a hybrid, going on roads from house to trailhead, and beyond. The small 'lugs' and response through muddy ground could be better, but not while still fulfilling the hybrid use.

Originally posted on brooksrunning.com

Love these trail runners.

Bought these after I wore out my Caldera 2's. (300-350 miles in the wet season) Think I like these better. Great forward rounded cushioning on the souls. Good stable support and energizing cushion. Low (4mm) heal drop. I use these for gravel, single track with cobbles and lavacap trails with no issues or rolling. Great for long runs (10-20 miles). No hot spots, no blisters. My favorite trail runners by far.

Comfortable soft landing

I have both the Caldera and the Cascadia shoes. Both are good but, though I've worn Cascadia shoes for years, this first pair of Caldera shoes are noticably more comfortable. Even on pavement the landing feels nice and soft.

I bought these shoes after running my first half marathon in my Glycerin 17 which I love. With the road race over with I thought it would be fun to start trail running. I live in Maine and there are awesome trails everywhere and my black lab loves trails as well. These shoes have been great. They have good traction and are still very comfortable. I have gone over wet logs, root and rocks and they have performed well. The only down side they are not waterproof so I might look into buying the Cascadia for running in the spring. They do dry quickly and will be nice in the summer.

Originally posted on brooksrunning.com