Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

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In the men's Brooks Caldera 5, you'll feel like you're running on the clouds, not the trails. These trail-running shoes boast adaptive cushioning to keep your feet supremely comfy on changing terrain.
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View the Brooks Caldera Product LineView all Brooks Men's Trail-Running ShoesBest Use | Trail Running |
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Trail-Running Shoe Type | Rugged-Trail |
Running Shoe Cushioning | Maximum Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 4 |
Heel Stack Height (mm) | 32 |
Forefoot Stack Height (mm) | 28 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Synthetic mesh |
Lining | Synthetic textile |
Midsole | EVA |
Outsole | Rubber |
Rock Plate | No |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 5.2 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |
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U.S. Men's | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
U.S. Women's | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | ||||||
UK | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
EU | 40 | 40.5 | 41 | 42 | 42.5 | 43 | 44 | 44.5 | 45 | 45.5 | 46 | 46.5 | 47.5 | 48.5 | 49.5 | 50.5 |
Sizes along top of chart are U.S. Men's sizes. Correlating U.S. Women's sizes and EU sizes provided for clarity.
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Been a huge fan of Brooks for 25 years. Never swayed from the Beast. Tried the Caldera 5 and was pleasantly surprised. So good on the ankles and knees and even on uneven ground. Has amazing cushioning and stability. Will buy them again for sure!
Overall a good shoe but could be even better with a few tweaks. The forefoot area is a little narrow, coupled with the slightly hard and rough edged insoles led to a blister on the inside of the ball of my foot. The foam is nice and soft with good feel on the trail but a bit unstable, it can be easy to roll your ankle in more technical sections. Good traction from the lugs though in wet or dry conditions. Seems like they are making my feet roll inward too, as the foam has compressed slightly on the inside even though I'm not an overpronator. But overall a comfortable shoe for the 10-15km trail runs I've done, now that I've put different insoles in and know about their quirks
I bought the Caldera for winter slushy, snowy icy running. Traction is heads above other running shoes and the channels in the outsole help push away water and extra wet slush so the lugs can dig in. It has been a bit cold so my feet feel frozen all the time but breaking in the shoe around my house the sole felt supportive and cushioned. I am still breaking in the upper but it allows me to lace it as I need to and has little tabs for gaiters so I am eager to transition out of winter and hit the dirt this Spring. The fit was ‘normal’ and I wear a size 9 medium width as I would in other shoes as well.
I ran a half marathon trail run in the Caldera 5. The course was a narrow trail in a dense forest river bottom with steep banks, roots and rocks. The Caldera 5 provided excellent traction and my feet stayed fresh and comfortable. Great shoe for cushion, support, and traction.
I went hiking in the mountains of San Diego and these shoes were extra comfortable and took the stress off of my knees as I walked the trails
I run it for 6 miles , the support is great but needs a little wider size . Wish they have more colorful design choices.
Very Comfortable! But after 3 hikes in Arizona the soles are separating.
Overall, a great shoe. Comfy and cushy. Great grip a roll. Only 2 cons. First, lateral stability is still poor. A taco'd ankle is still a concern. A Runner's Tie helps a lot, but does not cure the issue. The other issue is the tread. Very grippy when the shoe is new. The tread wears out super fast. I have a few pairs that the upper looks new and the tread is gone. A stronger compound, something like the Catamount, would work. Especially in the center, mid to toe off. Fix the tread and the lateral stability, this would be a great shoe.
I really wanted to like these shoes but just like the past two versions, they gave me blisters on the inside of my toe and forefoot. This happened with the previous two versions and I keep hoping it will get better when a new version comes out, but I keep having the same problem. I even tried sizing up but that didn’t fix the issue. The original Caldera was still the best version of the shoe in my opinion. I could run any distance, from a 5k to a 200 miler in them and they felt great. I feel like each new version has gotten worse.
First run in my new Caldera 5's. Logged 6.5 miles on rugged trails. Good fit and excellent traction over rough trails with lots of roots, rocks, and slippery spots of gravel and pine needles. Never once slipped. Great cushion and spring in sole. I had been concerned a little that with too much cushion I might lose connection with the trail but that wasn't the case. Only slight negative is they feel like they have a slight tendency to pronation (I'm a neutral runner) but seemed OK once I got used to that.