Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

Extra-cushioned for all-day comfort, the men's Brooks Caldera 8 trail-running shoes are built for miles of smooth, adaptable running. They pair durable, breathable uppers with stabilizing outsoles.
Imported.
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 | Moderate Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 6 |
Heel Stack Height (mm) | 38.5 |
Forefoot Stack Height (mm) | 32.5 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Air-mesh |
Midsole | DNA LOFT v3 |
Outsole | Rubber |
Rock Plate | No |
Vegan | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 5.3 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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[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Oh my gosh! My husband is obsessed with these shoes! Not only are they an excellent trail running shoe, but they are great for everyday as well. My husband loves the wide toe box, arch support, comfort in the soles, and general fit and feel of the shoe. He wore them right out of the box and said they required no breaking in and were immediately comfortable. Shoes run true to size. Overall design and style work for a variety of functions, which allows him to go from work to the gym without a change of shoes. Breathable, good quality construction and material. He expects these to last and will definitely be purchasing additional pairs in the future.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Great experience with these shoes!! The fit of these shoes was very good. You’re feet slide right in and the shell of the bottom really form fits to your feet perfectly. Excellent experiences in the gym, walking, and running with these shoes. I like the design. They are a little big in the outer sole, but the lace-fit, the top, tongue, and every other part of the shoe really fits very comfortably. Made of strong materials that wear very well. I’ve been wearing and running in these daily for 4 weeks now and they still show zero wear at all. Great brand and this shoe is true to form. I’d highly recommend this as a very strong running and working out pair of shoes!!!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I have been enjoying the Brooks Caldera 8 for a few weeks now, taking them on multiple trail runs with the pooch and on my Friday Night Trail run that pushes the pace. These have proved to be very stable, grippy, light, and comfortable shoes that can be pushed hard. During Friday Night Trail's, I was able to run 6-8 miles at a high pace on multiple occasions and these proved to be comfortable and durable. I would recommend these shoes for trail running and I am excited to take them backpacking in the mountains where I believe they will shine. I have had durability / comfort issues with other trail runners but I am very happy with the performance of these and how they fit!
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Overall, the shoe is just ok, but it was difficult to gauge since they ran very small. The design is good. I like a neutral and clean looking shoe, and these fit the bill. The materials also seem high quality and very durable. Beyond that, there was much to be desired. Not only did they run very small, they were not breathable at all (maybe because they were so small?). I've tried to break them in wearing them to my kids' practices, to my tennis matches, and casually in my day to day, but they're still way too small to run in or wear more often. I wouldn't recommend these based on my experience.
This is not a running review. It's for people with foot problems who need a secure and supportive shoe for continual outdoor use on variable, often technical surfaces. I am serious birder with a recent diagnosis of metatarsalgia and hallux rigidus (metatarsal arch collapse and big toe arthritis). Just in time for a 3.5 week birding tour across northern Peru, I discovered the Caldera 8s and they were a revelation. My custom footbeds did not arrive in time, so I used a fresh pair of PowerStep Metpad footbeds. The Caldera's have adequate room for them and have the roomier toe box I just can't get with Hokas. I can no longer wear my beloved Solomon hikers, but the Caldera's provided excellent traction on steep trails (including a lot of sticky mud), fairly good side stability and foot retention crossing hillsides, and overall were a very good fit for my medium-wide feet. I would prefer less drop, but only on the steepest trails did I feel my feet were on a ramp. The wierdly shaped toe cup irritated at first but never caused a blister. Right heel snug, but could never get my narrow left heel fully seated in the pocket. Others have complained of the offset lacing, but I think it is brilliant and kept the sensitive tops of my feet free from pressure. The laces are a bit slippery and often needed retightening (but are not long enough for double-knotting). I found the uppers were tough and dried quickly and on my black/white pair did not show stains badly. The white heel blocks are ridiculous, however, for serious outdoor runners/hikers. Please, a better set of color options than black/white or cartoon colors! Finally, I really like Vibram's mega rubber so I was a bit skeptical of Brooks' proprietary rubber. It is very grippy and the lug pattern works very well on many surfaces. The groove down the middle, however, simply collects mud and debris, and the exposed foam picked up thorns and other sharp debris. After 24 long days on my feet the forefoot lugs were visibly worn (about a 1-1.5mm, with no visible wear on the rear lugs. This is probably equivalent to several months of running wear, so I'd consider that acceptable. They feel a bit pounded out and the heels a sloppy, but money well spent and many thanks to Brooks for a versatile and well-designed shoe. Make a mid-version and you will attract a lot of hikers who can't find real cushioning or just don't fit Hokas.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I got these for my son who started running recently. He is hoping to make the running and basketball teams at school. His old shoes were uncomfortable and hurt his feet after a run. I ordered a size up like recommended on the sizing chart and they fit perfectly. While looking at running shoes Brooks comes up as a great choice and I have to agree. They are comfortable with good padding and are so light you won’t believe it. The Caldera 8 hold the foot and helps maintain a good stride while feeling solid. Your foot doesn’t feel like it’s going to off the sides. It has nice padding to make your feet comfortable while not sliding into the toe. My son is so relieved to have the pain from running anymore. They are holding up great so far and seem very well made.
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Like a tank, in all of the right ways. I spent 4 weeks putting this shoe through the ringer on technical single track, gravel fire road, some paved road segments and it rolls through all of them with ease. It is an extremely durable shoe that shows little to no deterioration after 150+ miles. I am training for the Tahoe 200 right now, and I would have little hesitation keeping this shoe in the quiver rotation. There is nothing fancy about this shoe. And in today's world of carbon plates and "super shoes" that is not a bad thing. It just does it's job and does a dang good job at it. It fits true to size and the lockdown is great. It's a no fuss shoe and it's worth a consideration. Brooks Running gave me this product for free to try. But, I'll most likely be purchasing another pair.
Recently decided to change from the Cascadia to the Caldera for more cushion. I’ve been experiencing some heal pain when I’m on my feet a long time. Also upgraded from Ghost to Glycerin for road running. I’ve did a 6 mile trail run to feel these out. Felt good, no issues. Then just completed my first serious hike climbing a 13,000+ foot volcano in Guatemala. Tread was great. I was gripping well while others were sliding a lot. No pain or blisters. Calderas performed well. 👍
These shoes would have got a 5 stars had it not been for the extreme rigidity around the rear ankle padding. I ended up with blisters on both ankles after rhe first trail run. There should be cut out like many over shoes that stops the back ankle to rub against the shoe. I had to get socks that went up to the ankle and band aids while the collar softened up. I also paired the shoes with SOLE Medium inserts, the cork molds to your feet with heat. Other than that these are excellent. I am 260 LBS and my legs would wobble with my previous Hoka Bondi's, gave these Brooks a try and wont be going back to Hoka. These shoes have all the stability I need without being stability shoes.
I love this shoe!! I wanted something that would keep my legs from getting thrashed on longer runs. This shoe served me well. Everything about it is so A++ . . . except: The forefoot cradle/width. I tried the Caldera 7 about 6 weeks earlier - and loved it every bit as much. The problem is that both of these versions (7 & 8) of the Caldera are designed way too narrow on the front of the shoe. If I could buy a 2E (WIDE), then I think that this shoe could work for me. Sadly, it is only available in one width (D - which is my true width). Something in the shoe cut into the back side of the ball of my foot. I had to return both pairs of this otherwise GREAT shoe. :(