The 6 best Brooks trail running shoes 2023

Mikel Bejarano
Journalist and inveterate trail runner
Posted on 01-12-2023

Brooks has taken giant steps in 2023 within the trail running sector to position itself as one of the firms with the greatest projection and relevance in terms of models with a great relationship between performance, efficiency and price. An advance that has brought us great news throughout the year that have been settling as models of great popular draft that are also prepared for more experienced runners and looking to get the most out of their shoes in any competition.

We are talking about a brand that has presented great surprises as far as trail running shoes are concerned, improving and sophisticating its models to the point of becoming a great competitor of the leading brands in the sector. A niche that has been won by force thanks to the application of some of the best technologies and materials on the market, offering a great variety of models suitable to fit a wide range of runners. From the most experienced to the amateurs.

That's why, from RUNNEA, we want to make you a small summary of the best trail running shoes from Brooks of this 2023. A selection of our experts that gathers some of its most outstanding novelties in the mountain sector. Models such as the Cascadia, Caldera or Catamount are some of the most important examples of this list. Models suitable for all types of runners and a wide variety of situations and surfaces. Tie your laces, here we go!

The 6 best trail running shoes by Brooks 2023

Brooks Cascadia 17

The Brooks Cascadia 17 trail running shoes are one of the most anticipated releases of the year. With the clear objective of "recovering" the lost ground in the competitive trail running segment, this seventeenth edition has established itself as one of the great favorites in the market. The midsole of the Cascadia 17 continues to feature the DNA Loft v2, while the outsole maintains the TrailTack compound. The latter, clearly divided into different parts to facilitate the adaptability to the terrain and reduce the overall weight of the shoe. Ideal for long distance runners looking for cushioning and protection without sacrificing a dynamic shoe weighing only 298 grams.

  • Surface: Trail
  • Use: Training
  • Cushion: High
  • Running gait: Neutral
  • Drop: 8 mm
  • Pace: Low

Brooks Cascadia 17 GTX

The Brooks Cascadia 17 maintains the standard of its traditional version, adding a plus in safety and protection thanks to the Gore-Tex mesh upper. Remaining a solid option for the trail runner looking for cushioning and dynamism without sacrificing comfort, this is a model with great support thanks to its good structure. We are talking about a shoe oriented to the trail runner with neutral footstep, although it offers enough support to reduce pronation. All this in a set that weighs around 289.2 grams and remains at 8 millimeters drop.

  • Surface: Trail
  • Use: Training
  • Cushion: High
  • Running gait: Neutral
  • Drop: 8 mm
  • Pace: Low, Medium
  • Weight: 289,2

Brooks Catamount 2

The Brooks Catamount 2 is one of the most outstanding novelties of this season of the brand. It is a shoe designed especially for the most demanding and fastest trail runners to run during their training or races, in fact it is the shoe chosen by the elite athletes of Brooks for their competitions.

  • Surface: Trail
  • Use: Training, Racing
  • Cushion: Neutral
  • Running gait: Neutral
  • Drop: 6 mm
  • Pace: Medium, High
  • Weight: 275 gr

Brooks Caldera 6

The Brooks Caldera 6 has been one of the great launches of Brooks Running for the 2022 season. It is obvious that this renewed model reflects a radical change in one of the most awarded sagas in the outdoor segment. The maximalist trend takes over this best-selling mountain running shoe designed to complete the most demanding runs over the most uneven terrain.

  • Surface: Trail
  • Use: Training
  • Cushion: Neutral, High
  • Running gait: Neutral
  • Drop: 6 mm
  • Pace: Low
  • Weight: 311H/277M

Brooks Divide 4

The Brooks Divide 4 is a trail running shoe that, in this new version, is clearly committed to sustainability as more than 55% of the materials used in the construction of its upper are recycled. Its upper features a running shoes fit, with an updated mesh that improves breathability, while the midsole of the shoe features the DNA LOFT cushioning developed by the brand itself that provides a smooth and fluid ride. All this with a weight of almost 300 grams in the men's version, specifically, 295 grams and 264 grams in the women's version and a drop of 8mm.

  • Surface: Trail
  • Use: Training
  • Cushion: Neutral
  • Running gait: Neutral
  • Drop: 8 mm
  • Pace: Low

Brooks Divide 4 GTX

The Brooks Divide 4 GTX has an upper in which almost 50% is made from recycled materials. The waterproof membrane of this version is the main difference in comparison with the Brooks Divide 4, making it an ideal shoe for those rainy or wet areas or for those days when the weather conditions are not ideal. Its midsole has the same compound as its sister shoe, DNA LOFT cushioning, and maintains the same 8 mm drop in a set of 309 grams in the men's version and 278 grams in the women's version.

  • Surface: Trail
  • Use: Training
  • Cushion: Neutral
  • Running gait: Neutral
  • Drop: 8 mm
  • Pace: Low

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