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The engine's answer

Best running shoe for getting started on gravel and forest paths, under €140

Brooks Cascadia 18

81% match

The pickup truck of trail shoes

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Live search for the Brooks Cascadia 18 at retailers that carry it.

Why it wins here

The Brooks Cascadia 18 wins this question with a 81% match against all 78 shoes in the catalogue. It costs €140, weighs 300 g and stands on a 35 mm heel stack with a 8 mm drop; its cushioning scores 72/100, its grip 85/100 and its energy return 50/100. The tightest constraint is the €140 ceiling: only 17 of the 78 shoes come in under it, and 4 clear both the price and the terrain filter. Its biggest edge over that field is on budget — €140, right at the €140 ceiling — 17 of 78 shoes qualify. The nearest runner-up, the Saucony Peregrine 14, finished 1 point behind.

The dimensions where it beats the rest of the field by the most, for this question specifically — with the numbers behind each one.

  • Budget€140, right at the €140 ceiling — 17 of 78 shoes qualify
  • TerrainTrail shoe, grip 85 /100, stability 80 /100; 19 of 78 shoes count as trail capability
  • Goalcushioning 72 /100, stability 80 /100, price €140

What's good

  • Shrugs off rocks, roots and abuse
  • Stable under a heavy pack

What to watch

  • Weight you will notice late in a long run
  • More utility than joy

What the runners-up gave up

The next three in the ranking, and the measure each one lost on against the Brooks Cascadia 18.

Questions this answer raises

Is the Brooks Cascadia 18 within a €140 budget?
Yes. At €140 it sits exactly at the ceiling, and 17 of the 78 shoes in the catalogue come in at €140 or less.
Does the Brooks Cascadia 18 suit gravel and forest paths?
It is a trail shoe with grip 85 /100 and stability 80 /100. The question filtered for trail capability, which 19 of the 78 shoes are; for getting started the ranking also weighed cushioning 72 /100, stability 80 /100, price €140.
What does the engine pick with a bigger budget?
With a €280 ceiling the same question goes to the Salomon Speedcross 6 at €150. Best gravel running shoes for beginners under €280 →

Change an assumption

This page answers one runner's question. Yours is not that question — adjust the surface, the goal or the budget and watch the whole field re-rank.

Answer for your own running