****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
For the TL/DR crowd: if you need a wide, neutral, mixed-use or trail shoe with a lot of cushioning and exceptional durability, these may be the answer you have been looking for--they are for me. These are exceptionally good shoes.These are hands-down the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn. Period. I did a lot of research before buying these, and selected this shoe based upon data gathered from Brooks customer service, as well as input from store managers at several specialty athletic shoe stores (incl. RoadRunner, etc.). The Caldera is a neutral shoe, meaning it is not designed for overpronators, but it has just the right amount of support for me. I am a mild supinator, and I use Superfeet Green insoles for arch support. I'll explain this for those who do not know what any of this means: this is VERY IMPORTANT. Finding the right type of shoe for your foot and gait is absolutely essential for preventing injury and providing optimal endurance and comfort, especially if you are wearing them for extended periods of time (walks/runs/hikes), or if you are heavy.Here are the definitions: overpronators feet tend to roll inward when they walk, with their weight being carried primarily by the inside of the ankle and the ball of the foot behind the big toe. As you might imagine, their weight falls heavily on the arch of the foot, and as a result, overpronators are prone to arch support issues, including planters fasciitis, and need plenty of arch support. Shoes made for overpronators are referred to as "stability" shoes. Supinators are the opposite: their feet roll slightly outward when they walk, with their weight being carried on the outside of the ankle and the outer edge of the foot, behind the little toe. There are no shoes made specifically for supinators. The opposite of stability shoes are "neutral" shoes, which are made for normal feet, and generally work well for supination. I have found there are four grades of support in shoes: The first three are Neutral, Neutral+ and Stability, with the fourth being what you find in flat shoes like Converse, and most deck shoes and loafers, which I tend to think of as "Zero"; these are completely flat and offer no support of any kind at all. The amount of arch support increases as you move along the spectrum of support from Zero --> Neutral --> Neutral+ --> Stability. I think some manufacturers may also make Stability+ shoes for very high arches, but I have not seen many of these, and I suspect they are hard to find (I have not needed them, so don't know much about this rare breed of shoe).The Caldera is a Neutral shoe with a LOT of cushioning--which I really like. People who run or hike long distances, or who are heavy, will greatly appreciate the cushioning in this shoe: it is very soft and comfortable, while being strong enough to not break down rapidly with use. It feels as soft as a Nike Vomero shoe, but will last longer due to the strength/durability of the support material. The Vomeros break down in <100 miles (Asics Nimbus 20s in <75). These should last a LOT longer. I have already put 150 mi on my first pair and they feel almost exactly the same as the day I first put them on. (I am *thrilled*!!)I am a pretty big/tall guy (I wear a size 14), and while I do supinate slightly, my weight means I also require support for my arches to prevent injury--so I need a neutral shoe that feels just right with my Superfeet Green inserts (which I also swear by--I have been using them for 10 years). This means finding the exact right fit has been a real challenge--years of trial and error. A good example, the Asics Nimbus 20s are a "neutral+" shoe, and fit my feet perfectly--but they have nowhere near enough cushioning, and my feet ache after an hour or two of walking on hard surfaces, such as sidewalks, in them. The Nimbus 20 is a great (and expensive) shoe with a serious lack of cushioning (I do not see how people could run distances in them). The Brooks Caldera fits almost as well (they definitely have a wider footbed), and are super-cushioned. As the Caldera is a dual-purpose (road/trail) shoe, they work great everywhere for me. I cannot describe how happy I am that I finally found this shoe--it is literally almost perfect for me (again, it is a bit wide).About the width: these are a very wide fit. Brooks only makes one width in these, as well as the replacement, the new Caldera 2 (fits the same, has a more durable and breatheable upper). These are about as wide as a EE in most other brands. People with narrow feet absolutely cannot wear this shoe. Brooks makes neither a narrow or a wide version of the Caldera/Caldera 2. Dependng on who makes it, I am somewhere between a M and an 2E width (a 1E? --nobody makes a 1E shoe, of course) in most shoes. In Nikes, I need a 2E or 3E (note: I am not a Nike fan--they always feel flimsy/under-engineered to me). In Asics I need a M. In the Brooks Caldera, I have no choice--the M feels like a 3-4E, and is definitely VERY roomy in the toe box (comparable to a Nike 4E--not kidding!). This extra room, is of course, helpful for trail running/hiking, especially for low-speed ascending on rough terrain, but is annoying a lot of the time otherwise (especially during descent). I have learned to live with it, but I do wish they were not quite as wide in the toe box--the rest of the shoe is literally exactly perfect for me.Summary: if you need a wide, neutral shoe with a lot of cushioning and exceptional durability, these may be the answer you have been looking for--they are for me.
