Hit the Trail with Caldera 5 Running Shoes
It is my hope that this website will become a place where men can be encouraged and find resources that benefit them in everyday life. While the majority of the site is dedicated to things spiritual, I want to start adding things more material. It is my hope that men will find these blogs useful for everyday living. My plan is to start reviewing things I find helpful for my life. And to be perfectly transparent, I hope to generate some commerce that will offset the cost of this website. Making money is not my primary goal, but in some ways, I think it will validate the work being put forth. So, this is my first attempt at a product review!
I am a runner. I use this term rather loosely because I am not very fast. In high school, my coaches told me they were going to clock me with a calendar and not a stopwatch. I was much faster then.
Running is my Prozac. It helps me clear my mind. I can be struggling with something and not have a good answer, then go for a run and not think about a thing. Yet, when I am done, I often have the answer to my problem. Something happens in our brains when we run. Something good.
I’m not usually a trail runner mainly because I do not have easy access to any good trails. This may be just an excuse, but generally I run on a paved path. However, recently my wife bought me some trail running shoes, Brooks Caldera 5. We love going to Colorado and hiking. While in Colorado, I decided to go for a few runs in them.
The Caldera 5 weighs in around 11.07 oz. They provide maximum cushion. They also have a very minimal heal-to-toe drop (4mm).
I found them to be extremely comfortable walking around and hiking. I know they are trail running shoes. but I wore them for lots of activities. They did provide a rocker feel to them, like I was getting a little extra push when I was running. I typically have trouble with my road shoes getting enough room in the front. The Caldera shoes were perfect for me in this regard. Lots of room in the forefoot. The cushion was awesome. My feet were smiling!
I ran and hiked on a variety of terrain. They remained comfortable to me on whatever surface I was on. I must confess I would walk down the steep gravelly parts of the trails. I didn’t have confidence in myself, but the shoes tended to maintain good traction.
One of the negatives for me is they seem heavy after just a few miles. Maybe I’m out of shape, but I did notice they felt heavy and somewhat boxy (if that is a thing). I’m sure the heavy feeling is part of the sacrifice for comfort from all that cushioning.
Overall, I would rate them a 4.5 out of 5. (I must confess that I am a fan of Brooks running shoes and running gear.)
I hope someone out there has found this useful!