ShoeGeometry

Brooks Cascadia 20 vs Salomon Ultra Glide 4

Two shoes compared on measured geometry. Each cell carries a provenance badge; open a shoe for sources.

heel boneBrooks Cascadia 20: heel 39 mm, forefoot 33 mm (drop 6 mm); toe rocker 36 % of length, radius 44 % of length; heel bevel 8 % of length, 12 mm high at the back, ending behind the heel bone (only the back edge is rounded).Brooks Cascadia 20: toe rocker 36 % of lengthSalomon Ultra Glide 4: heel 41 mm, forefoot 35 mm (drop 6 mm); toe rocker 36 % of length, radius 56 % of length; heel bevel 12 % of length, 18 mm high at the back, ending about under the heel bone.Salomon Ultra Glide 4: toe rocker 36 % of length
  • Brooks Cascadia 2039/33 mm · toe rocker 36 % · heel bevel 8 %
  • Salomon Ultra Glide 441/35 mm · toe rocker 36 % · heel bevel 12 %
Illustrative profiles, not photographs: drawn from published stack heights and photo estimates of the unloaded shoes on a common length (300 mm), heels aligned, toe to the left; dots mark where each toe rocker starts; the dotted vertical line is under the heel bone (12 % of length), so a heel curve reaching past it is a bevel in front of the heel bone. Dotted lines use typical values where a shoe has no measurement. Exact values are in the table below.

Which suits you

If you wantPickBecause
A smoother roll at toe-offBrooks Cascadia 2036.4 vs 35.9 % toe rocker; 44.3 vs 37.5 mm toe tip
More cushioning under the heelSalomon Ultra Glide 439 vs 41 mm heel stack
More under the forefootSalomon Ultra Glide 433 vs 35 mm forefoot stack
A lower dropAbout the same6 vs 6 mm drop
A stiffer, snappier forefootAbout the same53 vs 62 /100 stiffness
A firmer, more stable feelBrooks Cascadia 2074 vs 48 /100 firmness
A wider base under the forefootBrooks Cascadia 20117.7 vs 112.9 mm forefoot base
Less weightSalomon Ultra Glide 4306 vs 281 g

From the values below, with differences inside measurement noise shown as about the same. This describes the shoes, not what is right for your feet; comfort in the first few runs decides.

MetricBrooks Cascadia 20
Trail · Trail
Salomon Ultra Glide 4
Trail · Trail
Heel-to-toe drop6 mmDerived6 mmDerived
Heel stack39 mmStated41 mmStated
Forefoot stack33 mmStated35 mmStated
Weight306 gStated281 gStated
Toe rocker36 %est.36 %est.
Rocker radius44 %est.56 %est.
Rocker rise angle28 degest.23 degest.
Rocker angle at toe60 degest.48 degest.
Toe tip over ground44 mm*est.37 mm*est.
Visible rocker lift onset76.3 %est.77.9 %est.
Toe spring (relative)19.4 %est.15.1 %est.
Heel bevel length7.7 %*est.11.6 %*est.
Heel bevel height12 mmest.18 mm*est.
Midsole width (forefoot)117.7 mmMeasured112.9 mmMeasured
Midsole width (heel)98.5 mmMeasured93.8 mmMeasured
Interior forefoot width93.7 mmMeasured94 mmMeasured
Toebox width70.6 mmMeasured71.4 mmMeasured
Longitudinal stiffness53Derived62Derived
Midsole firmness74Derived48Derived
PlateRock plateNo plate
Primary foamDNA Flash v2OptiFoam
List price$160$160

Key differences

  • Heel-to-toe drop is about the same: 6 mm for Brooks Cascadia 20, 6 mm for Salomon Ultra Glide 4.
  • Brooks Cascadia 20's heel stack is 39 mm, 2 mm thinner than Salomon Ultra Glide 4's 41 mm.
  • Brooks Cascadia 20's forefoot stack is 33 mm, 2 mm thinner than Salomon Ultra Glide 4's 35 mm.
  • Brooks Cascadia 20's weight is 306 g, 25 g heavier than Salomon Ultra Glide 4's 281 g.
  • Toe rocker is about the same: 36 % of length for Brooks Cascadia 20, 36 % of length for Salomon Ultra Glide 4.

Read more about both shoes

We measure the shape. For how they feel over many miles, and for lab tests of cushioning, grip and fit:

Brooks Cascadia 20

Salomon Ultra Glide 4

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Brooks Cascadia 20 details · Salomon Ultra Glide 4 details · Add more shoes