Cascadia 20 vs Ultra Glide 3

Twenty versions in, Brooks has put Vibram Megagrip on the Cascadia, and it's the one change every review we read liked. iRunFar's tester trusted it on wet rock, talus and snow. The foam is new too: DNA Flash v2 replaces the old midsole, the heel stack goes up to 37.9mm from 35mm on the Cascadia 19, and the weight drops a little to 306g. It's still a stable, protective daily trail running shoe for mixed terrain and long days out, with more cushioning and far better traction than before. Fit and feel are less settled. Two reviews found the upper narrower and several found the midsole firmer, while one tester thought it slightly roomy and softer. Meta Endurance, the most critical of the bunch, missed the 19's ground feel on technical descents. UK RRP is £140, the same as the 19, and we'd call it a modest step up.

The Salomon Ultra Glide 3 is a soft, high-cushion trail running shoe built for one thing: keeping you comfortable when the miles stack up. This is not a nimble mountain racer. It is a long-day cruiser for runners who want to switch off and let the shoe soak up the ground on runnable trails, canal paths and gentle single track. At 285g with a 6mm drop, it sits in that easygoing daily-trail zone, closer in spirit to a road-to-trail shoe than a technical fell weapon. The Contagrip outsole handles dry hardpack and light mud well, though it is not built for deep bog or scrambling. We rate it as one of the more forgiving ultra-distance trail shoes going, a shoe you reach for on tired legs and back-to-back weekends. If you want protection, softness and a relaxed ride over big distances, and you are not chasing course records on gnarly ground, the Ultra Glide 3 is an easy shoe to recommend.