Shoe Question

Can you be more specific about where the hole is exactly? Is it on the upper or on the rubber tread? I couldn't quite tell from your description. A picture might also help.

IT is on the upper section. On the cloth material itself just about the sole. It is not right at the sole though. It is behind the pinkie toe right about where the ball of the foot would be only on the upper. Soles are great. No cracks and the lugs are still intact. Just an upper problem.

I've had a number of shoes do that.

If I like the shoe and order it again I apply a layer of SeamGrip to that area to serve as "armor".

Here is a shot of the hole.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-xOgY4kz1U0c/UzjvtpJeUhI/AAAAAAAAErs/jL13bH90NR4/w1327-h995-no/2014-03-30+23.26.34.jpg

Hate to get a new set of the cascadias if they are going to wear in the same spot. Although the 8s look like they have more fabric in that area. The 9s seem to be more mesh like the 7s. So not sure if I should look at another brand like the la sportiva wildcats.

That's the flex point for the upper. Basically, it happens due to poor design and poor engineering. Not all brands suffer from that, but the smaller ones often do.

Cheers

Perhaps you need a wider toe box. Have you looked at Vivobarefoot shoes?

I've been wearing them to work and just kicking around for about the past year, and love them. I've heard there were durability issues with their running shoes, but also heard this year's models are better.

for now, I'm wearing Vasque Pendulum shoes for hiking, at least until the two pairs I bought last summer wear out. They have a 4mm rise but have worked well for me.

Good luck… nothing's much fun if your feet hurt, eh?

They seem to fit great. I never get blisters or sore feet with them. They are just have a hole in them lol. My big debate is if I should try another cascadia model or jump ship to another brand for durability sake.

Scott,
A new pair will almost certainly do the same thing on you.

If the shoes still have a lot of life in them (which they should with only 200-300 miles of wear), and you like the fit of them, why not just repair the hole?

Take a small patch of cordura (or equivalent), cut it to custom fit the hole, leaving a bit extra on all sides for seam allowance, then hand sew the patch on.

I don't see why this wouldn't do the trick. It'll cost you almost nothing, and you'll get the full value out of a pair of shoes that are already paid for and you already know you like.

I currently wear Cascadias for ultra running and Sierra hiking.
they are the most durable running shoes I've tried so far.
I've gone thru 5 pairs of 7's and they are great.
up to 400 miles they wear fine.
I generally push them to about 550 miles then toss them.

The Cascadia line has been around a long time.
they make small but significant changes each year.
the 7's have been my favorite so far.
I feel the 7's are better than the 8's.
I just bought a pair of 9's after trying them out in the store 3 different times.
the 9's seem to roll better onto the toe as you run.
as a running shoe the 9's could end up being better than the 7's, I'll see.

If you want to stay with Cascadias I would recommend the 9's or trying to find a 7 on clearance, rather than the 8's.

p.s.
regarding your wear hole on side of shoe, this sounds like an issue particular to you, never had this problem thru 5 pairs.

I have thought about repair but the cloth mesh seems fairly thin in that area and I am not sure that any repair would stay. I have about 170 miles left on them as that is how long my next hike is.

Art thanks for the info on the 9s. I plan on hitting REI later today hopefully so i will check them out if they have them in stock. seems an odd that both are starting to wear in the same spot. Was not sure if it was common for the shoe.

I think the 9's have a 2 mm higher drop than the 7's,
in case this is an issue for you.

I had assumed they would be the same. Not sure if that would matter or not. Guess it depends on the feel and how they fit.

With some gorilla tape and seam grip you can get another couple hundred miles out of those easy.

I may try that David to get a few more miles out of them. I am hitting the River to River trail on Friday for 170 miles. Shoes should hold up fine, although the hole may get a bit bigger. Will try the repair before I head out.