This article was originally published on Trail Runner
The North Face first launched the Flight Vective, the first carbon-plated trail shoe, in 2021. That shoe didn’t live up to expectations, with an overly firm ride, a narrow fit, and a lack of protective features for technical trails. , They’ve expanded the carbon-plated technology to a full line of trail shoes with varying levels of cushion and propulsion, but their latest incarnation, the Summit Vective Pro, is a vastly improved, speed-oriented, long-distance trail running shoe.
At UTMB’s finish line, TNF athletes Katie Schidt and Zack Miller were wearing sleek kicks with a simple, black-and-white hue, an exaggerated rocker, and an obviously flared midsole. what were they doing? I started messaging every shoe lover in Chamonix.
Months later, the Summit Vactive Pro has landed, and it’s a true step forward in trail shoe tech. Here is our first look.
The North Face Summit Vective Pro
The key to this super shoe, like the others, is the interplay between the supercritical foam and the carbon plate. The foam is a proprietary Payback blend that’s softer and more responsive than the Flight Vective’s midsole material from two years ago. EVA is infused in the Payback of the TNF for added structure and control, so that it doesn’t feel like a bouncy fortress tucked away underfoot. The midsole of this shoe feels energetically similar to the Saucony Endorphin Edge, but with more precision and control.
RELATED: Trail Tested: Saucony Endorphin Edge
The exaggerated rocker is next-level, enabling a smooth stride and quick toe-off. (It doesn’t feel quite as comfortable to walk in, but it feels great to run in, especially on smooth, low-tech trails.) Flared midsole adds built-in stability on more technical terrain, more versatile than the Flight Vective Increases brilliance, which felt quite unstable on rocky terrain.
Carbon plates can be hit or miss on the trail. The Flight Vective was moderately springy and fast, but performed poorly on technical terrain, given the directional roll of its rigid, rocker plate. The Endorphin Edge, with its fork, one-way flexing plate, was a fast and responsive ride that often felt dangerously unstable on downhills. The Hoka Tecton X split the difference (and plate) with a dual-plate design, which helped increase stability and versatility over moderately technical terrain.
TNF’s new, updated approach includes wings that wrap the midsole to provide stable posting on both sides of the forefoot, and medial posting under the arch so it doesn’t feel wobbly, or wobbly in the long run. Started feeling tired. (Some less stable shoes force you to engage your stabilizing muscles, resulting in considerable leg fatigue.) Testers reported that the Summit Pro’s fins kept it from rolling sideways on a sketchy footplant, but developed some Blisters where the ball of his foot hit the top edge of the support post. The Summit Vective Pro’s plate also features a forked design that better adapts to uneven terrain (and makes it more responsive to wider variations). The plate sits atop the midsole, with not a lot of foam between it and your foot, which some testers thought provided pleasing proprioception while others described it as feeling stiff and firm.
Outsole of The North Face Summit Vective Pro
TNF’s proprietary CTRL rubber outsole features 3.55mm lugs, which aren’t the biggest teeth in the business, but have enough traction for a variety of terrain without being adversarial when interacting with the midsole. The outsole performed well on mud, snow, and soft clay surfaces, and did not impede the ability to reduce speed on smooth terrain.
The North Face Summit Vective Pro Upper
The TNF uses a dual-layer TPU mesh upper that dries and vents effectively and has enough structure to be durable without being overly built or stiff. The integrated tongue and booty help lock your foot in place (also helpful for better integration with the carbon plate in the midsole), and feel more stable on technical terrain than TNF’s previous plated shoes. The updated, raised laces resist coming untied on the run, which is a bonus.
The forefoot of this shoe feels larger than previous TNF models, which is helpful—especially for ultra-distance runs when feet tend to swell and become more sensitive. I’m excited to race in these bad boys and add a shoe that actually feels super to my quiver.
Bottom-line
I wore these shoes right out of the box in poor condition for a 20-mile run (ill-advised, but luck favors the bold?) three miles, so truthfully, mileage may vary). While the $250 price tag may seem steep to runners who haven’t crunched road supershoe prices for years, it’s worth the investment if you’re looking for a truly performance-oriented trail shoe. A real step forward in trail shoe technology, The North Face Summit Vective Pro is worth the hype for speed and distance. Is it race season now?
RELATED: The Trail Running Shoes We’re Most Excited to Try in 2023
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