The North Face Summit Vectiv Pro trail shoes

My first impression of the North Face Summit Vectiv Pro when unboxing them was positive. I like a brightly coloured shoe with clean design and graphics. I always like to cut a dash on the trails and these shoes fit the bill. Initially I was a bit miffed with the lacey laces as it felt like tying lingerie around my feet. However, after going on a couple of long test runs I didn’t have to kneel down once to tie them. So, I have to admit, The North Face got it right with this lacey design😉.

Putting them on they felt comfortable and when you stand up there is a noticeable rocker sole. This gives you confidence that this is a purposefully designed shoe for running, I find it similar to a Hoka and encourage a natural running gate with smooth strides and quick toe off. I have a narrow foot, this shoe is a D width shoe that’ll accommodate a broader range of foot shapes. For me, I just adjust the laces a little tighter and have had no problems with the shoe moving or feeling sloppy on my feet.

To evaluate the performance of these shoes I wanted to select a variety of terrains to trial them out.

I headed up to Snowdonia for the weekend. A good excuse to give these shoes the review they deserve. My first run out in them, a flattish run around the beautiful Llyn Padarn, Llanberis so that I could gauge the quality of cushioning and propulsion from this shoe. My plan was to run at a steady pace and save my energy for the following day’s run in the mountains. However, as soon as I set off, I can feel that rocker midsole come into play propelling me forward, and I’m soon having far too much fun and that steady run I’ve planned becomes a faster tempo. The foam cushioning feels expensive, absorbing energy with each foot strike and has me feeling like I’m literally gliding along. These are a “fast and lightweight pair of trainers” and would do exceptionally well in a long race over hard-packed terrain.

The second outing incorporated a mixture of technical terrain, arduous climbs and long and fast descents. Starting at Llanberis, and following the Eilio Ridge, Snowdon summit and descending via the Llanberis footpath back into the town. With a 32mm height stack these are a higher shoe than I am used to running in, but the carbon footplate stabilizes the foot offering a more secure foot plant and adding confidence when running over rocky ground.

Reaching the summit of Snowdon in January, the temperature dropped below zero and the ground was covered in ice, occasionally I felt I was slipping as the less aggressive 3.5mm lugs didn’t deliver enough traction. That being said up until that point and once descending Snowdon and away from the ice the shoe served me well with the rubber outsole gripping the hard packed ground allowing me to descend 5 miles quickly and confidently. All in all, it’s a great shoe for long distances in the mountains offering grip, stability and plenty of cushioning and what’s needed for those big hilly runs.

The rest of my test runs were done back on home ground in the Peak District where you can’t go far without running through a muddy fields or two!! The North Face Vectiiv Pro are more impressive on hard packed terrain than they are running through mud, I did find however after running through several bogs the uppers do drain well.

The North Face Summit Vectiv Pro are an excellent trail shoe and I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to evaluate them. They are fun to run in and it’s almost impossible to not want to run fast, even on tired legs. The price point can feel quite steep but the responsiveness from the cushioning, the glide from the rocker and the stability and enhanced energy return from the carbon footplate makes this premium shoe worth the price point and it will be a firm investment to add to any distance runners ‘Shoe-wardrobe’ for up and coming race events.