North Face Vectiv Carbon Plate Trail Running Shoe Released
The North Face are the first brand to get a Carbon Plate Trail Running Shoe to market.
Carbon plates have dominated road running since Eliud Kipchoge’s Breaking2 success in the Nike Vaporfly, and it stood to reason that this trend would soon come to the trails.
Sure enough, in August last year Paul Capell set a record time of 21:17:18 on the UTMB, showcasing the North Face Vective.
The Flight Vectiv Carbon Plate Trail Running Shoe
The Flight Vectiv has a layer of lightweight carbon above a rocker midsole.
The plate provides extra stability on rocky trails, and combined with the rocker gives a significant propulsion boost. Multiplied over 1000s of strides this adds up to huge energy savings.
The shoe has a dual density foam midsole. The softer heel absorbs impact, while maintaining control and stability in the forefoot.
What goes up, must come down
The Flight Vectiv isn’t just about performance. The North Face’s R&D department say that their test show a decrease in shin impact forces of 10%.
That’s a big reduction over ultra distances, meaning you can power down the hills at full speed as well as up them!
The North Face made these shoes with ultras in mind, building them to last. The uppers feature Kevlar, polyamide and Matryx fabrics.
The Flight Vectiv Vital Statistics
The Flight Vectiv Carbon Plate Trail Running shoes feature:
- 3D-molded heel counter for a precise fit
- Reinforced toe caps
- Durable and responsive TPE footbed
- Reflectivity details for enhanced visibility
- 3D carbon-fibre plate underfoot for multi-directional stability and forward propulsion
- Rocker midsole geometry engineered to create long-lasting forward propulsion
- Dual-density midsole with ultra-lightweight and high-rebound foams
- 6mm toe-to-heel offset
- SurfacecCTRL
- 3.5mm lugs for a rugged grip across all types of terrain
An average size pair way around 570g and are priced at €200.
If that’s a little over budget there are versions from €130 with a TPU plate.
Probably fine if you’re not planning on setting any new records on the UTMB.
You can view the full range on the North Face website here.