Nordlite Ultra

I love the Craft Nordelite Ultra. Ran HM and marathon in them. Also ran Javelina 100k (non tech trail race) in them. Super comfy and durable as hell.

I have run through rain and water in my Craft Nordelites and they drain/dry fast.

Craft has some great gravel shoes. The Explor line is good. I love the Nordelite Ultra.

I have pretty large haglund's both heels, and have had luck trying shoes with a flexible and also what I would describe as a 'bulbous' heel (which essentially contacts heel just above my haglund's) For (lighter) trails: Craft Nordlite Ultra Easy runs: Mizuno Neo Zen Minimalist: Merrell Vapor Glove 6 (not tried other versions) I'm still trying to find a more substantial trail shoe for winter though - saved this thread to see future recommendations 🤞

Hey folks. Looking for the perfect training shoe for wet days and I haven't been having a ton of luck. Here's what I'm looking for: - wide toebox. My feet have gotten wider over the years and I'm pretty much limited to Altra or Topo. - light and runs like a road shoe. - lugs that can handle wet clay mud. The trails I run daily have been wet for the last 2 months. They're mild trails that road shoes work great on them dry, but when they're wet road shoes make it feel like I'm running on ice. - comfortable on road - I have to run 3 miles to and from the trails I run in the mornings. - low drop preferable, but I can live with zero drop. No high drop - it kills my hips (I have hip impingement) I've tried Altra Lone Peaks (ok, but pretty clunky - especially on road), Altra Experience Wilds (best so far, but didn't hold up. Upper separated from the lower at 350mi), and Topo Ultraventures (really wanted to love these, but they feel heavy and clunky and my feet actually bruise if I wear them on much road). I also tried Craft Nordlite Ultras, but had to return them because they were not only too short, but incredibly narrow. Anything out there that runs like a light and responsive road shoe, but has lugs that will work in wet mud?

Thanks for the heads up. Stuff like that drives me insane. It's 2025.. why are shoe manufacturers so incredibly inconsistent in basic sizing and why is it not fully standardized? I recently ran into the same thing with Craft. Ordered the Nordlites in 12 which gives me a thumb in most other manufacturers, and not only were they incredibly narrow, but my toes were jammed against the front of the shoe.

They’re weird shoe. I have a bunch of trail and gravel miles in the non-trail version, and they’re super fun absolutely rip on shitty roads, gravel, and flowy single track at the right pace. But they fit super short, the upper has no structure at all, and the midsole is tall, tippy, rock-hard and totally rigid. If they’re cheap and you’re curious they might be worth a try. Otherwise, newer craft models like the Pure Trail and Nordlite Ultra have better uppers and more modern midsole foams.

I’ve been running in Craft UTM ultra & Nike Zegama 2’s which I find amazingly grippy and comfortable!