Congrats on the new role! Speaking from a consumer/racer perspective, the main hurdles are:
* Aesthetic/Brand Perception: For serious trail runners, TNF is seen as 'hiking' or 'lifestyle' first, not a technical running brand, which impacts perception vs. Salomon, Hoka, etc.
* Fit Consistency: I've found older models lacked secure lockdown, especially in the heel. People stick to what fits their feet for 50k/100M races.
* Stack Height/Drop Profile: The line needs clear, differentiated profiles (low stack/minimalist vs. high stack/maximalist) that target specific races better.
The VECTIV plate is the key differentiator. Lean into the technical advantages of that stiffness/efficiency and get them on the feet of influential, non-sponsored runners.
P.S. As an avid 50k runner, I'd happily put some miles on a VECTIV Pro 3 for development feedback! 😉
Narrow in the toe box. On the 2 the winglet bit into my foot and the 3 seemed narrower than the two.
I run a lot in the Hoka Tecton x3 so my foot is not that wide but it just didn’t fit in Vective. To bad as I had hopes for that shoe - especially the 3 seems well thought out.
Prodigo Pro destroyed my big toenails on long technical descents. Don’t know why, but the hard toe box just shattered them. They were great until I took them to a race in the Pyrenees with 1hr+ descents.
For me, North Face Vectiv Pro 2 or 3, it Sky 2 are better shoes.
About 13 years ago, I had some NF trail shoes that I really liked, so I got the Vectiv Pro 2. I enjoy that model and raced a 100k in it where it performed really well. So I got the Vectiv Pro 3, but that model doesn’t work for me. It‘s uncomfortable on the ball of my foot, especially uphill. I have been curious about the Enduris but because the Pro 3 was expensive and didn’t work out, I have been reluctant to invest more money in NF shoes.
LaSportiva Prodigio pro or The Northface vective enduris 4 or The North Face Vective pro 3 or Adidas Agravic speed (ultra) love them all.
At the Moment the vective 4 is my daily, long run, max comfort shoe and able to do faster paces
I would not recommend the Vectiv pro 3 for this type of effort.
H1 would be a really good place to start - amazing foam and overall durability if it fits your foot shape. Caldera will feel heavier and clunkier and will wear quite quickly on the tarmac.
Another suggestion would be the Salomon Aeroglide 3/4 grvl. 3 can probably be found on sale while the 4 is just an upper update.
Top Trail Running Shoes on Reddit
1
Mount to Coast
H1
85% positive of 177 users
Versatile road-to-trail, but struggles on wet, technical downhills.
danielposdatarun
