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.
My take is a lot of it is brand association. They're often associated with "gorpcore" aesthetic which is essentially cosplay outdoors guy, and it turns trail runners off.
But if you look beyond that, they make some very legit gear, and they've been heavily investing in trail shoes specifically the last few years.
Check out some of the conversational pace podcast reviews of TNF shoes.
The enduris 4 is truly one of my favourite all around shoes... and I own a lot of shoes. I will get the Altamesa next, unless there's an Enduris 5 that's appealing. I also have the Vectiv Sky 2, and it's a great lower stack, agile and fast shoe which fits me perfectly and I much prefer it over over other shoes in that category. I want the Summit Vectiv Pro 3 for some races, but my size has been out of stock for a while. Humble Racing YouTube channel has a good review of that one and also the Altamesa.
That's absolutely a great pick - low to the ground which sounds like what you like, and no plate interference. It's an extremely flexible shoe. At that price point, very much worth it. The ankle collar is a bit loose, so I find debris gets in - you might have to rig up a gaiter if that's an issue for you. Other potential options for that terrain: Norvan LD 4, Salomon S/LAB Genesis or S/LAB Pulsar 4. I also really like the Sky 2 from TNF - it does have a plate but it's very flexible. About as much cushion/protection underfoot as the LS 2 Matryx, but a noticeably wider forefoot.
TNF shoes weren’t on my radar before. I randomly found someone who reviews shoes and then sells them after to make extra cash. I bundled some enduris, vectiv sky’s and a pair of vectiv enduri pros for an amazing price for all three. I’ve haven’t used the pros but the other two pairs are amazing. Would definitely purchase tnf shoes after trying them. But like I said I had never thought of trying them out before.
I have a pair of skys and they are tts. Fun shoe for shorter runs. Wouldn’t want to wear it more than for a half marathon or on super jagged terrain. They are super light and have great traction with tall lugs.
I’ve really been liking the fit of the north face range. You could try the Vectiv Sky 2 for short distance and the Vectiv Infinite 3 for longer distance. The Vectiv Enduris 4 would be great for long distance but a little clunky for your kind of terrain I suspect.
Next to the hoka store (they don’t have a treadmill btw) in covent gardent you have Saucony, Salomon (probs not for you to be fair), Cotswolds outdoor, the north face all within a handful of minutes of each other. On Oxford streeet you have (starting west) asics, adidas, puma (no real trail offering though), new balance, Nike and the bigger the north face store. If I were you I would try as many shoes as you can until something feels good.
The north face enduris 4 and sky 2 (which is quite firm) have had good heel lockdowns for me even when sizing up.
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.
Enough_Dress_4421
