The North Face - VECTIV Infinite 3

I got my last pair for $90 when the off white color went on clearance. I wish I would have bought 2 pairs because they are so good.

It’s a great shoe, but the Prodigio Pro edges it for me. A little lighter. A little more pop. A little better in technical terrain, and the bootie is great and lacing is easy. TNF Infinite 3 might be slightly lighter. How is that Inov8 so light?

I bought a pair from north faces own website just a couple of weeks ago (white and green) It is one of the best trail shoes i’ve worn. Feels great for more technical trails aswell. I have only had them for about 50k so far and longest run has been 25k on snowy trails. Have not had any issue at all so far.

I have EU size 44 and my feet are ~27,3cm. I have felt the need to do a runners loop on some shoes but dont feel that need here at all. Foot feels secure. Dont really know how ”normal” my feet are. But i would say i dont really have wide or narrow feet. But i will definitely use these on a couple of a bit more technical 45-50k races this year. I have a 100miler in my schedule in the end of this year. But not sure yet if this will be the shoe for that race😊

To be fair i havent run with them on some proper technical trails yet. But i dont have any issue with the stack. But my feet feels secure in the shoe wich makes me feel that i have control even when i’m running on the trails. I definitely dont have a ”bulky” feelings from these. They have 29mm stack in the heel. Not 49mm like Hoka Mafate X😅 Wich i also have and ran a 108k ultra race with a couple of months ago on some easier trails. I had no issues with my feet but 49mm is a wierd feeling running with the first time. But i will not use them on technical trails.

I thought the Infinite 3 was being phased out. I have probably 60+miles in mine. They are really fun to run in, and they really have nice pep on flats and downhills with the rocker and plate. They have a pretty nice balance of ground feel and protection- I’ve done 3hrs with some rough surface underfoot and feet didn’t feel very worn out. I’ve found them to be nimble in technical terrain, but for me, their best use is relatively smooth trails that aren’t too off-camber. This is because, for me, I find the the ankle collar to be a little stiff and it can dig into my ankle bones if I’m too off-camber (to be fair, this is not an uncommon issue for me)- I will be a little hesitant to take these on very technical terrain where I’ll be more likely to get a jab in the ankle bone. I think between the rocker geometry, which is new for me, and the upper, which I think is overall comfortable, I’ve also had a little trouble getting the lockdown right—too tight and the pressure underfoot from the rocker/plate is uncomfortable and cuts of circulation, too loose is too loose. Though I’m finally getting to a place where they are broken in and the lacing is dialed and it fits great. All that to say, I like this shoe. It’s requires a little more adjustment than others to get dialed. It’s a great daily trainer for the majority of terrain, seems to be capable of both speed and distance. If they adjusted the ankle collar to be a little cushier/ roomy at the ankle bone, it’d be a favorite.

Incredible, under the radar shoe with one huge flaw/draw back. The seem, where the two piece upper meets, starts to fray/pull apart after a while. Granted this might be a result of lots of technical miles, but other shoes of mine, like the comparable Catamount 2/3, have zero upper issues during their life. There was a mention at TRE that the Infinite will stay in stock globally, but not in the US (yet to see restocking here). People here like the big boy shoes with the fat cush. This, and the fact that TNF has jacked up the pricing of all their shoes by 15% here in the US. The Enduris 4 may be worth it at $180, but the Infinite 3 at $180? Hell no. Also, the Sky 2 at $230 and the Pro at $290??!!. Fuck off.

Chiming in late, and on a similar quest. This is probably the most difficult shoe transition period I've ever experienced in my 30 years of trail running. Manufacturers are continuing to up the stack on shoes, and make them less technical oriented. It's kind of like watching the Mitsubishi Eclipse evolve into a clunky sub SUV. Trailrunningreview.com (Spanish site) has the best organizer by stack/distance oriented. Only recent comparable shoe I've tried is the TNF Infinite 3. Loved it, but a little softer than I like in tech stuff. Upper also started to rip, which was never an issue with the Cat. The Cat will be gone, according to sources, and TNF is not going to offer the Infinite here in the US any longer (rumors). Some shoes, like Scotts, which I used to run in, are too expensive owing to tariffs (no US seller), and others like the TNF Sky 2 and Nnormal Kjerag 2 are also getting the tariff treatment (both over $220 now). Shoes I want to try: Scarpa SU 2, Mammut Trail Speed, Anta Saker 3 RC, TNF Offtrail Ultra, LS Prodigio 2. When I win the lottery, I'll try these out and report back. In the meantime, I'll just continue to snag Cat 2 and 3s used. 👍

Great shoe all around. Not the fastest and not the most technical.

I had the Pegasus trail 4 and I would not use them for any real trails. Only road and light gravel/ well groomed paths. No lugs, very soft sole. I assume the 5 are similar but might not be the case. I really like the North Face Vectiv line up. I have the Enduris 4 but have tried on and really like the Infinite 3 and Pro 3 also. Would look at Sky, Infinite or Enduris for steep stuff.

Great shoe. By running standards I'm heavy and slow, so it was nice to have something that didn't flatten out after 100 miles. Originally I bought the enduris as a training shoe but enjoyed the rocker and midsole enough that I used it for the big run instead of the Hokas. After that I picked up the vectiv infinite but they ran like bricks for me, which was a shame since the matryx upper was great for the desert heat

I'm willing to buy shoes online from brands that I have good experience with (and I can compare the new shoe to their older model from some online review) or I need to try them in a store or ideally during some club run event. In Czechia TNF running shoes are hard to find in person. I've tried old Vectiv model in some skyrunning expo. I had to downsize (ie. risk for any future online purchase - downsize or normal size?) and the midsole was quite unstable and harsh. I'd need to firstly get convinced by trying them out before really considering them. On the other hand from the years of running I'm comfortable with buying online shoes from many other brands, so there is no need for me to risk it with TNF.

I avoid asphalt as much as I can and I don’t think I shuffle too much. I’ve put a decent amount of miles into my Zegama 2s, north face vectivs, Salomon’s, and ultrafly before retiring them and they held up pretty well. This is the first pair of trail shoes that looks like they took a beating early on. It is a great shoe though