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Photo: Courtesy The North Face)
The Flight Vectiv brings high-tech speed to the dirt. Like record-setting carbon-equipped road shoes (think: Nike Vaporfly), it has a full-length carbon-fiber plate that enhances forward propulsion and makes for a more efficient stride. Uniquely, the plate sits directly under the foot, between the footbed and midsole (instead of deep within the cushioning) and also extends up around the heel. This improves lateral stability off-road (though it’s a bit tippy on very rocky trails) and generates an energetic, smooth ride that begs to go fast all day. “The rocker makes transitions at high speed on mellow terrain an effortless joy,” raved one tester. Meanwhile, the 3.5-millimeter lugs grip well on everything from rock slabs to mud while still rolling smoothly over buffed dirt. The stretchy, single-layer, TPU-infused mesh upper is sleek, yet boasts Kevlar midfoot reinforcements, which minimize weight and bulk. Testers of all foot shapes and speeds
The North Face Flight Vectiv Review: Carbon Fiber Hits the Running Trails
On 4/4/21 at 6:00 PM EDT
The North Face debuted new trail running shoes that demand attention because they include a carbon fiber plate in the midsole. The addition of a carbon fiber plate has been a growing trend in road shoes because it allows for more energy return with minimal weight increase. On a firm surface, the benefits are consistent and pretty obvious. But adding a carbon fiber plate to trail shoes seems less certain to offer the same benefits because of the varied terrain. The question is, Does it work?
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Even before the Covid-19 pandemic started and outdoor activities became one of the safest ways to exercise, trail running was growing in popularity. In a report published in February 2020, the Sports and Fitness Industry Association recorded an average 8 percent year-over-year increase in trail running participants.
Then, with more and more people hitting the trails during the long months of 2020 s global lockdown, runners started recording new fastest known times. Called an FKT in running parlance, it s the speed record on any particular trail route with a marked beginning and end. In fact, 2020 was a blowout year for setting FKTs on trails all over the world.
Advertisement For better or for worse, carbon plates have changed the road racing landscape. Nike unleashed the tech with the Vaporfly 4%, and since then every brand has been playing catch up – in 2020 most launched a carbon plate racing shoe.
It was only a matter of time before the tech came to trail-running shoes in some form, and The North Face’s Flight Vectiv is the first attempt at a carbon plate trail shoe.
It bears many of the hallmarks of a carbon plate road shoe. There’s a large stack of cushioning made from a lightweight, high-rebound foam, while the midsole has a rocker design to help you roll through your footstrike. Then there’s the carbon plate, which sits in the midsole to provide extra propulsion.