A firm favourite among The North Face athletes at UTMB, the Summit Vectiv Pro is back with a superior upgrade to its carbon plated trail running shoe.
While the original model had impressive responsiveness, there were some issues with the fit, with users complaining of blisters on either side of the forefoot.
This was due to the full-length carbon plate, which curved up the midsole. While this created solid stability, it did little for comfort. Thankfully the Pro II is redesigned with the carbon plate lower in the midsole foam, keeping it further away from the foot.
Pros
- Internal bootie protects from debris
- Serrated laces
- Comfortable propulsive ride
Cons
- Narrow fit
- Limited traction
| RRP: | £225 / $250 |
| Men’s sizes (UK): | 6 to 13 |
| Women’s sizes (UK): | 3 to 9 |
| Weight: | 238g |
| Drop: | 6mm |
| Stack height: | 32/26mm |
| Lugs: | 3.5mm |
| Waterproof version: | No |
Praise has been high for The North Face revamped carbon trail shoe, and I’d heard the toe box felt roomier. Space for my tootsies is a big bone of contention because running shoes are generally designed on male data (women’s feet are an entirely different shape and are not men’s feet scaled down).
I often struggle to find trail shoes that fit me correctly around the midfoot, so I was curious to find out if the Pro II would provide me with enough wiggle room.
I am a big fan of Saucony Endorphin Edge which saw me through a 250km race in Tanzania. But due to my wide feet I had to go a full size up meaning my feet slid around too much and I got enormous blisters on all my toes.
So, my question was, would the Pro II be a better alternative?
Upper
One criticism of its predecessor was the engineered mesh did not prevent blisters and the durability wasn’t great. But this is a distant memory with the Pro II, which are ready to rock straight out of the box.
The seamless upper is made from an impressive 92% recycled material and is reinforced with high-tenacity yarns, which appear to stave off wear and tear for longer.
Less successful was the fit. While the shoes were comfy when I first wore them, I did struggle to get my feet in and out as there was not much ‘give’ in the upper.
On the plus side, they had serrated laces, which for me are an absolute must. I despise having to retie laces mid race as it seems such a simple thing to get right.
Unfortunately, even though I opted for a full size up, the shoes were still too narrow. When I’d finally managed to get them on, my toes were squashed both laterally and frontally.
Midsole
Bolstering its rockered midsole with supercritical EVA-foam and a forked 3D carbon plate The North Face has created a stable propulsion system. But it’s one that reacts best at speed.
When running at an easy conversational pace I found the geometry of the rocker caused me to heel strike as the momentum swung towards the rear. It was only when I picked up to a tempo run that the shoes came alive.
Once I reached threshold pace, I finally found myself being propelled forward with the rocker increasing torque in the midfoot, shifting my weight forward. The shoe felt light and bouncy underfoot, with the cushioning providing a finely tuned balance of comfort and snap.
Despite a 32mm stack height, the 6mm drop and heel grip meant I always felt stable even when running hard over lumpy terrain. But I must admit that overall, I was left feeling a little underwhelmed.
They did not feel as peppy as my Hoka Tecton X2 (which are also too narrow) or Saucony Endorphin Edge. This is visible to the eye, as the The North Face Summit Vectiv Pro II sole barely moves when pressed against a hard edge compared to the super squidgy (and bouncy) Endorphin Edge.
Outsole
The rubber outsole claims it's optimised for trail terrain, but with a lug depth of 3.5mm I felt it was more suitable as a hybrid shoe.
The space between the lugs quickly filled with mud, even on relatively dry days, meaning I lost all traction. On light trails and dry grass the Surface CTRL rubber handled well, but I wouldn’t feel confident in wet conditions or on technical descents.
I avoided wearing these during a stormy five-mile race and opted for the Scarpa Infinity Planet instead. That said, I have seen sponsored athletes tearing up the mountains in the Summit Vectiv Pro II, but my feeling is they're better suited to fair weather running.
Features
Inside the upper is an internal bootie integrated with the tongue, which helps to lock the foot in for a stable, secure fit.
This is supported by an improved padded heel collar, which helps to prevent ankle rolling. The additional benefit of the bootie is that it keeps debris out, but the fabric technology still allows the foot to breathe. I found it was effective at both breathability and debris protection.
Sustainability
With an upper made from 92% recycled materials and a bio-based outsole, the Pro II is one of the more sustainable trail shoes on the market.
The North Face has made bold claims that it's working towards making all of its products from recycled, regenerative or responsibly-sourced renewable fabrics but, as always, the devil is in the detail. The true footprint of materials, suppliers and transport is unknown.
Verdict
In all honesty, The North Face's Summit Vectiv Pro II is not the shoe for, me owing to the narrow fit. But it is hard to ignore the rave reviews from other runners who love these shoes for speed sessions and races.
There is no denying the shoes have some pop, but this does come at a high price tag. If you're looking for a comfortable run on non-technical terrain, and were a fan of the Summit Pro, then these are just the upgrade you are looking for.
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How we tested
Living in the rolling hills of the East Midlands, I'm surrounded by cow pastures, muddy footpaths and corn fields. I tested the shoes on my easy and tempo runs up to 15km long over a month.
While they maintained traction on hard-packed trails on dry days, they did struggle in wetter conditions when I was running through arable fields. Some of my routes have loose gravel and the Summit Vectiv Pro II did grip confidently on the flat but I didn’t feel so stable when running downhill.
About the author
Lily Canter is a freelance journalist and running coach (among a myriad of other jobs, including competitive ultra running) who contributes to LFTO with expert coaching advice and granularly detailed gear reviews. She also founded women’s running club Great Bowden Runners.
As a qualified England Athletics running coach, Lily loves nothing more than seeing women achieving their running goals. Discover more about our team at Live for the Outdoors' About Us page.