The North Face Flight Vectiv™ Review

The North Face Flight Vectiv™ is the first trail running shoe built with a carbon-fibre plate.

The past year has seen a lot of interest in running shoes with carbon plates built into the sole, but these have been designed for road or track running, not for off road use. Then in January 2021 The North Face released the Flight Vectiv™ a carbon-plate shoe designed specifically for trail running. I’ve been testing it for the past month on the Peak District trails, these are my thoughts:

The North Face Flight Vectiv™

First Impression – They’re white! Not what you’d expect from a trail shoe and not a colour that they would remain for long in the UK in January! To be honest I hadn’t really associated The North Face with trail running, but a bit of reading revealed that the brand is popular in the US and there are some elite trail runners wearing their shoes including Pau Capell, the winner of the 2019 Ultra Tour Mont Blanc. So they are definitely a credible alternative to the more familiar trail shoe brands.

Design – I won’t go into all the geeky technical specifications of the shoe (that’s all available here), but rather describe what I think are the most important details.
The Flight Vectiv™ are designed as a long / ultra distance trail shoe, balancing cushioning with energy return using a carbon-fibre plated midsole. Probably their most noticeable design feature is the “rocker”. That is the distinctive bend in the sole (imagine the bottom of a rocking chair) designed to enhance momentum and propel you forwards.

photo showing "rocker" on the North Face Vectiv shoe

noticeable rocker

What you can’t see is the carbon-fibre plate which lies on top of the midsole which is claimed to help with energy return and forwards propulsion. The plate makes the shoes quite rigid and there is almost no upward or sideways flex in the sole. Viewed from the side the midsole looks thick and well cushioned although they don’t feel high and “tippy” when worn. Heel to toe drop is 6mm and the sole has 3.5mm lugs.

The uppers are made from a breathable knit material using Kevlar®, polyamide and Matryx® fabrics which should offer abrasion resistance. However the reinforced part of the upper only covers the back and sides whereas at the forefoot and above the toes the material is softer. This makes them comfortable but possibly more prone to wear in the non reinforced zone. There is a slight rand / toe bumper but this isn’t very firm and wouldn’t offer much protection if you stubbed your toe or kicked a loose rock.

photo showing upper of the North Face Vectiv shoe

lightweight upper & soft toe bumper

Rather than a tongue the shoes feature a one piece upper that is elasticated and hugs your upper foot and ankle. This feels snug and comfortable and also has the benefit of acting as a debris sock, preventing small stones from getting inside your shoe. It does make getting the shoes on a bit more tricky than with a traditional tongue. There is no gimmicky lacing system, just the usual shoe laces, so it’s a case of double knotting to prevent them from coming undone.

one piece elasticated upper

Vital stats –
Weight official weight 570g / pair (my pair of UK 6.5 = 526g)
Drop 6mm (25mm – 19mm)
RRP £180

Sizing – I take a size 6.5 UK in most shoes and that is the size I tested. I found them a little bit roomier in the toe than normal – more like a size 7 in length, although they were snug and not too wide across the midfoot. So for me my usual size was fine.

On test – To be fair the shoes are designed more for a summer tour of Mont Blanc than the Peak District winter, and they aren’t suitable for most of the wet and muddy terrain that I usually run on at this time of year. Having said that there are enough hard packed trails close by for me to test them out on. I’ve used them for the past 4 weeks on runs ranging from 40 minutes to two and a half hours. These included easy runs, steady paced runs and some faster 10k pace intervals and strides. All of these runs were on hard ground, mainly paths and trails but also some tarmac. I also tried them on wet grass and snow just to see how they coped.

photo of runner wearing the North Face Vectiv shoe

ideally suited to hard packed trails

less suited to wet grass and snow

I found the Vectiv comfortable straight out of the box (although this is subjective as my foot shape and running style will be different to other people’s). I didn’t suffer from not breaking them in before wearing them for a two hour run. Although they are designed as a long distance shoe I found them snug and responsive whilst running fast too.

The grip was as expected – fine on dry and firm terrain but not great on wet grass and mud. They coped fine with wet flagstones and wet tarmac.

So, what about the carbon plate? I wasn’t sure what to expect when it came to wearing the Vectivs. Would it feel like I was running on springs or a trampoline? Would my long run become effortless? Would my 1km repetitions be ten seconds faster than last time? Sadly, or maybe reassuringly, not! They felt like.. well a new pair of trail shoes. Maybe a little stiffer than some of the others that I wear but not too noticeable. If I hadn’t known there was a carbon plate in them I wouldn’t have guessed, although I did notice that when running over stones I couldn’t feel them on the soles of my feet. It felt as if the shoes had a rock plate, which I suppose is what the carbon plate is acting as.

the carbon plate acted as a rock plate

But in terms of energy return etc. I didn’t notice anything different to my other shoes. There was certainly no feeling that I could run for ever in them and after two and half hours I had slightly tired legs and a sore knee! My interval session felt just as hard as usual, and checking the data I noted that my heart rate and split times were pretty much the same as the last couple of times I’ve done the session in different shoes.

This doesn’t mean that the shoes don’t help with energy return and forward propulsion, just that I didn’t notice anything. Maybe a faster runner will get a better return or maybe you need to be doing much longer distances for it to become meaningful.

Pros –
Lightweight, comfortable (for me), might possibly give you more energy return than other trail shoes.

Cons –
Expensive! Not guaranteed to give you more energy return than other trail shoes.

Verdict – The North Face Flight Vectiv™ is a lightweight trail shoe designed for longer distances and is the first trail shoe to feature a carbon-fibre plate. This is an interesting concept although I can’t honestly say that I noticed any performance benefits whilst wearing them. They are more suited to drier European and American trails than wet British ones and they are definitely not a fell running shoe. The new technology is reflected in the price.

Available here – https://www.sportsshoes.com/north-face-vectiv/

Lake District Trail Running – book review

Lake District Trail Running is a handily sized book detailing 20 off road runs in the Lake District National Park

The selected routes range from 5km to 17km in length and vary in difficulty in terms of type of terrain and amount of ascent. Each run includes a brief description of the route including distance, ascent, navigational difficulty and estimated time to complete whilst an altitude profile shows you where you will encounter the ups and downs. A more detailed description breaks each route down into legs with easy to follow directions which are clearly marked on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 map extracts.

Lake District Trail Running

The softback book is well set out with the shortest runs at the front, the longest at the back making it easy to flick through and find the one you fancy. It is useful for runners of all experience and ability and is ideal for anyone planning a trip to the Lakes who doesn’t want to plan their own route. Packed with colour photos it is interesting to read and makes a great addition to any trail or fell runner’s library. It is even small enough to stuff into your bumbag!

Lake District Trail Running by Helen Mort is published by Vertebrate Publishing and retails for £12.95

Also check out the sister publication Peak District Trail Running: 22 off-Road Routes for Trail & Fell Runners.

Peak District Trail Running

Trail Running at Night

Trail running at night – don’t be afraid!

I’m alert, senses heightened to the sounds and smells around me: an owl hoots away to my left, I notice the musky scent of fox and the damp, earthy smell of the newly fallen, autumn leaves. Emerging from the trees my eyes are drawn to the faint afterglow of sunset just visible on the western horizon whilst away to the east the moon, big and bright is rising from behind the hill into a small, thin patch of wispy cloud. This is night running!

the remains of the day on the western horizon

A small group of us are making the most of the darker evenings, just because it’s dark doesn’t mean you can’t run off road! Before the moon has chance to rise we turn our head torches off and look up. Almost all of the day’s cloud has dispersed and as we adjust to the darkness stars come out before our eyes. We take a few moments to share our knowledge of the various constellations before turning the torches back on and continuing on our nocturnal adventure.

Back into the woods and several pairs of bright, pinpoints of light appear before us – we are being watched! But we have bravery in numbers and as we get closer the sheep look at us with curiosity as if to wonder what we are doing out after dark.

headtorch running

Dropping down to the stream we notice the temperature change, our breath steams and a thin mist is just beginning to form in the colder air. Our ears deceive us, the stream sounds like a torrent when in fact it is barely shin deep. We don’t talk, the sounds of nature are enough: the stream, the snap of a twig underfoot, our breathing and our footfalls on the soft earth.

Climbing back up to the moor we snake our way along the ancient hollow-way, cut out hundreds of years ago when men toiled to make a living from this land. As we emerge we turn around and see the moon again, risen now and casting its silvery light on the landscape.

We head back to the road, to our cars, to our homes, but we will return to the wonderful landscape and to the magic of trail running at night.

Fancy a night time trail run? Check out the dates of my next guided runs: https://fellrunningguide.co.uk/courses

Running or Playing?

I have a little playground in the Peak District that is perfect for trail running.

between the boulders

Some days I don’t want to train hard, I want a recovery run or an easy session. Sometimes the weather is just too good to waste!

On days like this I exercise my inner child; boulder hopping, avoiding puddles, balancing up steep rocks trying to avoid using my hands, dodging shadows and hurdling fallen trees as I run through the woods.

up..

..up..

..and away!

avoiding puddles

steep stuff

going up!

shadows and tall trees

So get out there, find your playground and release your inner kid. Trail running is fun!

Many thanks to http://www.summitfever.co.uk/ for the fantastic photos.

Trail Running or Fell Running?

Trail running or fell running, what’s the difference?

When I tell people that I’m a fell runner I’m often asked what the difference is between fell running and trail running. What is a fell? Are trail runs and fell runs actually the same thing? Do some people do both?

Fell is a term mainly used in the Lake District to describe mountains or high moorland. Hence the sport of fell running which emerged from the old guide’s and shepherd’s races traditionally held alongside wrestling and other sports at the annual games events in rural Lakeland towns and villages.

fells: hills or high land especially in Northwest England

A trail is a track or path predominantly in countryside areas and is often well signed and easy to follow.

trail running

Fell running, although a minority sport, has been taking place in the UK for many years with the Fell Runners Association (FRA) set up in the 1970s to oversee the sport. Trail running on the other hand is a relatively new sport having its roots in America and Europe and which has only emerged in the UK within the past 10 years but is showing a huge increase in popularity; the Lakeland Trails Series began in 2006 and now attracts over 10,000 runners.

The stereotypical image of the fell runner may be a stringy, bearded old man in a vest running up a rough hillside (and there may be some truth in that!) but the allure of the sport is its simplicity.

stringy old men! – fell runners or trail runners?

In today’s commercial world trail running has attracted the attention of some big companies with Salomon sponsoring events in the UK and abroad and the image of a trail runner may be more compression clothing and sunglasses – a slightly more upmarket fell runner! There is certainly more extrinsic value in winning a top trail race than a British or English championship fell race.

So fell running is harder than trail running right?

Er no! Probably the most iconic trail run is the UTMB – The Ultra Tour of Mont Blanc which covers around 170 kilometers and over 9500 metres of ascent! However, trail races in England mainly tend to follow valleys rather than heading for the mountains. Trail running also trends towards Ultra Distance, i.e. further than a marathon and races such as the Lakeland 100 are becoming increasingly popular. Which is harder; a 10 mile race on remote moorland in winter with low cloud, strong wind, heavy rain and poor visibility or a 60 mile trail in the heat of mid summer? They are different types of hard. It could be argued that the more remote and hostile terrain of a fell race is potentially more dangerous – but harder?

winter fell running – a different type of hard

The one big difference between the two sports is that true fell running requires you to be able to navigate (although plenty of fell runners play follow the leader and hope that the person in front knows where they are going!) Many fell races cross remote, open moorland often without paths and with route choice being left to the individual. So in bad visibility map and compass skills are essential. In trail races it is more a case of following a good path on a set route with any junctions being well marshalled and signed.

Is the definition between trail and fell running always that clear?

Definitely not! In the FRA calendar there are probably 500 races to choose from some of which follow low level, well marked paths and which the organisers mark out so that runners can’t (shouldn’t!) get lost. In summer, evening races may start at a local cricket ground or country pub and do a 4 or 5 mile loop around the fields and woods – certainly not fell races in the true sense of the word. Ennerdale Trail Race however visits the remote Black Sail Hut at the eastern end of the valley, some 10km from the nearest metalled road, it is certainly more remote than many short fell races.

Some races combine both trail and fell; The Ultra Tour of the Peak District follows footpaths and trails before heading out onto more remote moorland.

mixed terrain; Ultra Tour of the Peak District

Others sit somewhere in between the two; The Snowdon Race climbs to 1085 metres above sea level, much higher than many fell races, but does so on a well defined track on which runners then reverse on their way down.

So are you a trail runner or a fell runner?

A bit like a meso / endo morph, probably somewhere between the two. Some fell runners wear compression socks and fancy shades! Some trail runners can navigate and don’t mind getting their expensive shoes muddy! Does it really matter? I suppose the important thing is that whatever you wear, whatever surface you run on, trail running, fell running or whatever you call it.. just enjoy it.

trail running, fell running or a bit of both? Borrowdale Fell Race

trail, fell or a bit of both? Borrowdale Fell Race

Happy trail running, I mean fell running!

It’s Not Always Hard Work

Some days I run hard.

Race training: maximum efforts, hurting, oblivious to everything except the pounding in my temples and the battle between body and mind; one screaming “stop” the other willing a few more moments of effort. I am enveloped in my own little bubble of pain.

Thankfully I also like to run easy. Long steady trots when I can appreciate the scenery around me, when I can stop to gaze at distant blue hills or focus in on the minute details close by. As the seasons change so does the view and it is seldom the same even on the bleak moorland. This summer a vast sea of cotton grass covered the moors transforming them into a shimmering silver sea.

Cotton Grass transforming the bleak moorland

The heather, turning purple under a summer sky shows different hues and closer inspection reveals subtle differences between Bell Heather, Cross Leaved Heath and Ling.

Purple Heather and Blue Skies

Hidden away on the moors other plants can be found; the tiny Tormentil with its four bright yellow leaves, delicate Heath Bedstraw with minute white flowers, slender pale blue Harebells, Bilberry its crimson globes beginning to form the Autumn’s bounty and Cladonia a tiny lichen fantastically named the Devil’s Matchstick.

Tiny Tormentil

Whilst the Grouse and Meadow Pipits are ever present some birds are less common and thus grab my attention. The Curlew has arrived and circles me, crying. A Skylark’s constant conversation makes me look upwards to spot a tiny hovering speck that suddenly silences and falls back to the ground, camouflaged, unseen. The Kestrel hovering, wings working, tail twitching, head stock still seeking out its unwary prey and the Wheatear, startled into undulating flight from its ground nest, a flash of white in its tail as it goes.

I spy a lizard camouflaged on a mossy wall and stop to take a closer look at its intricate markings. It stares back at me unflinching, unmoving save for a rapid pulsing in its neck.

Lizard Lounging

A Peacock Butterfly flits by me as I run and settles in the path a few metres ahead. In no rush today I slowly approach, getting close enough to inspect its delicate iridescent beauty.

Proud Peacock

A damp path offers a rare treat, a Slow worm lies across my way. I stop, wary at first until I see no diamond markings then creep closer and admire the shining, almost polished bronze beauty.

Slow run, Slow worm

And when the colour fades from the day I run lazily towards the sinking sun on the blazing western horizon, happy to appreciate the beauty of easy running.

Sunset Run