Shoe Review: The North Face Ultra Trail

Here's to a great shoe! The North Face Ultra Trail shoes shown below.

The North Face Ultra Trail

I'm going to say from the start, I haven't tried a large number of shoes, nor am I a shoe snob, nor do I tend to care much about the science of a good vs bad shoe. I go by how it feels and how it allows me to train and race.

I am much more on the 'much less picky' end of the spectrum of ultra runners out there. I'm only picky when I'm injured or generally uncomfortable. Which is why I love these Ultra Trails. They have become my "go-to" trail shoe when I'm having any sort of issue. And so I'm writing this post for all of you out there trying to decide whether or not to get these or a different trail shoe!

IT Band pain? Ultra Trails. Heel bursitis? Ultra Trails. Knee pain? Ultra Trails. Don't feel like wearing shoes but have to? Ultra Trails. Just want to be comfortable? Ultra Trails. Want to land more forefoot? Ultra Trails. Don't want to feel bulky & heavy if I come across a section of road? Ultra Trails. Up mountains, down mountains, desert, rain, snow, mud? Ultra Trails. Wanna look cool and cute? ;) Ultra Trails.

Why do I love the Ultra Trails?

• They have a soft heel, which has helped with my heel bursitis issue.
• They have a perfect heel drop of 6.8mm. Any lower and I'd have foot & calf issues, any higher and I'd have hip & knee issues.
• I feel very close to the ground, which I personally need in a shoe. This allows me confidence when my feet land that I won't twist an ankle.
• The toe box is pretty roomy, important for a healthy foot-strike.
• The shoe isn't too stiff, which helps me feel free and airy. 
• They grip the ground well with their Vibram soles. I don't think any shoe is THAT great on the ice or other slippery conditions in the first place. So I wouldn't say it's a matter of how well they do on the ice. To me what's important, like I mentioned in a point above is how close to the ground I feel. I think this allows a comfortable foot-strike, which allows your body to figure out how to move in order to handle unpleasant conditions well, such as ice. 

Vibram soles

These ultimately fit my personal style. Comfortable, light, flexible, low to the ground, made for trails. They may not be that great for incredibly rocky terrain because of how flexible they are. And if you tend to get a lot of foot pain during longer ultras, these don't have a ton of cushion. But I still wear these on very rocky terrain! It just builds more stability in my ankles! And who's feet don't hurt after long ultras anyways?! But if you're like me and would rather go barefoot everywhere, have fairly strong feet, prefer comfort & roominess over stiffness & tightness, and just don't want to notice your shoes when you're running, these are for you! 

Taken from: http://www.runnersworld.com/shoe/the-north-face-ultra-trail-womens
The above image details where this shoe falls on a spectrum of various shoe qualities. 

By the way, you can apply all of this to the men's version!

Click here to view & purchase The North Face Ultra Trail!!