Customer Reviews The North Face Flight Vectiv

Over 1000 miles ran in the new Flight Vectiv and I couldn't be happier. This shoe is more than capable of a multitude of different terrains. Cruising city streets, torching trails in Tahoe, and performing exceptionally well in the rugged terrain of the Tetons, this shoe has all the answers. Grippy traction for the most challenging terrain in trail running, yet smooth and fast enough to help you cruise to your next PR. The technology in this shoe is noticeable. The carbon plate not only helps to guide your stride forward but makes running feel almost effortless with the energy return it allows. The rocker bottom helps promote a more natural running form, putting you up on your mid-foot/fore-foot as opposed to a knee-pain-inducing heel strike. The shoe itself has a "fast" fit to it. Comprised of a narrow, yet comfy toe box and a beautifully designed heel counter to keep your foot snug and in place. I wear this shoe across all aspects of running, whether it's a recovery day, a stroll through the forest with the dog, or setting an FKT, this shoe is versatile and responsive. Do yourself a favor and grab a pair and see for yourself.

This shoe checks the right boxes for me. Responsive, lightweight, while offering good protection. The Flight Vectiv has become a go-to shoe for my training, workouts, and races (when they return). They have enough protection for a long run, but also feel good at speed for a faster workout. I am also impressed with their durability. My current pair with 300 Miles still feel like they have good life left in them. Last, but not least, they look good. If you look good, you feel good!

I think Flight Vectiv will be a game changing shoe. Pros: Looks fast. Feels fast. I have actually been able to run flats/uphills at a faster pace, at a lower heart rate. Breathable.

Best shoe to date from TNF. A true race-ready trail shoe.

Light, responsive & fast. Those are the words that come to mind when I think of the Flight Vectiv, and how I feel when they're on my feet. Whether high on a mountain or deep below the rim of the Grand Canyon, this next generation shoe is everything I need to train and race to my potential.

This shoe feels fantastic to run in, it is very fast and has great grip on technical terrain, however, it is a little too narrow for my hobbit-feet. If it was a TOUCH wider in the toe box, 5 stars.

Best fitting trail shoe ive had in years. Finally feel like i found something i want to buy again. Eliminated foot pain. Stable feel. Durable. Tread did no wear well. By 300 miles i had very little traction left. More of a "light duty" off road tread. Would love to see a little bit more aggressive and longer lasting rubber

Got it for my fianc and he loves it! We went to the store in SF but they told they didn't carry in store and only online for the color we wanted. There was a highlighter color too but I knew he didn't want that bright one lol. He said the shoes is comfy but when you first try them on it could be kind of tight/narrow on your feet. My fianc doesn't have extremely wide feet but he said once you break them in it felt better! Now he can go run on the trails and get back into shape.

I wore these shoes for a technical 50k ultra. They were comfortable but unforgiving when you step on a root or rock. I rolled my ankle numerous times.

Too early to make any final judgment since as of yet I'm two weeks away from running a half marathon trail on them. But for training runs they give you just the right amount of support and protecting. Back of the right shoe gave me some issues scrapping the back of of my foot at first just a mild discomfort maybe shorten the back a bit or replace for pull up strap

Nice shoe. It dries really well, stays lightweight, sheds mud. I prefer a shoe that is a bit softer so I will look for something without the carbon next time. But it is a great performance item.

Agile and responsive. Didn't quite fit my feet, but overall a nice product

This is overall a good trail shoe and comes into its own when you can pick up speed and take advantage of the carbon core. I plan to wear these in my next trail race. The heel fit is not optimal and my heel always feels loose in the shoe. Nor is the lacing system optimal. When I tighten the laces, it cuts into the top of my foot. Keep working on this shoe North Face--it is nearly there.

Love this shoe just wish the rear lace that loops in the shoe and the small piece of carbon didn't irritate my foot if it didn't it's the best shoe ever made

I've got about 100miles on my first pair. Are they Hoka cushy? No. Are they easy to get on? No. Do I feel faster in them? Yes! I've been running in Hoka Speedgoats for the past 5- years or so(many pairs). At 6'1" and 200lbs, I need a good amount of cushion to keep my knees and hips healthy. The Hokas have been great for cushion but the heels wear out too fast. Every pair has developed a crack in the foam at the heel. I was curious to try the flight vectiv's with their carbon plate but nervous about whether they'd have enough cushion. While they're definitely not cushy, they aren't harsh and I can feel a little extra spring in my step on downhills. The soles don't have great grip but it's adequate for moderate trails. They're a bit difficult to get on but feel secure once on. No blisters so far. Where I think they beat the hokas is in the continuous front to back rubber on the soles. It seems durable and unlikely to fail like the heel on Hokas(just an isolated path of rubber on the heel that starts to peel off around 200miles which I'd about when the foam starts to crack)

Of it wasn't white it'd get 5 stars but seriously for all the intelligence put into this design why not offer it in all black? Who makes a trail shoe white? Just dumb north face

So I picked this up out of curiosity, my wife looked at me like 'do you really need ANOTHER pair of shoes?' well of course I do. I have just about 100 miles on them and have tested them out on trails in Central Oregon. I have done a number of shorter 10 miles or less and several longish runs about 20 miles. With the a big one at Smith Rocks with about 5000ft of climbing and decent and a variety of terrain. Super steep climbs, technical trail sections, rocky roads, smooth trail, and some mud, that is more like Oobleck. I was very happy with the shoes. My toes are wide and the shoes are a bit narrow for me but I had fun running in them. They really shine on the gradual downhills, it is almost like the shoes does some of the mechanics and you can cruise on autopilot. The traction is limited, they don't seem like their lugs are that much smaller than some other trail shoes I have but even on thin mud they are a bit slippery. I also found that gaiters would help, something about the shoes kicks more dust and rocks up my calves and then into the shoes. That could be gait specific to me, but would be solved easily with gaiters. My biggest issue with them is what seems to be lateral rigidity, likely due to the carbon plate. But if I hit a rock at the wrong angle it can be a bit of shock to the ankle or knee, and I worry a bit that if I hit the wrong rock at the wrong time I could get injured. These shoes are a keeper for me, I think they will be ideal for the majority of conditions we have here in Central Oregon where the trails are usually dry and not very technical. I am looking forward to testing their longevity.

I was really excited about this shoe, after about 3 runs, the carbon plate starts to give that propel/bounce/ forward kick you're looking for. SOLID!

I've used these running around the Wasatch during winter to now early spring and have really enjoyed this shoe. It feels light, quick and responsive all with a decent amount of plushness, comfort and protection. My only gripe is that the top inner lace has blistered my upper foot on both sides, multiple times. That said, I will definitely be buying more of this shoe.

These have been a noticeable upgrade from my other shoes. Plenty of cushion while still being a light shoe makes these great for distance. Very comfortable, the only thing I don't like is that the display picture doesn't show the inside side of the shoe very well. The inside side is more black and style wise I wish it was more like the outside to match. This is a very, very minor complaint because otherwise I really love this shoe. I'd give it 5/5 if I felt more qualified to compare it to other running oriented brands but my experience is pretty limited to Nike and Adidas. Still, if you're thinking about it just buy them, you won't regret it.

Great fast trail shoe

Today I ran my first 12km with this shoe. It is tight but it fits my fat toe comfortably. But it is tight and it's the kind of soe you feel the ground. No cushion. So in the end I felt my legs complaining a bit. I will use it for short distances only. And why do they sell with this bright colors for running in the mud!! And the upper thigh mesh sticks with grass.

These shoes look good but after putting them to the test they just don't hold up. The plate isn't as flexible as I would like. Instead, if your foot placement isn't perfect then you risk a painful ankle roll. On a trail with any sort of rocks make perfect foot placement unattainable. This makes them risky on most trails. I've fallen 4 times in my brief test with these and I'm starting to think it was the shoes. The semi-sock design also fails to keep my ankle in place but cuts up the skin on my foot. On road these shoes are pretty great since traction and uneven terrain aren't issues any longer. The shoes feel responsive but also well cushioned. But if I'm going to pay top dollar for a trail runner I want to be able to take them on trails!

I think these shoes look great and are very comfortable for walking. Where the hard plastic siding of the shoe meets the mesh there is a vertical bar which has caused me serious blisters on the insides of both feet after running. I generally wear a size ten and I ordered a size ten in the Flight Vectiv. Out of the box they seemed slightly narrow but would have been fine if not for the plastic bar. I would look into wide sizes (if NF even does that). I am sad to say that I would not recommend this shoe for trail running.

Very disappointed with this highly touted trail runner from North Face. I'm giving this a 2 Star rating for the simple fact that they were lightweight and may be the right fit for certain people. However, they lacked the proper cushioning, width, and stability I expect for the price point. They felt like I was wearing platforms and the weight of them did not equal faster or higher output. These are not the quality and ruggedness I expect from a trail runner. The North Face should definitely go back to the drawing board on these or just stick with outdoor clothing and tents which they are one of the best for in my opinion. I really wanted to like these and give them the benefit of the doubt but just did not live up to my expectations. I will be sticking with my Hokas that right out of the box just feel right for my feet, body, and running style. Next trail runner, please make wider and provide more cushioning with that wrap around feel that gives you the stability expected.