Article by Jen Schmidt
The North Face Summit Series Vectiv Pro 3 ($250)
Introduction
Jen: I didn’t run in previous versions of the Vectiv Pro 3, but tested the Vectiv Sky 2 (RTR Review) and Vectiv Enduris 4 (RTR Review), this year. The Vectiv Pro 3 is clearly designed as a trail supershoe, with similar features to others in that category: high stack with plenty of foam, carbon plate or multiple plates, rocker, lightweight upper. Updates from the previous version include an additional 4 mm of stack height and a dual-plate system that attempts to fix the propulsion/instability tradeoff that still confounds many trail supershoes.
Pros:
Bouncy and fun on gravel or non-technical surfaces - Jen
Rocker isn’t too aggressive but rolls through smoothly - Jen
Reinforced mesh upper is breathable and durable - Jen
Cons:
H-shaped plate can irritate medial side of the ball of the foot - Jen
Stiff ride despite dual-plate system attempting to make it more versatile - Jen
Stats
Sample Weights:
women’s 9.6 oz / 273 g US8.5
Stack Height:
V3: 43 mm heel / 37 mm forefoot
V2: 39 mm heel / 33 mm forefoot
Most comparable shoes
HOKA Rocket X Trail - Jen
On Cloudultra Pro - Jen
TNF Vectiv Enduris 4 - Jen
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
The Vectiv Pro 3 is BIG. At 43 mm stack height in the rear and 37 mm in the forefoot, there’s quite a lot of distance between your foot and the trail. A wide base (115 mm in the forefoot and 90 mm in the heel in my US W8.5) balances out the height to some degree. For better or worse, though, there’s no groundfeel through that much foam and two plates.
The upper is a durable-feeling engineered mesh with an “internal skeletal support frame” along the sides and vamp. I didn’t have any issues with pressure on the big toe from the well-designed vamp reinforcement here.
The gusseted tongue is lightweight and just enough material to do its job, with the gusset adding a little extra structure through the midfoot. Plenty of room through the toebox, and the midfoot locks down well. Extra-long laces need tucking away, but that’s easy enough to do.
A very rigid heel counter here is made more comfortable by a few millimeters of cushioning around the heel. Catalog specs highlight this as “heel positioning technology”, and I didn’t have any heel slippage in my usual size. As RTR testers noted in the previous version, though, there’s a little extra space around the ankle that allows dirt/debris to sneak in.
Midsole & Platform
Jen: The midsole in this version is made of a generous amount of nitrogen-infused TPU DREAM foam, the same foam as in the Enduris 4. The Pro 3 has noticeably more pop than the Enduris (RTR Review), thanks to a little more foam and a dual-stacked plate system.
According to catalog specs, a full-length carbon plate for propulsion is layered under a recycled carbon stability plate. It may be an attempt to make the propulsive plate feel less harsh, but it doesn’t quite work for me. The wings of the stability plate press into the side of the ball of my foot, a sensation that’s mild at first but progresses to be severely uncomfortable deep in a long run.
The rockered midsole geometry transitions into an aggressive toe-off just past the ball of the foot. I felt that the shoe rolled smoothly through from the footstrike to toe-off, but it’s a stiff ride that doesn’t allow for any lateral flexion. I tend to favor shoes that allow for a little more natural foot movement and flex to accommodate uneven terrain, but it’s hard to argue with the snappiness of the Pro 3 on hard-packed flat surfaces.
Outsole
Jen: The outsole here features SURFACE CTRL rubber with 3.5 mm chevron-shaped lugs. Traction wasn’t the limiting factor for me on dry late-summer trails, since I felt hampered more by the stiffness of the midsole in technical sections than by lack of grip. The material seems durable so far.
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
Jen: There’s a lot of potential here, and I think the Pro 3 could be a great shoe for the right runner in the right terrain. The highlights for me are the DREAM foam midsole and comfortable, true-to-size fit. As I mentioned, the wings of the stability plate unfortunately don’t work for my foot shape, but maybe others won’t have that issue.
The stiff, rockered ride wants to fly on nontechnical hard-packed surfaces without too much lateral movement, so I think it’s a great gravel shoe, but not the best fit for my favorite trails. Still, I’ll look forward to the next iteration of this one - with a few tweaks (for my money, take out the wings on the top plate, lose a touch of stack height, and maybe narrow the base slightly), it could be an excellent choice for ultra distance racing.
Jen’s score: 8.68/10
Ride (30%): 8 - a bit too stiff/unwieldy over technical terrain for this to be a versatile trail shoe, in my book
Fit (30%): 9
Value (10%): 8.5 - pretty good, but I like the Enduris 4 better as an all-around shoe and it’s significantly cheaper
Style (5%): 9.5
Traction (15%): 9
Rock Protection (10%): 9 (10 underfoot but no toe protection if you kick rocks)
😊😊😊
3 Comparisons
On Cloudultra Pro (RTR Review)
Jen: Both are high-stack, amply cushioned trail supershoes that fit true-to-size with plenty of room in the toebox. The Vectiv Pro 3 locks down a little better through the midfoot for me and has a more pronounced rocker feel. The Cloudultra Pro doesn’t feel as stiff, perhaps because the plate is nylon/fiberglass instead of carbon, and stays comfortable throughout long days on feet.
Hoka Rocket X Trail (RTR Review)
Jen: Lots of similarities here: lightweight uppers, rockered and plated midsoles, ready to launch on gravel but less suited to technical terrain. The Rocket X Trail is wider throughout, so might be better for high-volume feet, and the Vectiv Pro 3 feels more stable on downhills and rocky terrain.
North Face Enduris 4 (RTR Review)
Jen: I’m pretty sold on the Enduris 4, and not just because the Flora Alpina colorway was gorgeous. Nitrogen-TPU DREAM foam makes an appearance in both midsoles, there’s just a bit more of it in the Pro 3 on top of those carbon plates. While the carbon plates do add more pop to the Pro 3, the tradeoff in loss of versatility and comfort isn’t worth it to me. Don’t sleep on the Enduris 4, especially at the lower price point.
Index to all RTR reviews: HERE
Tester Profiles
Jennifer Schmidt found trail running in her mid-20's and began dabbling on the roads a few years later. Trail 50k's are nearest and dearest to her heart, and she recently took the win at the 2025 Way Too Cool 50k and placed sixth at the 2025 Black Canyon Ultras 50k. These days, you can find her primarily on the sweet California singletrack around Auburn, chasing competitive and personal goals over a variety of surfaces and distances. Depending on the season, she also competes in the USATF road and XC circuits for Sacramento Running Association's racing team, with a marathon PR of 2:41.
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