What Happens When the Altamesa 500 and the Vectiv Pro 2 Make a Baby?
Quick and Dirty:
Upper: Needs replacing. Holds water like a sponge. However, excellent lockdown and plenty of room in the forefoot. No weird rubbing anywhere. Feels durable. Laces are topped notch. If it’s dry, it’s great.
Midsole: Excellent. 10/10. Super comfortable for long distances, but responsive and snappy at faster paces.
Sole: 4mm lugs provide great traction in wet and muddy conditions. I experienced occasional, minor slipping in thick mud, but otherwise very solid. Not as good as Vibram, but no complaints.
Fit: True to size. I have narrow feet and I can get a great lockdown, but I bet folks with wider feet won’t feel constrained.
Value: Amazing. 10/10. UNLESS you’re running planning on the shoes getting soaked a lot. In that case, do not purchase them.
If you’re not into the whole brevity thing…
The North Face trail shoes fit my feet very well, and so far, I have loved almost everything about them. I have tried the Enduris 3, Infinite 2, Altamesa 500, and Pro 2. They all felt like one or two tweaks away from greatness. The Enduris 3 was too tippy, the Infinite 2 let in too much trail debris around the ankle, the Altamesa insert would slide and fold underfoot when it got completely soaked (this happened during the Headlands 50k – bummer) and the plate on the Pro 2 bothered the ball of my foot after 1.5 hours. I loved the Pro 2 so much I kept wishing they just made a non-plated version…
The Enduris 4 has a TPU plate, but it doesn’t feel like a plated shoe. I was cautiously optimistic that I had finally found my perfect trail shoe. Stepping into the shoe was great. The cushioning hit that perfect sweet spot of comfort, slight plushness, yet solid and responsive feeling. Spoiler alert… The feeling didn’t go away on a 3.5 hour run. It fits true to size, plenty of room in the forefoot, excellent midfoot hold and heel lockdown, and superb laces. My foot does not move around in this shoe. Feels quite stable on moderately technical terrain and absolutely rips smooth, flowing single track. I feel comfortable cruising slower miles in it, but it is definitely more than happy to pick up the pace. It has some serious pep in its step! After a few runs I was ready to call of the search for the perfect trail shoe. Then I took it out for a long run in the rain…
I was a little disappointed that TNF went for a sock-liner-type-thing, making the upper basically double layered. The Vectiv Pro 2 has a similar liner, although it is thinner. The Altamesa 500 eschews the liner altogether, and I haven’t shed a tear about it. The breathability of the Endo is negatively affected by the liner. Definitely not as breathable as either of its parents. Not that it runs super warm, but I like to feel a gently breeze blowing through a shoe. The Endo’s tongue is super plush. Much thicker than the Alta or Pro. A little too thick, if you ask me.
Ok, back to that rainy long run. It was a light drizzle, but had been raining for hours, so the ground was wet. The grip was excellent on wet roots, rocks, and muddy sections. I was impressed with the shoe yet again. Until I ran through some puddles. Both feet got completely soaked. Coming out of the puddle, the shoes felt like they had gained a couple of pounds each. It felt like I had inserted some wet sponges between my foot and the shoe. This feeling lasted for an entire hour. NOT COOL. In comparison, I did the same thing in the Altamesa 500, and it took about three steps before most of the water and subsequent weigh gain was gone. I was devastated. I don’t understand how any of their testers could have experienced this and given the green light. If only they could just swap the upper for the Altamesa 500…
So, would I recommend this shoe? If you know your foot isn’t going to get soaked on the run, I think you would be hard pressed to find a better all-around trail shoe. It has to be one of, if not the best, bangs for your buck. You can do easy, daily mileage in it and then rip a race on the weekend. However, if you live in a place where your shoes get wet, you will need another rainy-day option. I’m still going to enjoy running in this shoe. When it’s dry, it’s amazing.
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