The North Face Vectiv Enduris 3 Review: The Trail Shoe Next Door

The Intro

MELISSA: I’m a long-time admirer and consumer of The North Face brand, beginning with my first fleece in the early 2000s. I was excited to try my first The North Face trail shoe, especially considering that the 2023 lineup was recently wear-tested at UTMB by some incredible athletes.

The Vectiv Enduris 3 is the most affordable and approachable shoe of the line, and it features an open-fit design, padded tongue, and a breathable rip-stop mesh and 3D printed combined upper. It has a 30 mm heel stack, rocker-shaped midsole, and is designed with a forked TPU plate to propel you during your run while also providing lateral mobility within the shoe.

I racked up over 100 miles of various surfaces and different weather conditions. The verdict: Enduris endured well and kept me stable and protected even through long runs. Overall, I was very impressed and wouldn’t hesitate to add this one to my ultramarathon racing rotation. More to follow.

MATT: The 2022 North Face trail line-up was my first exposure to the brand’s footwear division. I had obviously been very familiar with the company and its apparel, and based on its overall reputation, I was very intrigued to see how that translated to the shoes.

That anticipation was further fueled by the news that The North Face would be introducing carbon plate technology to the trail world with the Vectiv Flight. If you read our review of that shoe, you may recall that overall we were oversold and underwhelmed. This very well could have been a combination of setting too high of expectations, along with the actual shortcomings in design and performance.

Enter the 2023 lineup, and my eyes lit up. It was obvious that changes were made across the line-up, and the early word from sponsored athletes was very positive.

The Vectic Enduris is not carbon plated and is actually the most entry-level of the line-up, which actually made me very excited to test because this could be a shoe for the masses and not a race day pricey purchase.

The Good

MELISSA: Out of the box, Vectic Enduris reminded me of many trail shoes that I’ve worn and trained in — basically, it looks like a solid shoe that would hold up over hundreds of miles of rugged terrain.

The upper felt nice and roomy for my wide forefoot, yet still felt locked in with just the perfect amount of give. It had great breathability and drained wonderfully when I took it out for a few rainy days. The tongue provided just enough padding to keep me comfortable.

As for the midsole, I love the bounce that Enduris provides, as well as how it maneuvered over technical terrain. The rocker shape and the TPU plate create a sense of being gently propelled forward.

I felt like Vectiv Enduris had adequate cushioning that didn’t add too much to the overall weight. At 10.1 oz, it weighs slightly less than some of its competitors, such as Hoka Speedgoat and Altra Lone Peak. The Enduris provides a great balance for longer runs and ultras. The 3 mm lugs were just enough to maintain grip on the trail, and they held up beautifully on muddy terrain.

MATT: The fit and feel upon first step-in were noticeably more comfortable in the Vectiv Enduris 3 that in the previous model. The upper is snug yet comfortable, the tongue is padded in the right places, and the heel feels locked in without any extra special lacing techniques. It certainly has that more traditional fit that you would come to expect from a daily trainer.

The two things that jumped out most to me, however, are tied to the midsole of the Enduris.

Firstly, the changes to the midsole foam and construction are huge improvements. The new High rebound EVA foam has a great blend of springy cushion while retaining the all-important ground feel that you want on the trails. Also, North Face added 2 mm of midsole, bringing this up to 30mm in the heel, which feels way more in line with what you would expect from a volume/daily trainer model. That extra 2 mm plus the change in material really transforms the entire ride of the Enduris.

The TPU plate combined with the rocker construction contributes more to the stability and rolling nature of the shoe than serving as any kind of speed propulsion feature, which I actually believe is way more of a tangible use of those features on the trails. That might be my favorite part of the shoe, in that when you hit open stretches of dirt, the rocker and whole midsole ride just really make it feel easy to roll through your steps and get into a really efficient groove.

Also, as Melissa called out, for a daily trail trainer, this shoe really comes in on the light side of things, especially given the ample stack plus the 3mm outsole lugs. Lighter than top all-around trail offerings like the Speedgoat 5, Saucony Xodus Ultra, and Altra Mont Blanc.

The Bad

MELISSA: I really don’t have a lot to say here, as I truly enjoyed this shoe. The colorway might not appeal to all, but I thought that it was fun and received a few compliments. The only other thing I’ll add is that I did notice that it took a bit to adjust to this shoe, as it felt different from anything else I’ve run in. However, it didn’t take long before I was comfortable and running freely.

MATT: I only have a few negative remarks after about 30 miles on the shoes.

First, similar to Melissa, I’m not a huge neon highlighter guy. This colorway really isn’t for me, but it might be for you — and at the end of the day, if it performs, it will eventually be covered in dirt, so who cares, right?

I did find the cut of the shoe a bit long for my feet. I ended up with a tad more space out in front of the toes than what is ideal for me, so something to be aware of. What made it manageable was that despite the added length, it did not seem to negatively impact the heel lock. Otherwise, it would have been a bigger complaint.

Also, while it gave me no issues on any of the trails that I tested the Vectiv Enduris 3 on, the 3mm lugs are pretty minimal, and I could definitely see sloppy conditions, whether mud, rain, or snow, causing some issues. I would not classify the Enduris as an overly technical or bad weather option.

The North Face Vectiv Enduris 3 Conclusion

MELISSA: Overall, Enduris is the girl-next-door of trail and long run shoes with just a sprinkle of fun added. It has an ideal combination of cushion, stability, and bounce to make it a great daily trainer and long run shoe, but also a great option for racing ultras. I would recommend this shoe to anyone, trail newbies and veterans alike.

MATT: I think Melissa summarized the overall nature of The North Face Vectiv Enduris 3. This is a shoe that has all the characteristics that would have me confidently recommending it to someone looking for a daily trainer on the trails that they can use for the majority of their runs. The outliers were sloppy or overly technical conditions or if they were looking for a race day shoe. The Enduris could certainly get you through a 50k-100k race, but for a seasoned trail racer looking for something a bit more snappy, I think there are better options, and to be honest, that is not what North Face is advertising this shoe to be.

So, great overall fit and performance in a package that won’t break the bank in the ever-evolving Trail shoe marketplace. A great update from The North Face.

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