Craft Pure Trail Pro Review: Lost on the Trails

Introduction to the Craft Pure Trail Pro

TAYLOR: Craft is likely a brand that you’re still getting used to seeing. The truth is, we are, too.

The Swedish brand comes with a wealth of experience in the outdoor and endurance worlds. Their recent focus on providing a full lineup of trail and road running goods has brought them right into our crosshairs over the last couple of years.

Last year, the Craft Xplor Hybrid won our Best in Gear award for the Road-to-Trail shoe, the Pure Trail and Nordlite Ultra took home some runner-up honors the year before, and most recently, the Pure Trail X surprised us.

With as much success as Craft has had, it’s also experienced some tough miles. To be completely honest, they’ve been a hit or miss company.

They’re trying to change that, though. New lasts and updated materials are paving the way for their future, and the Craft Pure Trail Pro comes in that wake. It’s a familiar silhouette as it is in the Pure Trail line, but it comes with their best materials. Based on our previous experiences, this really is the best-case scenario, and it left me with nothing but excitement to launch onto the trails. I took the Craft Pure Trail Pro on some big off-trail adventures as well as the typical gravel road to single-track treatment.

REESE: In my last review of a Craft shoe, the Pure Trail X, I was able to sneak in a lot of ’90s references — everything from Enya’s sweet voice to my 1999 Honda Civic. I don’t think I can top that in this Craft Pure Trail Pro review. Maybe it’s because I struggled to like the Pure Trail X. It was a little too flat and clunky for my tastes, and I had some issues with Craft’s Cr Foam, which didn’t live up to the promise of high energy return.

So, when I saw that I was reviewing the Craft Pure Trail Pro, I was skeptical but hopeful that my issues with the Pure Trail X would be resolved, as Craft dubs this its “Trail Supershoe.” A bold claim considering my experience with the Pure Trail X, but we carry on.

MICHAEL: Seeing as how I wasn’t exactly alive in the 90s, I’m unfortunately going to come up short on helping Reese bring some nostalgia back into the game for this review. That being said, when I first unboxed the flashy Craft Pure Trail Pro from its shoebox-y chrysalis, it did remind me of one decades-old throwback: the German experimental electronic band Kraftwerk.

Since I don’t know much about electronic music, and this is my first time running in a Craft shoe, and the fact that Craft is a Swedish brand and not a German one, the aesthetics and the name “craft” are about as far as my associations go. So, before we start trying to make any more literary connections between guys with synthesizers and a trail racing shoe released in 2025, let’s go ahead and get to the review.

What we like about the Craft Pure Trail Pro

TAYLOR: I’m going to flip the script on our typical top-down approach. What’s best about the Craft Pure Trail Pro comes from underneath. Aggressive is an accurate descriptor of this shoe as a whole, and the outsole plays a large role in this.

Like we saw on the Craft Xplor Hybrid, the Pure Trail Pro boasts a Vittoria (a company known for its all-terrain bike tires) rubber outsole. The Hypergrip outsole is thick, very durable, and grippy as all get out. It can really dig into the earth as needed here in the Rockies. I had zero issues with this outsole. I actually like the protection it offers to the moderately stacked midsole above it.

This was another positive component. In our review of the Craft Pure Trail X, we remarked just how much we wished the midsole foam could soften up to really enhance the shoe’s performance. That’s what we get here. Craft swapped out Cr Foam for Cr Pro Foam, a blended supercritical material with 15% peba.

The swap didn’t necessarily make it a ton more energetic, at least not in a wowing sense, but it did make the ride a whole lot more comfortable. The 36/30 mm stack felt well-protected and still allowed some ground feel because of the more flexible midsole. In some ways, it’s an “old-school” feeling like that found in the Hoka Speedgoat 6 or the Arc’teryx Norvan LD 4. It’s a medium-density feel that is moderately responsive. If it’s a true trail run or even off-trail terrain, this is now a shoe I would consider taking out for longer endeavors just based on the added comfort from the midsole.

The Pure Trail Pro also has a subtle forefoot rocker that certainly helps with efficiency. It’s a really nice level of roll and flex for a trail shoe meant for more technical terrain.

A similar theme runs through the shoe’s upper as well. The ripstop upper simultaneously provides more flexibility, moderate breathability, and durability, which will give assurance to many runners who take this into more tumultuous terrain.

The shoe fit true to size and was a fairly standard width. Some will enjoy that there is a decent amount of volume in the midfoot.

REESE: The materials of this shoe are pretty impressive and resilient. The upper is comprised of a tear-resistant polyester ripstop upper with a rigid thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The material is flexible and mostly breathable, but you’d be hard pressed to see it degrade… at least in our lifetime. A toe protector area at the very front of the shoe is even more reinforced than the rest. While I have some gripes about this, I must admit it is a robust protective layer. No rocks or sticks will poke through or tear up the upper of this shoe.

Craft also did some great work on the outsole. Craft teamed up with Vittoria, which raised an eyebrow for me. I’m used to seeing Vittoria on road bike tires. Corsa, anyone? (Terrible tire, tons of flats.) So, I was skeptical. Let’s be honest, Vibram usually owns this space. But I’ve got to hand it to them, Craft and Vittoria pulled something off here that’s actually impressive. It’s a beefy outsole, but the rubber has some flex that provides some extra grip. The lugs are fairly large; however, I cannot find any specs on them.

The firm midsole and the big lugs make for a pretty stable shoe… for the most part. And the upper, combined with the outsole, gives big mountain energy or racing through wet technical conditions. Which is good considering Craft states that this shoe is, “Ideal for challenging Alpine marathons, this shoe excels in rainy conditions, during fast descents, and when fording tough rivers and streams.” I am skeptical about the marathon distance being a good choice, but I agree with their claim about the rainy conditions. As a side note, I will avoid any race where I’m fording tough rivers. I’ve played enough Oregon Trail in the 90s to know how that ends. Dysentery. No matter how you cross a river.

MICHAEL: Since Reese spelled out the TPU acronym above, I’m gonna try to keep things brief here. Since this was my first experience with Craft, my first thoughts on the Pure Trail Pro were that it took nearly every aspect of one of my favorite road shoes, namely the Sketchers Razor Excess, and adapted them into a trail racer with an aggressive outsole.

First, I love the lightweight, ripstop upper material. While it probably won’t last forever, it sure is light and really communicates a fast, race-day vibe.

Moving downward, the Cr Pro Foam was a real joy to run in. Honestly, this whole midsole, from the subtle cradle in the heel through to the rocker in the forefoot, really “slapped” as the youngins would say. Since the shoe is so light, the subtle lift from the rocker and bounce from the PEBA blend really helped me giddy up the climbs and open up on the downs.

Lastly, I really, really appreciated the lack of a carbon plate in this shoe. Reese is right that this may remove it from the “super shoe” moniker, but I would still prefer the ride of this midsole to most other flashy plated models out there. If you’d like to read my manifesto on the matter, check out our recent review of the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro.

What we don’t like about the Craft Pure Trail Pro

TAYLOR: I’m not often perplexed by a shoe anymore, but the Craft Pure Trail Pro caught me off guard in a few ways.

For starters, it is marginally heavier compared to its more standard counterpart. My US M10.5 came in at 12.2 oz (345 g), whereas the Pure Trail X was 12 oz (340 g). To be completely fair, the weight gain is not really perceivable on foot, but it’s more the principle behind it.

It would be more understandable if the entire package took a performance hike. It certainly did underfoot, but the upper is where most of our collective disdain will come from, and, on a technical level, that’s where it will hurt the most.

Craft’s use of a lighter ripstop material had some benefits, but it really lacked when it came to providing a satisfactory fit. This wasn’t entirely a surprise, as Craft has been fighting for quite some time. Historically, it has been a 50/50 shot if they win that battle. They have a new last that all of their shoes are being built on, which has produced some satisfactory results, so it’s not the overall shape that does it.

There’s little to no support anywhere in the midfoot of the shoe. The toe bumper has some stout overlays, and the heel is nicely padded/structured, but the middle is a floppy mess. There was just too much freedom and not enough support for a conducive fit. Pulling the laces to maximum tension only partially mitigated this, making the lacing chain practically kiss across the scrunched-up tongue.

I know there’s a lot of comparison to the Pure Trail X going on, but even the heel construction, though visually almost identical, isn’t equally performing. I’m unsure if it’s the lack of structure throughout the midfoot or if the heel is marginally wider, but it didn’t lock me in nearly as well.

My last complaint isn’t necessarily a performance-oriented one. Calling the Craft Pure Trail Pro a “trail super shoe” was just poor form. I think that is taking too much liberty with trail running’s foggy sense of what “super shoe” really means — even with the added peba to the midsole formula. I agree that the underfoot feel is noticeably higher performing than the other Pure Trail models, but the Pure Trail Pro is not in that category.

REESE: I do think this shoe has some good qualities, but I wouldn’t call it a super trail shoe. It lacks the pop and responsiveness of a super shoe. To me, a supershoe needs to improve running economy and, therefore, speed. And also, a super shoe usually, not always, has a carbon plate. This shoe doesn’t make me feel faster, and it doesn’t make me feel more efficient.

While I might not have a lab where I can test either of those things, the feel of a supershoe is pretty obvious. It has too aggressive an outsole paired with a lacklustre midsole. The Cr Foam Pro in this shoe does feel a little less flat than the Cr Foam in the Pure Trail X, perhaps due to the lack of rockplate, but it doesn’t live up to Craft’s claim that it provides a “combination of cushioning, stability and explosive rebound.” Zero explosion. I would struggle to run a trail marathon in this one. I think it would be better suited for shorter efforts.

Additionally, the toe box/toe protector. Not great. My big toe goes numb in this shoe. While the shoe has room laterally, the toe box felt narrow, and my big toe was pressed against the top of the stiff plastic upper, causing a decent amount of discomfort. I’m typically a US W7.5, but a W7 fits me well. Again, my toe was squashed despite technically being the correct size. A Women’s 7.5 would have been far too big. The wider platform is nice, but I did notice on technical descents, the shoe felt like it wasn’t as secure as I would have wanted it.

MICHAEL: Picking up right where Reese and Taylor left off… this upper fit is terrible, and is definitely one of the worst I’ve ever received in a shoe. Despite the length being spot on, the fit was just entirely too baggy. In fact, on all of my runs, I had to cinch up the lacing chain of the shoe until the two sides of the eyelets were touching, completely covering the tongue, in order to get a lockdown. Once I did that, my heel stayed put; however, there was still too much excess material to give any sense of real security. Not what you want in a trail shoe made for racing on technical terrain.

Honestly, I think the problem may be that Craft simply cut the uppers to be too tall, if you get what I mean. For instance, I think if I were to go around the entire shoe and cut out a half-inch band of material along the midsole and resew the shoe, it would fit perfectly. It’s worth noting that this is a pretty easy fix for Craft (I think?), so it may be worth trying on a pair at your local store and seeing if the issue has been remedied since we wrote this. The midsole ride was, in my opinion, sublime, so even though the fit here is absolutely a deal breaker for me, it might not be for you!

Lastly, the Vittoria outsole was, in my opinion, fairly lackluster in performance. I’d put it up there with the old Altra Maxtracs of the world. It was perfectly adequate on dry stuff but terrible on wet rock. That being said, I do appreciate the aggressive pattern Taylor mentioned earlier.

Final thoughts on the Craft Pure Trail Pro

TAYLOR: Just by principle, a product with more premium ingredients and a higher price tag should equal higher performance. It’s tough to argue that case here, though. At the end of the day, I’m questioning if the Pure Trail Pro is a better option compared to the Pure Trail X?

Underfoot, yes. Up top? No. All around? Perhaps.

Overall, this shoe will offer a rugged package with more longevity than most modern trail footwear. The aggressive components will stick out to those who need them.

Craft’s Cr Pro Foam and Vittoria Hypergrip outsole, and even the ripstop upper, are some really high-quality additions for the brand. I think it has a lot of potential within their lineups, but the fit really made this a hard battle to win. This should work best for the runner with a high-volume midfoot to cover the extra space.

REESE: I’m always a little confused when companies have shoes in their lineup, typically road shoes, with a good midsole, and then they go ahead and slap an overly rigid midsole on their trail shoe. Brooks has done this with the Catamount 4, and Craft is doing this with the Pure Trail Pro. Just because I’m hard-headed and enjoy running for hours doesn’t mean I need to harden my feet.

I appreciate the stability of a more rigid midsole, but there is a possible balance between responsiveness and stability. It feels like Craft is testing out the rugged off-road sector of the trail scene, and I applaud that for sure, but I think they could do wonders if they transferred some of their technology from other shoes into this lineup. They might produce a slightly more comfortable shoe, but still rugged as hell.

MICHAEL: Like Taylor said, if you have a high-volume foot, this could be an excellent option for a plateless trail racing option over dry terrain. While the lightweight construction and brilliant midsole compound weren’t enough to save this model from the back of my closet, Craft seems to be just a few minor tweaks away from something really special.

You can pick up the Craft Pure Trail Pro for $200 from Craft using the buttons below.