I had the original Craft CTM road shoe and the grip on damp road was truly crap. On wet roads it was slip sliding away. However, I loved the shoe. Not worn a Craft in the last few years and probably won’t. I do enjoy your rambling reviews. Thanks.
My first ctm ultra (non carbon) also had trash grip on wet roads. The rubber compound must have changed for this nordlite ultra, as I didn't notice any slipping this time around. Still has me a little sketched out though. Thanks for watching!
Great review. I've been a huge fan of Craft shoes and apparel. The Nordlite Ultra will be my race day shoe for Black Canyon 100K. I've used it on hill training at at local ski slope this summer and do agree with the movement forward can be a little unnerving but never hurt of crushed my toes yet. Sorry but that carbon shank is not helping any momentum push forward lol. It's the foam and geometry of the shoe that just makes you go fast and flow nice into the ride.
That's going to be a great choice for Black Canyon! You're right about the carbon shank. It's not for propulsion at all. It's instead there to add a little bit of stiffness through the midfoot, so the shoe retains some torsional stability. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for reviewing; like you, I was and am rooting for Craft. In 2021, raced the Prairie Spirit 100-miler in the original CTM Carbon Ultra Zebraflauge (22:42:20) at age 58. That was the ultimate road-trail hybrid for that race, albeit with a ridiculously voluminous upper that cost me 4 toenails despite the complete absence of technical terrain of any kind. But Craft uppers still haven’t improved sufficiently to keep pace with the new foams (as with the disappointing Craft Pure Trail). Craft! Please fix your uppers!! Invest in a non-Sasquatch shaped foot last. We’re waiting because we love you.
A supercritical state actually is something in materials science 😊 In laymans terms, the material is in a state between liquid and gas properties, but at a low pressure. By increasing that pressure, you can condense it ‘straight’ into a solid. Thanks for the review, I am keen to see Craft slowly stepping up their shoe game!
Thanks for that! Now knowing that makes these foams make a lot more sense now because all these foams do start as a liquid when they get injected into the molds.
16:35 😂 Finn congrats 🎉 you were right! 23:16 so high volume high arch this shoe seems a good option. 26:19 i definitely think regions without mountains with dirt trails during drier conditions. like my area has alot of non technical dirt trails and anything technical or verty would require a pure trail shoe. definitely would see it as a states shoe in a hot dry year. definitely looking to try it out. i am intrigued. perhaps 🤔 better for wet rainy conditions on the road?
Finn with the W this time around! Definitely a shoe that will benefit someone with a higher volume foot or a higher instep. I think it's only going to be OK on wet roads. No better than any regular road shoe, as that's mostly a rubber compound issue, and Crafts is still only OK. It's definitely usable though!
David Laney who pushed the default version of this shoe on our man Finn, replaced the outsole with Vibram MegaGrip. Unbelievable. (ran the first 2/3 of CCC with David)
Great observation about the heel. I went up a half size with the Pure Trail because it felt short. Had i considered the heel angle I probably would have stayed iwth a 10. Don't think it would have helped much with lockdown though. Craft is so close with the Nordlite Ultra and the Pure Trail.
The midsole/outsole for a Lake Sonoma (assuming dry course, which is usually the case) is pretty ideal. They call the course death by a thousand cuts because it's just relentlessly up or down the entire time. Good lockdown is still important though, even though it's a pretty buffed out trail, because there are some steeper descents. While they aren't long, that cumulative time of toes mashing against the front of the shoe can really add up. If the Nordlite upper works for your foot though, that shoe would be about perfect!
If you're looking for a very stable ride that closer resembles the fit and feel of a light hiking boot, go for the Cascadia. If you want something lighter, and more nimble feeling, go with the Catamount. Having run in both now, I preferred the fit and feel of the Catamount more. Hope this helps!
@@ConversationalPace this helps for sure… I just got a pair of cascadias for my first 10k trail run and I’m by no means a fast runner yet! I’ve been a powerlifter and then transitioned to bodybuilding movements and no I like more functional fitness movements and added running in about 1 year ago. I’m still work on my pacing and form. Hoping catamount 2 go on sale soon and I’ll pick up a pair of them to compare. Thanks again
Hoping to have that review published around the end of Nov. Coming back from a knee injury at the moment, so it's taking a little more time than normal to get all the miles in. Stay tuned!
I had the original Craft CTM road shoe and the grip on damp road was truly crap. On wet roads it was slip sliding away. However, I loved the shoe. Not worn a Craft in the last few years and probably won’t. I do enjoy your rambling reviews. Thanks.
My first ctm ultra (non carbon) also had trash grip on wet roads. The rubber compound must have changed for this nordlite ultra, as I didn't notice any slipping this time around. Still has me a little sketched out though. Thanks for watching!
Great review. I've been a huge fan of Craft shoes and apparel. The Nordlite Ultra will be my race day shoe for Black Canyon 100K. I've used it on hill training at at local ski slope this summer and do agree with the movement forward can be a little unnerving but never hurt of crushed my toes yet. Sorry but that carbon shank is not helping any momentum push forward lol. It's the foam and geometry of the shoe that just makes you go fast and flow nice into the ride.
That's going to be a great choice for Black Canyon! You're right about the carbon shank. It's not for propulsion at all. It's instead there to add a little bit of stiffness through the midfoot, so the shoe retains some torsional stability. Thanks for watching!
Love the vibe in your reviews! Great work. Much appreciated! 🙏🏻
Thank you so much! Glad we were able to provide a valuable review for you 🤙
Thanks for reviewing; like you, I was and am rooting for Craft. In 2021, raced the Prairie Spirit 100-miler in the original CTM Carbon Ultra Zebraflauge (22:42:20) at age 58. That was the ultimate road-trail hybrid for that race, albeit with a ridiculously voluminous upper that cost me 4 toenails despite the complete absence of technical terrain of any kind. But Craft uppers still haven’t improved sufficiently to keep pace with the new foams (as with the disappointing Craft Pure Trail). Craft! Please fix your uppers!! Invest in a non-Sasquatch shaped foot last. We’re waiting because we love you.
🤣🤣🤣Couldn't have said it better myself!
A supercritical state actually is something in materials science 😊 In laymans terms, the material is in a state between liquid and gas properties, but at a low pressure. By increasing that pressure, you can condense it ‘straight’ into a solid.
Thanks for the review, I am keen to see Craft slowly stepping up their shoe game!
Thanks for that! Now knowing that makes these foams make a lot more sense now because all these foams do start as a liquid when they get injected into the molds.
Super Critical is the process of infusing nitrogen to the foam before its molded for a second time. You are correct there is no Critical process lol.
It also does not have a carbon fiber mid-foot shank it is a poly"carbon"ate shank with ridges. 👍
Do you have a source for that?
I am one of the designers for this project at Craft @@ConversationalPace 😃
I’m not even a trail runner, I’m firm on the road side, but I do enjoy your reviews guys!
Thanks for watching! This shoe could totally handle a full workload on the roads. That's primarily how I'm using the shoe now
16:35 😂 Finn congrats 🎉 you were right!
23:16 so high volume high arch this shoe seems a good option.
26:19 i definitely think regions without mountains with dirt trails during drier conditions. like my area has alot of non technical dirt trails and anything technical or verty would require a pure trail shoe. definitely would see it as a states shoe in a hot dry year.
definitely looking to try it out. i am intrigued. perhaps 🤔 better for wet rainy conditions on the road?
Finn with the W this time around! Definitely a shoe that will benefit someone with a higher volume foot or a higher instep. I think it's only going to be OK on wet roads. No better than any regular road shoe, as that's mostly a rubber compound issue, and Crafts is still only OK. It's definitely usable though!
David Laney who pushed the default version of this shoe on our man Finn, replaced the outsole with Vibram MegaGrip. Unbelievable. (ran the first 2/3 of CCC with David)
Perhaps testing future a future generation Nordlite Ultra?
can you review some la sportiva's? the mutants and akashas
Definitely hoping to get some La Sportivas on our feet in 2024!
Great observation about the heel. I went up a half size with the Pure Trail because it felt short. Had i considered the heel angle I probably would have stayed iwth a 10. Don't think it would have helped much with lockdown though. Craft is so close with the Nordlite Ultra and the Pure Trail.
I agree, they're so close to a brilliant shoe! If they don't get it figured out in 2024, I'm going to start running out of hope 😣
With the fit do you think they would still work for the Lake Sonoma 50? Haven't had a chance to scout the course yet.
The midsole/outsole for a Lake Sonoma (assuming dry course, which is usually the case) is pretty ideal. They call the course death by a thousand cuts because it's just relentlessly up or down the entire time. Good lockdown is still important though, even though it's a pretty buffed out trail, because there are some steeper descents. While they aren't long, that cumulative time of toes mashing against the front of the shoe can really add up. If the Nordlite upper works for your foot though, that shoe would be about perfect!
Craft for me, make the absolute perfect shoes to my liking.
I'm really liking the way they are headed as a footwear brand. Hopeffully they can keep innovating and developing!
Are you guys going to take the Topo mtn racer 3 to full review? I see them in the background of Finns studio.
Definitely will be doing a full review of that one 👍
As a new trail runner I am looking into purchasing the cascadia or the catamount 2 which way would you point a newer runner.
Thanks
If you're looking for a very stable ride that closer resembles the fit and feel of a light hiking boot, go for the Cascadia. If you want something lighter, and more nimble feeling, go with the Catamount. Having run in both now, I preferred the fit and feel of the Catamount more. Hope this helps!
@@ConversationalPace this helps for sure… I just got a pair of cascadias for my first 10k trail run and I’m by no means a fast runner yet!
I’ve been a powerlifter and then transitioned to bodybuilding movements and no I like more functional fitness movements and added running in about 1 year ago. I’m still work on my pacing and form.
Hoping catamount 2 go on sale soon and I’ll pick up a pair of them to compare.
Thanks again
Brett, I'm 100% on your side - if you're not unlacing your shoes all the way after you finish a run, you're doing it wrong.
#teamtieyourshoes unite!
Tell me about the Grey/Yellow Salomon’s 🧐😄
Hoping to have that review published around the end of Nov. Coming back from a knee injury at the moment, so it's taking a little more time than normal to get all the miles in. Stay tuned!
@@ConversationalPace following your journey back on Strava and was happy to see your trajectory!! Speedy recovery💚
Yoooo
Yoooo
The people's choice!