Owner Review by Chari Daignault

Owner Review: North Face Cutback Trail Running Shoe [Women's]

Date: November 9, 2005

Tester Bio

Name: Chari Daignault
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 6" (1.68 m)
Weight: 135 Pounds (61 kg)
Email address: chari@cdaig.com
City, State, Country: Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background: I've been an ultralight hiker for 33 years -- I take the bare minimum with me and prefer a pack under or close to five pounds. I've hiked all the Florida State Forest trails in Central Florida and climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan when I was nine. I have hiked dry & sandy, rough & rocky and wet & boggy trails and as a result, have found what does and doesn't work for me in terms of equipment and clothing. Central Florida affords a lot of sun and rains, with high temperatures and massive humidity. It's a great testing area for clothing, footwear and headgear.

Product Information

Manufacturer: North Face
Year of Manufacture: 2005
URL: http://www.thenorthface.com
Listed weight: 1 lb 13 oz (0.82 kg) Men's Size 9 [Women's shoe weight not provided]
Weight as worn: 1 lbs 8 oz (0.68 kg) Women's Size 9
MSRP: $90.00 US

Shoe Description [per the manufacturer]

Abrasion resistant and supportive synthetic Nubuck mudguard

Anti microbial lining [AgION™ anti microbial lining: anti-microbial silver agent woven into the top sheet of the footbed inhibits the growth of odors and disease-causing bacteria]

Blown rubber forefoot crash pad [weight-saving construction that provides increased shock absorption and a smoother ride on road and hard terrain]

Roll Control™ [this technology is designed to control pronation and promote an efficient and fluid stride while providing maximum support to the foot]

The Cutback is an ultralight trail runner, designed to reduce injury when running on multi-surface terrain.

Field Observations

Out of the box, I found the shoes were extremely light. On my foot, they fit nicely -- the reduction of seams in the shoes was a definite improvement over other similar shoes I've tried. They're a nice-looking shoe as well, with my choice being the less festive Foil Grey/Thistle Green color. They have a traditional lacing system, with flat, ribbed laces that stay tied even under duress. The laces didn't stretch out during use or tighten up when wet. Thanks to their shape and the ribbing, they remained comfortably and securely tied.

The mesh uppers are breathable, even with a good, thick sport sock. My feet were not uncomfortable and stayed dry -- when on dry ground. Although the manufacturer makes no claims that the shoe is even weather-resistant, the shoe is not water resistant by any means, which is one improvement I would suggest being made on the shoe -- especially since it is marketed toward the trail running crowd.

Field Information

My North Face Cutbacks were used on trails within the Seminole County Econ River Wilderness Area, daily, during the summer months of 2005. The terrain is a mix of sand, mud, roots, the occasional hole, one wooden bridge and some intermittent large water-filled areas. The weather, for the most part, is extremely humid, hot and mostly sunny with a temperature of 95 F (35 C). Occasionally, torrential rains flood low-lying areas of the trail [but that just provides another avenue for testing]. The trail [3 mi / 4.83 km] heads toward the Econlockhatchee River and then loops back around to the trail head.

Although ultralight in weight, the Cutback has a lot of cushioning. When dry, the shoe is very comfortable and the cushioning lent itself well to protecting against shock to my heels, shins, knees and back. However, on some days when running after a rain storm through flooded areas, the cushioning would become water-logged and felt sloggy and mushy. It also made a squishing noise with each foot strike that irritated me. The shoes dried out overnight, and once dry, the squishing noise ceased. I haven't tried any sort of after-market water-proofing, as I don't want to damage or undermind the integrity of the uppers' material.

The shoe seals well along the top of my foot, preventing debris from becoming trapped inside the shoe. The wide base of the heel and forefoot work well to keep me from twisting my ankles and losing my balance on uneven terrain. The traction is great -- even on a wet, wooden bridge, I had little or no slippage and the shoes held well on fallen trees and logs I had to navigate [the Florida hurricanes from last year knocked hundreds of trees down in this area]. Running through dry sand is much easier with the Cutbacks than with other trail shoes I've worn, as once again, the wide base of the shoes act almost like snowshoes, keeping me from sinking in too deeply. My footing stayed sure and I felt less risk of twisting my knees. With my previous trail running shoes, I had to wear a neoprene knee wrap to keep the knee from twisting and swelling. With the North Face Cutbacks, I was able to stop wearing the wrap after two weeks -- the knee was not being injured.

The shoes clean up nicely. I've washed them twice so far, hanging them up to dry overnight. There are no stains on the uppers, even after completely losing my footing and plopping into a mud hole one afternoon. The material of the shoes' soles do not allow sand or dirt to stick -- simply striking the shoes against each other removes most debris. The shoes have held up well, and show no signs of wear. I've worn them daily on this trail for the past five weeks. The antibacterial lining has kept the shoes from having any sort of odor. It's as if they have no scent at all, which I truly appreciate.

Summary

The North Face Cutback is a great ultralight trail running shoe. They support my ankles and knees on uneven terrain, and the cushioning keeps my shins and back from hurting. The shoes are not water-resistant however, which makes them sloggy and heavy-feeling when wet. They have excellent traction, even on wet, smooth surfaces.

Things I like:

1.  Ultralight weight.
2.  Well-cushioned.
3.  Comfortable.

4. Works well on uneven terrain.

5. Good traction.

Things I don't like:

1. Not water-resistant.

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Reviews > Footwear > Trail Shoes > North Face Cutback Trail Running Shoe > Owner Review by Chari Daignault