The new ‘Rucky Chucky’ trail shoes from The North Face

The North Face seem to be terribly pleased with these new, snazzy-looking lightweight, mountain trail running shoes. They comment that "the Rucky Chucky is a high-performance, long-distance mountain-running shoe with enhanced support and traction."

Although they’re comfortable, I’d have to disagree with the ‘enhanced traction’ comments above. In mud they are great thanks to the chunky sole, but on wet rock they are a liability. Granted, not many shoes cope well with wet rock, but the Rucky Chucky’s are a long way from being the best. They are well built, with little signs of wear and tear despite repeated dunkings, scrapings, and batterings on country runs. The lightweight upper gives great breathability, but the flip side is that they are cold, and ship water quickly, even when running in long wet grass. To date they still seem very supportive, with plenty of cushioning. Our advice would be that although they excel on well-maintained, dry mountain trails, don’t buy them if steep, rocky and wet descents are your aim.

Reviewed by Matt Heason on behalf of planetFear

Technical Specifications:

Upper: Abrasion-resistant, bomber synthetic nubuck

Upper: Highly breathable, protective sandwich-mesh upper

Upper: X-FrameTM medial/lateral TPU welding reinforcements for support

Upper: NorthoticTM ergonomically-designed footbed with Poron forefoot and heel inserts

Bottom: Lightweight, dual-density, compression-molded EVA midsole with X-2TM provides high-impact cushioning and long-lasting support

Bottom: Semi-straight lasted, with medial-posted rearfoot Thrust ChassisTM and X-DomeTM, which provides mechanical assistance to the midsole and support for overpronators

Bottom: Innovative TPU forefoot Snake PlateTM with medial/lateral outriggers provide torsional support, while giving ultimate protection from stone bruising

Bottom: Midfoot shank ensures a stable and comfortable ride from heel-strike to toe-off

Bottom: Tenacious GripTM outsole provides excellent on- and off-road traction, as well as stability and durability under a variety of weather conditions and temperatures

Weight: 818g

RRP: £84.99