Model: The North Face Rucky Chucky (Men n Women)
Weight: 1lb 13oz (818g) for a pair
Product Introduction:
The North Face® recognised the two trends evident in the running world. First, more athletes are venturing off road. Second, runners are increasingly gravitating towards long-distance races.
Rucky Chucky was designed to meet both running trends and specifically to help runners go farther, off road. The Rucky Chucky applies The North Face® Terrain HarnessTM and brings together some of the most cutting-edge innovations from The North Face® Footwear.
The North Face® Rucky Chucky will be available from April 2008 at The North Face concept shop (Suntec), Running Labs(Funan/Novena Square) and Outdoor Life(Novena Square).
More details on of this shoes technology can be found at The North Face Rucky Chucky webpage
Review Parameters:
Cushion (On trail terrain)
Forefoot: 8/10
Rearfoot: 8/10
Stability (on trails): 8/10
Responsiveness: 7/10
Traction: 9/10
Protection against trail elements : 9/10
Overall: 8/10 (Good shoes, will think twice before changing brands)
Recommended Retail Price: $216
Comments:
Named after an American River of the Western State 100 race, Rucky Chucky is the latest addition to the North Face family which proved to meet the demands of trail running. Ideal combination of the superb traction from the rubber outsole together with midsole-forefoot pronation support provided adequate stability against the uneven muddy terrains in the tested hills and trails.
Overall material of the shoes sheltered each foot strike well against the piercing rocks and stones of the terrain despite being lightweight.
Our testers were also curious on its performance on the road but as expected, they did not feel the shoes is good enough for the hard surface.
However, due to the tough toe ends which protects the toes against rocks, it can cause sore toes if allowance for the forefoot is not sufficient.
Recommended for: High mileage trail runners.
Not recommended for: Road Runners who prefer to run on asphalt road and cement pavement.
Feet-back:
Eliza: I feel confident and very comfortable running with it in the trails, even with a right ankle injury. While running on road, I could feel the “knobs”(snake plate) of the sole when I land my foot.
White Knight: I’ve been trail running for about 5 years now and highly recommend the Rucky Chucky. If anything they should be renamed to ‘Spiderman Shoes’ because of the excellent grip.
Explanation of parameters:
Forefoot cushioning: does the forefoot provide enough cushioning upon landing?
Rearfoot cushioning: does the rearfoot provide enough cushioning on landing?
Stability: Does the shoes provide enough stability when landing on uneven and unpredictable ground conditions in the trail? Does it provide enough support to prevent twisting of ankles and other potential injuries?
Responsiveness: how smoothly the shoe moves with your foot from heel-strike to toe-off?
Traction: Does the outsole holds the ground well without slipping in both dry or wet ground?
Protection: Does the shoes provide enough protection against trail elements like rocks, stones, branches?
