Our reviews are 100% organic. We do not accept payment for reviews or bundle with advertising budgets. In most cases, the brand is providing the product to our reviewers free of charge. Over the past year, Craft has focused a significant amount of effort on creating versatile, high-performance running shoes that are equally suitable for roads and trails. A couple models we have tested have delivered well in terms of ride quality but lacked a bit in overall stability. The Nordlite Ultra does much better in terms of fit and stability, and is well positioned in the rapidly expanding category of high-cushioned hybrid running shoes.
A primary issue we’ve had with max cushion shoes is the ability of the upper to maintain a secure fit on a tall, cushioned platform. This is not a unique issue to Craft, but the two previous hybrid models we tried from the company (CTM Ultra 3 and Xplor) had similar limitations, with minimalist uppers that struggled to maintain lockdown once the terrain became mildly irregular. Thankfully, uppers on the Nordlite Ultra are a bit more robust, and provide improved stability over both of those models, to the point where we felt comfortable using them on mild to moderately technical trails. You still need to be attentive to foot placement when the terrain gets tricky, but there’s a much larger margin for error than with the other Craft hybrid shoes we’ve tested.
The overall security of fit here is much better in the rear and midfoot than in the forefoot, which is roomy and rounded to accommodate foot splay or swelling. We felt that the laces had more difficulty securing the front of the foot, which could be remedied by some overlays connecting the bottom of the laces into the midsole. This particular quirk may not even be noticeable by users with wide feet, but if your feet are on the narrow side, you could experience some forefoot movement within the upper. Another caveat about the overall fit of this shoe is that they run small, so we had to wear half a size up to get a proper length.
Below the upper, the ride quality of the Nordlite Ultra is really exceptional, thanks to a full midsole of high performance Cr Foam, the same compound used in Craft’s Speed racing shoe series. The supercritical compound has outstanding strength and durability for its light weight, and its overall width helps provide further stability to compensate for the large 40mm stack height in the heel. In our testing, the compound provided soft cushioning and comfort at slower speeds, but easily switched gears to have strong responsiveness at faster speeds. Craft claims that Cr Foam provides three times more damping and energy return compared to regular midsole foam, and we can confirm that it’s the most responsive Craft compound we’ve tested. The company also deserves kudos for producing Cr Foam with an environmentally friendly technology which includes a non-toxic construction process with no chemicals being added to the raw materials.
For its intended purpose as a hybrid shoe, the Nordlite Ultra has a broadly lugged outsole with full coverage in the forefoot and two separate pieces in the rearfoot to shave weight and provide flexibility. The lugs are 2mm high and roll nicely on asphalt but have enough angle and grip to perform adequately on a large variety of dirt surfaces. We have about 150 miles on our pair, and the outsole hasn’t shown any signs of irregular or excessive wear.
We appreciate that Craft continues to evolve and refine its hybrid shoe category, which should appeal to a broad range of users who often alternate from road to trail. The Nordlite Ultra is their most successful hybrid product to date and we found ourselves using this shoe for everything from 20-mile weekend runs to leisurely bird watching walks around the neighborhood.
The Craft Nordlite Ultra is available in men’s and women’s versions from www.craftsports.us.
Features and Specs:
- Weight: 10.2 oz men’s / 8.8 oz women’s
- Stack Height (heel/toe, in mm): 40/34 men’s, 39/33 women’s
- Heel-Toe Drop (mm): 6 mm
- Upper: One-piece engineered mesh
- Ultra rebound insole
- Midsole: Cr Foam compound
- Outsole: 3-piece lugged traction rubber with 2 mm lugs
- Six color options for men or women
- MSRP: $160