The North Face Vectiv Enduris 4 Mens Shoes Size 9, Color: High Rise Grey/Sulphur

I used to wear (and love!) Pearl Izumi EM Trail N3 trail shoes and was completely bummed when Pearl Izumi quit making them. It took me a while to find a suitable replacement, but the Vectiv Enduris line is the closest I've found to the Pearl Izumi EM Trail N3. I like them a lot and they have been my go-to shoes for the past 2-3 years.

I tend to become obsessed with a certain shoe that just feels good and works for me until they change the model in a way that doesn't work for me. That current obsession is with this shoe. I'm on my 3rd pair and have almost 1000 miles across all 3 pairs. This shoe feels light on foot while still providing good protection from rocks. I think the plastic plate gives the feeling of some additional propulsion in a similar way to an older super trainer does. It certainly isn't a super shoe, but definitely feels bouncier than a more traditional midsole that's just good thick foam. The durability is pretty incredible. My first pair of this shoe has around 500 miles and still feels like it has a bit of pop. The lugs in a couple of spots are pretty worn down after that many miles, but the upper is still all in one piece. Overall, I really love this shoe and think it's a good comparison and replacement for the Speedgoat 5s, a shoe I was previously obsessed with and loved.