Craft CTM Carbon Ultra

Article by John Tribbia and Sam Winebaum

Craft CTM Carbon Ultra ($250)

Introduction

John: When I worked at University Bikes in Boulder, Colorado (note: this is where I met fellow RTR contributor Jeff V!), Craft Sportswear was emerging as one of the leading cycling apparel brands because of the high quality and attention to detail in each item. I remember on one occasion the merchandising manager put out a new line up on the floor, only to find employees had used their generous discount to clear the shelves that same morning before the store opened. Nothing stayed in backstock for very long when it was Craft! Fast forward to what seems many many years later, Craft is taking on the running shoe game by creating similarly high quality and attention to detail trail/road running shoes with the same head-turning coveted appeal as the bib shorts at University Bikes.

Enter the Craft CTM Carbon Ultra where the emphasis in design is performance and efficiency. It is a shoe that is like no other in the long distance trail/road category that maximizes energy return with hyper-lightweight midsole foam and a tuned carbon plate to provide ultimate propulsion for the long haul. It was developed with great assistance from marathon and ultra-runner Tommy Rivs. The shoe boasts a large heel to toe drop, with substantial stack height for overall cushioning. Coming in at approximately 9.88 oz (280 grams) in a 9 Men’s US size, the shoe is intended for fast long distance efforts both on and off road.

Sam: I came to Craft of Sweden via nordic ski apparel where they are one of the top brands outfitting many national teams including of course Sweden’s! They also make more run focused apparel which I have tested and enjoyed over the years, particularly their winter focused pieces.

With the CTM “Craft Tailored Motion” Carbon Ultra the brand completes the competitive endurance athlete’s kit with a state of the art carbon plated ultra racer and all around trainer that reflects the brand’s top level highly technical heritage and commitment to practical and versatile gear.

Craft’s Product & Marketing Director Daniel Högling says in the launch press release:

“After having spent the last years in the lab, obsessing over beyond-maximum energy return and the fastest and most aggressive heel-to-toe drop, I am proud to say that we have finally gained the minutes and seconds as well as the durability and versatility we were looking for. Whether you are training for a marathon or competing at extreme distances” this is your shoe.”  

The construction is illustrated above. Note in particular the tuned Ultra Carbon Plate situated below a layer of Craft’s Vault Foam (chemically modified EVA) and above that an unusual footbed with embedded TPU beads, similar to the Inov-8 Terraultra G 270’s.

Having run just about every plated road shoe and max cushion shoe  but never a trail flavor I was curious to see how Craft’s implementation of a high drop (it is at least if not more than 10mm based on my measurements), massively cushioned, plated ride translated to both road and trail. Given my location in coastal New Hampshire my runs in them were mostly road ( and even along the beach) with some easier non technical trails in the mix as such my review will be from that view point.

I then sent our sole pair, one of only 30 created for the initial run, to John.

The pair was provided at no charge for testing and RTR and contributors received no other compensation from Craft for this review.

Pros:

John/Sam: energy return, stable platform, lightweight, built for long rollers

Sam: Flexible carbon plate leading to a smooth never harsh ride and some agility on trail

Cons:

John: cumbersome lacing system, upper fit and security, not optimized for technical terrain

Sam: Wish the midsole had a touch more squish and bounce to it

Upper is a bit rough in feel

Tester Profiles

John Tribbia (5' 6", 130lbs) is a former sponsored mountain/trail runner who has run with La Sportiva, Brooks/Fleet Feet, Pearl Izumi, and Salomon. Even though he competes less frequently these days, you can still find John enjoying the daily grind of running on any surface, though his favorite terrain is 30-40% grade climbs. He has won races such as America's Uphill, Imogene Pass Run, and the US Skyrunner Vertical Kilometer Series; and he's held several FKTs on several iconic mountains in Boulder, Colorado and Salt Lake City, Utah. If you follow him on Strava, you'll notice he runs at varying paces between 5 minutes/mile to 12 minutes/mile before the break of dawn almost everyday.

Sam is the Editor and Founder of Road Trail Run. He is 63 with a 2018 3:40 Boston qualifier. Sam has been running for over 48 years and has a 2:28 marathon PR. These days he runs halves in the just sub 1:40 range training 30-40 miles per week mostly at moderate paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Utah. He is 5’9” tall and weighs about 164 lbs.

Stats

Weight: 9.88 oz / 280g  (US9)

Sample: men’s 9.88 oz / 280g  (US9)

Approx. Stack Height: 40mm heel / 30mm forefoot

$250 Available limited release 1/28/21. Broader release late Feb. 2021