In 2023 I took the plunge and purchased the Spartan Rd Pro “Trifecta” Shoe by Craft.
Having run most of my races in Salomon Speedcross (check out my review of those), I decided it would be nice to have a back-up pair of OCR shoes and try out the shoe that was designed specifically for Spartan Races.
First thing I noted, as with the Salomon quicklace design, the Rd Pro also has the same issue with jamming up with dried mud at times, especially when a quick cleaning is not available. So, after a couple of races I snipped those off and have swapped in Caterpy laces (Review coming).
The Rd Pro also feels alot stiffer in construction and the insole not as comfortable as the Salomon. The water drainage is slightly better due to the built-in drainage ports as well as the stiffer construction of the insole. The tread design is adequate, and the rope climb grip on the instep does help somewhat with J-hook techniques.
I currently utilize the Rd Pro as a Sunday option for the shorter runs during Trifecta weekends but with time, if the shoe breaks in a little more, I may deploy it for the Saturday Beast, but right now, I feel like the stiffness and some of my foot slippage is a blister fest waiting to happen. I will be using the Rd on some training runs to determine if there is a necessary break-in period and report back the results.
A DISAPPOINTING END
My Spartan Race branded RD Pro were “retired” on March 31, 2024. After fewer than 7 Spartan Races, the insoles were shot and I spent $50 on new insoles after 2 Beast races. As the picture shows, the fabric tore across the top, and along the outside.
The final straw was the eyelets tearing during my San Jose Trifecta weekend, one where I did not bring a backup pair. So, I was forced to improvise for the Super and Sprint to keep from losing my shoes in the mud.
For a $150.00 per pair of “OCR Specific” shoes to completely fall apart in less than six months and barely 100 miles, if my calculations are correct, is a deal breaker. I had extremely high hopes considering Spartan Race put their brand on these shoes.
The lacing eyelets were definitely subpar in design, material and performance. The mesh material failed to hold up to the elements, and the insoles were extremely cheap and worthless after 25 miles of use.
Above photo shows the torn-out eyelet and the picture above shows the torn material on the pinky-toe side after less than 100 miles.
Craft has fallen short, not only on these shoes, but of late, numerous complaints have been raised regarding the sizing and inconsistencies of the Craft-sponsored finisher T-shirts provided to Spartan Race.
Spartan Race was my first encounter with Craft products, and at this point, the company gets a failing grade for its OCR offerings in my opinion.
I would not recommend these shoes to a Trifecta chaser, or an OCR racer who competes on a regular basis. They may be fine for the casual once or twice-a-year casual participant, but for me, I expect a longer life for the price.
Final Grade: ( F )