A light rain began just strides into my first test run in these road-to-trail shoes. I hadn’t yet made it to the trails, and the sidewalks were already slick. I approached the corner of a city block, ready to make my usual shuffle step before a 90-degree turn at the end of the sidewalk. Yet, rather than feeling a little slip underfoot, I was thrown off by the shoes’ grip.
My shuffle was more of a screeching halt as the shorter stride and the bike-tire-inspired tread on the Craft Xplor Pro’s outsole had no give. Gradually, I began to tweak how I cornered, and I was continually impressed by the grippy feel on more surfaces, including wet flagstone.
By the end of my run (knees be damned), I decided to really lean into corners and put my trust in the lateral traction of these shoes. I survived. This small detail tweaked one aspect of how I run, and it’s a testament to the shoe’s great traction.
The Craft Xplor Pro isn’t a wet-weather specialist. Rather, Craft positions it as a gravel shoe, which, before you roll your eyes, can be summarized as being designed with flat, harder trails in mind. There’s a bit of marketing behind the gravel concept, especially from European brands. This one at least has a tie-in to cycling’s gravel trend by way of its unique band of Vittoria Terreno tread.
In short: Craft nails the hybrid concept with its extra-grippy outsole, making the Xplor Pro an excellent trail-first training shoe. Runners who routinely start on concrete before hitting (mostly flat) gravel or hard-dirt trails will enjoy the shoe’s cushioning, stable ride, and exceptional traction on all terrains — even wet pavement.
Compare the Craft Xplor Pro to shoes on GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Trail Running Shoes and the Best Trail Running Shoes for Women.
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Wildly fun traction -
Stable ride on trails -
Stretchy yet durable upper
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Midsole cushioning loses pep on pavement -
Narrow heel runners may want a tighter fit
Craft Xplor Pro Review
For context, many running brands are embracing gravel nomenclature to replace road-to-trail as a description. (Gravel bikes are just modified cyclocross bikes; fight me!)
Craft worked with Vittoria to create an outsole that combined traits of its Terreno Mix and Terreno Dry gravel tires. The siping in the sole’s tread and larger lugs perhaps explain the Xplor Pro’s wet-surface prowess.
The outsole has lugs on the outer edge and a lower-profile Vittoria tire tread through the center. This familiar concept is executed far better here than in past shoes I’ve tested.
The Gravel Outsole Is Real
The Craft Xplor Pro’s tread is the closest I’ve felt to all-wheel drive in a running shoe. All-surface traction is what stands out the most. On trails, the lugs are the perfect height for hitting the ground and stabilizing the width of the shoe before the treaded center engages and grips varied surfaces for push-off.
I experienced some slippage under the forefoot during short accelerations after turns or random sprints. This may be that the foam keeps my feet from really leaning into the rockered geometry during toe-off.
That encouraged me to dig in with my heel more often, to get more from the flattened shape and engage more of the specialized sole during fartleks and general accelerations. I also enjoyed the squish of the heel’s foam during those moments. So again, that aspect arguably changed how I run … at least in these shoes.
This carries over to why this shoe excels on level ground but loses some power on steep trail inclines. That said, running up a 15% grade section of road was a lot of fun. The forefoot got a better grip there.
On asphalt, the lugged perimeter made its presence known, but didn’t have that cleat-like feel you get from extra-tough lugs. Over time, the heavier sole and midsole cushioning can start to feel a bit firm and slow compared to road shoes and even other trail shoes.
Run Testing
My runs usually start on asphalt and sidewalks en route to the local lakes. I put in miles on pea gravel and strips of hard-packed, rocky dirt trails. This is the type of run the gravel concept embraces, and why the outsole deserved its own section.
Now for the rest of the shoe.
The Xplor Pro’s PxFoam midsole cushioning felt ample with some snap, for a moderately speedy feel. The shoe’s ride is responsive and inspires confidence on loose soil and rocky trails.
There is no rock plate in the shoe, but I found the heel’s cushion offered protection for running over the occasional sharp rock edge. I even ran over a few beds of river-rock landscaping to get a better feel for the foam. The midsole foam damps routine impacts and does what you’d expect from a road trainer (high praise for a trail shoe).
For a sustained run on asphalt and sidewalks, the cushioning and lugs felt a bit firm and noisy. On the trail, that cushioning magically felt better, dampening routine impacts and reminding me more of an everyday road shoe trainer.
Despite the svelte upper, the shoe’s wider outsole and cushioning create a bit of weight, and you’ll notice some heft. My pair of size 10 Xplor Pro shoes weighs in over 24 ounces. It’s not quite a max cushion shoe, but it runs like one on trails, yet can feel too underpowered on sustained road runs.
This is why I tend to consider it a great trainer. These wouldn’t be a short race shoe, but there’s certainly a case for picking these for longer, endurance trail races.
The Fit
My heels tend to be on the thinner side, while my toe box will take all the room it can get. There was some play in the heel of the Xplor Pro, which I had to address by how I laced up each run. That’s a tradeoff I’ll accept for the roomier midfoot and forefoot. Runners who need a higher volume shoe will appreciate the fit of the Xplor Pro.
For stability, the sole comes up higher around the heel, and as mentioned, the lug pattern on the edge of the soles helps keep the ship upright while cruising over rough terrain. Likewise, the more reinforced section above the heel and around the ankles provides stability, with more substantial structure than the rest of the shoe.
Craft trail shoes have a bit of a hit-or-miss reputation when it comes to the fit of its uppers. Some runners find an excess of material, and others find the fit too sloppy. That was not my experience here.
The Xplor Pro’s upper is lightweight and breathable with TPU reinforcements. Runners accustomed to dedicated trail shoes may find this too unstructured. For me, the midfoot liner felt snug and prevented some of that foot-shoe separation that becomes the downfall of stretchier uppers.
The shoe’s upper is breathable yet doesn’t let in much trail dust and debris. Tying down the shoe’s fit with the thin, back-to-basics laces was rather simple. After a few runs, I secured my feet how I wanted.
The laces are notable in how barely-there they feel. Likewise, the stretchy, spongy tongue easily lies over the foot and doesn’t get cinched by the laces if you give it a good tug first.
Durability
Closing in on 100 miles on road and trail, these shoes only look like a dustier version of the pair I pulled out of the box. The uppers are rather tough, and some of the lugs have only begun to show wear. There are a few areas where the upper meets more reinforced sections, such as the toe guard, where I see some pinching.
Those are just signs of use at this point, and even if a tear did develop, I don’t see it spreading enough to cause an early demise.
I think this shoe’s durability will come down to the midsole itself, with a little loss of traction on the lugs before then. The upper may fray on some edges, and the lugs will lose some traction from the siping smoothing out, but I’d guess a loss of the midsole’s pep and performance will be the first sign that these are done. I don’t predict a marked decline through 200 miles.
Like most running shoes, these can become backup trainers at the end of their life. You just don’t want to run in sapped-out shoes too much.
Who Is It For?
Anyone who spends most of their running on groomed trails and pea gravel should consider this shoe for training or everyday runs. Long-distance racers looking for traction and a medium-to-max cushion may also appreciate the mix of both in the Xplor Pro.
And since it’s fall, this shoe could serve as a go-to for running on wet roads and sidewalks thanks to its exceptional grip. (Honestly, I would like to see a waterproof version for winter runs.)
For travelers, this could be the one shoe you pack for training runs, trail exploration, and mild hiking.
At $170, these shoes don’t scream value, but if you need a shoe that can go anywhere and seems built to last a long time, you’ll likely find value from long-term use.
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