The North Face Rucky Chucky

Peter Lubbers blogged about test driving The North Face Rucky Chucky shoes at the Rucky Chucky 50K here. His review seemed very favorable so I've been eager to try them for some time now.  

The problem is how to get them. There is a North Face Store in Helsinki, but in practice they seem to be into hiking type of stuff only. For example, I placed an order with them for a pair of TNF running shoes four months ago - no luck so far.

Fortunately I was able to get the Rucky Chuckies from Globetrotter in Germany. They provide an effective service with reasonable prices. And what's more, they have The North Face Online Store.

The whole thing (including delivery) cost me 140.72 euros (about 222 USD). That may not be a great bargain, but it feels quite ok, as Finland is generally an extremely expensive place to live in. 

By the way, their 4-seasons TV has some interesting shows for free (mostly in German though).

Anyway, back to my new shoes. I think they look hot. Such a cool design. Everything, including the laces, seems durable.

They do feel very light and comfortable when I wear them. 

However when I actually weighed them, I was in for a big surprise: they are 2 x 440 grams = 880 g (31 ounces, for US size 10.5). In other words, the heaviest running shoes I've ever owned. 

These monsters are  a full 10% heavier than my Salomon XT Wings, which I thought were pretty massive already. But like I said, the Rucky Chuckies magically feel like nothing.

As to the actual running experience, please let me get back to you after I've succesfully completed the Zermatt Marathon on Saturday.