The North Face Cradle Guide™ technology offers full Phase Impact Control, a system that guides the foot through all 3 stances of the gait cycle, impact, mid foot and Toe-off. This system is engineered to provide the perfect combination of cushioning, stability and protection for any foot on any terrain, letting the Hiker or Runner move swiftly and lightly over backcountry trails.

IMPACT

While the ankle plantarflexes the forefoot comes down.

The body cannot take control of the movement in this phase, so cushion and guidance needs to be done by the shoe.

CRADLE GUIDE cushions the impact and canters the heel through the increased level of the softer layer

PRONATION

Now that the whole foot is on the ground, the arch begins to stretch/flatten.

Here the harder layer of the midsole reaches its maximum level as the Firm EVA is engineered to provide optimal guidance mimicking the natural foot motion. This creates a smooth transition from heel to mid-foot and supports a healthy rate of pronation (the body's natural shock absorber).

TOE-OFF

Here the foot changes into a lever for motion. As the heel is now raised, we have extra pressure in the forefoot area needing the right cushion to absorb the pressure.

The gradial reduction of the harder bottom layer facilitates the natural supination phase while the increasing softer density provides cushion through the maximum force peak.

FLAT (Heel striking)

While landing on the heel, the increased softer layer of the EVA and the open cavity in the harder layer are facilitating optimal shock absorption and then guiding the body through the gait cycle while supporting the natural motion of the foot.

UPHILL (Forefoot striking)

Running Up-hill, the forefoot touches the ground first. As the ankle dorsiflexes, the heel comes down under the control of the calf muscle and Achilles tendon which are stretching. The high impact is reduced through the softer layer of the EVA while the gradually increasing thickness lets the Achilles tendon stretch while providing guidance.

DOWNHILL (Midfoot striking)

On technical down hills the trail runner tends to place the foot via the mid-foot on the ground, increasing traction and keeping balance on rocky trails. Here the calf muscles and Achilles tendon absorb part of the first impact so the force which needs to be taken by the arch is therefore lower. The CRADLE GUIDE layers give the foot the perfect balance of cushion and guidance, allowing the foot to work as a natural shock absorber.