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The North Face Debuts the OffTrail Ultra, Its Technical Next-Gen Trail Shoe

The lightweight yet rugged new mountain shoe offers highly responsive performance across challenging terrain.

Pair of black high-top The North Face trail running shoes shown from the back on a yellow background.The North Face
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By Hayley Helms

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The North Face hasn’t been standing still when it comes to technical trail footwear. The esteemed outdoor brand has steadily refined its mountain-ready lineup over the years, and the new Offtrail Ultra represents one of its most innovative efforts yet.

Combining several of The North Face’s most advanced technologies into one simplified package, the Offtrail Ultra is the brand’s solution to over-engineered trail-running shoes, built for tackling rugged, off-trail terrain with clean, functional design.

Orange The North Face trail running shoe with mud and dirt floating above a rocky landscape at dusk.
The Offtrail Ultra’s high-visibility color palette honors the original 1990 Trans-Antarctica Expedition gear while ensuring today’s runners remain visible as they move fast across rugged terrain.
The North Face

Form and function

The Offtrail Ultra doubles down on The North Face’s commitment to developing rugged mountain footwear that merges durability with streamlined design and showcases multiple brand innovations in one svelte silhouette.

Black and white high-top athletic shoe with knit ankle collar and The North Face logo on the heel.
The Offtrail Ultra offers high-level performance, a mid-tier price tag and low weight for rugged mountain adventures.
The North Face

The most substantial of these is the mountain running shoe’s new Dreambound midsole.

The dual-density, nitrogen-infused superfoam is engineered to deliver uncompromising comfort and cushioning while reducing weight.

This is achieved through a new manufacturing process, where both foam densities are combined in a single molding operation, eliminating the need for adhesives to bond the materials together.

Pair of orange athletic shoes with turquoise accents and white soles viewed from above.
The slim Offtrail Ultra features racing laces, which have an integrated strap for lace management.
The North Face
Turquoise rubber shoe sole with deep treads and "The North Face" logo embossed.
The upgraded outsole includes 5 mm lugs for high-level traction on technical and rocky terrain, plus a scrambling zone at the toes, designed based on athlete feedback.
The North Face

Underfoot, the updated Surface CTRL G2 outsole adds high-traction 5mm lugs, plus a scrambling zone at the toe, for better control and traction on loose, uneven trails.

Two lightweight components help keep bulk down: the integrated ScreeGuard stretch gaiter to keep debris at bay, and the seamless, dual-wrap upper at the forefoot with hydrophobic ripstop at the rear quarter, which maintains natural foot movement while offering protection on trail.

Pair of black and white The North Face high-top sneakers shown from the back.
The slim and stretchy integrated gaiter keeps debris at bay while maintaining the pared-back design language of the capable new shoe.
The North Face

High-wear areas are given extra reinforcement thanks to a bonded internal frame, which provides a supportive lockdown in partnership with TPU overlays, which also offer increased abrasion resistance while keeping the shoe’s look and feel streamlined.

The Offtrail Ultra debuts in two colorways: the classic, high-contrast White Ash/TNF Black and the vivid, colorful Papaya/Canal Blue.

At just shy of two hundred dollars, the Offtrail Ultra sits in the middle to high end of TNF’s price range: it’s more expensive than the brand’s everyday running shoes, but it costs notably less than the Summit Series models do.

Availability and pricing

The Offtrail Ultra is available now on The North Face’s website and select specialty retailers, with an MSRP of $190.

About the Author: Hayley Helms is an associate editor at Gear Patrol specializing in outdoor gear. Once upon a time, she wrote for Men’s Journal, Gearjunkie and Shape. Whether it’s testing a new rain shell or putting a pair of hiking boots through its paces, she leaves no stone unturned (however, she always Leaves No Trace).

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