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This Funky-Looking New Trail Shoe Has Record-Breaking Potential

The North Face’s Summit Series Offtrail TR is optimized for pace, protection and pushing past existing limits.

The North Face Summit Series Offtrail TR ShoesThe North Face

By Steve Mazzucchi

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Ever since The North Face overhauled its trail footwear a few years back, the brand has seemingly gone from strength to strength in the space. The past week has been no different.

Besides the uncommon, attention-grabbing looks, what stands out? A few critical, performance-enhancing components that blend together in a package weighing less than you might think.

On Friday, TNF athlete Katie Schide won the prestigious UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc) for a second time, crushing Courtney Dauwalter’s course record in the process. Three days later, fellow TNFer Michelino Sunseri smashed Andy Anderson’s 12-year-old Grand Teton FKT (Fastest Known Time).

Hot on the heels of those headlines comes the launch of the new Offtrail series, which offers, the brand says, “protection and durability for total immersion in the outdoors, providing runners with a feeling of security on varied and unpredictable terrain.”

The series consists of two shoes, the Offtrail TR GORE-TEX and the one we can’t look away from, the Summit Series Offtrail TR. Developed with the input of the North Face Athlete Team, it just might help you bag an FKT of your own. Here’s why.

The North Face Summit Series Offtrail TR

So, besides the uncommon, attention-grabbing looks, what stands out? A few critical, performance-enhancing components.

The most immediate one is the integrated gaiter, which is rugged enough to ward off the sort of rocks and twigs and other debris you’ll encounter on the trail, yet flexible enough to make the shoe easy to put on and pull off.

A ripstop rear quarter, reinforced toe cap, Skycore Rock Guard and Kevlar-reinforced upper extend comprehensive protection to the rest of the foot.

The North Face Summit Series Offtrail TR Shoes reverse angle
An array of beefy 7mm lugs provide steady, reliable traction on uneven terrain.
The North Face

The shoe also boasts a premium BOA Li2 dial which, under the surface, links with three straps to fully envelop your foot — and can be loosened or tightened on the fly with a quick twist.

Underfoot, you get a high-rebound foam midsole with a 6mm drop. The outsole, meanwhile, features 7mm lugs and a forefoot rubber wrap to maximize grip, protection and durability over the long haul.

All these elements blend together in a package weighing less than you might think, 12.52 ounces per shoe. Despite appearances, that narrowly beats out the aforementioned Offtrail TR GORE-TEX (12.63 ounces).

Part of the reason is the latter’s eponymous waterproof-breathable ingredient, which is not as advantageous as you might think, especially when you’re shooting for an FKT.

Availability and pricing

A unisex model, the Summit Series Offtrail TR is available now, in the colorway you see here, for $199.

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