The North Face Offtrail Hiking Boot Review

I felt mild on my toes as I ascended the Rainbow Path towards Methodist Mountain. On my left, spectacular views of Mount Ouray and Pahlone Peak caught my eye each time I finished. However as I hiked, I solely targeted on what was beneath my toes: rocks, branches, free granite gravel, and lodgepole roots. I discovered myself jogging the flats and downhills simply because I felt so nimble and spry.

With regards to climbing footwear, I’m a devoted boot man. There are some nice climbing footwear on the market, however they aren’t my factor. So usually on the path, I put on my Meindl MFS-Vacuum Boots or my Zamberlan Viox Lux Boots. I just like the ankle stability, help, and burly, sturdy feeling — and, actually, I desire the look, too.

However these different boots are fairly heavy. In truth, most of my go-to hikers don’t precisely qualify as “light-weight,” which might be why the Offtrail Hike LT Mid Boots ($200) from The North Face felt so ethereal on my toes.

These boots nonetheless supplied the supportive really feel I like in my climbing boots, however with out the burden. I actually hadn’t anticipated to really feel as unencumbered as I often am in boots. I used to be shifting quicker and expending much less vitality than regular.

In brief: The North Face Offtrail Climbing Boots are light-weight and really succesful. They’re snug (after a brief break-in interval), snugly maintain your forefoot and heel in place, and provide sufficient grip to deal with steep and free trails. Hikers in search of a boot that’s snug, light-weight, and able to hammer day hikes or multiday adventures will respect this mid-height boot.

Searching for climbing boots? Take a look at GearJunkie’s information to the Finest Climbing Boots and the Finest Climbing Boots for Ladies.

The North Face Offtrail Hike LT Mid Boot Evaluation

I first noticed the Offtrail Boots in California, the place The North Face (TNF) hosted a handful of journalists and influencers to showcase its newest outside footwear. The Offtrail line is likely one of the model’s flagship climbing households, and this new boot (which can be obtainable as a shoe) is the most recent addition.

In California, we walked alongside some dust roads and climbed a small rolling hill. Nevertheless it wasn’t sufficient to get a real impression of those boots. I needed to get them again to Colorado and hit some Rocky Mountain trails to see how they’d carry out in additional technical and difficult terrain.

Development

The TNF OffTrail Hike LT Mid Boots have a Cordura forefoot protected by a ballistic rubber toe cap. For being so light-weight, they actually look sturdy, and to date they’ve been. Aside from just a few minor scrapes on the rubber toe and the tread, they’re holding up nicely. I’ve put lower than 50 miles on these, although, so the jury’s nonetheless out on long-term sturdiness.

They’ve a PFAS-free, waterproof GORE-TEX 3L membrane and are seam-sealed for cover towards puddles, creeks, and wet climate. An built-in rock guard additionally protects towards sharp or jagged rocks or particles you would possibly encounter on the path. Nubuck leather-based, and TPU overlays are supposed to add extra help and sturdiness.

Not like plenty of new boots, TNF didn’t use recycled, recyclable, or recovered supplies within the Offtrail Hike Boots. Nonetheless, the Floor Management outsole makes use of 20% rubber from “smallholder farmers dedicated to agroforestry rules and regenerative agricultural practices.”

Weight

Once I first tried on the Offtrail Hike LT Mid Boots, the burden shocked me — in a great way. At only a pound (1 pound, 1.64 ounces) per shoe, that is on par with the sixth heaviest boot (out of 15) on our information to the Finest Climbing Boots. So it’s fairly middle-of-the-pack with regards to weight. From that information, it’s most comparable with the Hoka Anacapa 2 Mid GTX.

That stated, it’s rather a lot lighter than a number of the boots I’m extra accustomed to carrying (like that Zamberlan Vioz Lux I discussed). That made it really feel very mild once I took to the path.

Within the Area

I wore the TNF Offtrail Boots on hikes in Utah’s Swell and Colorado’s San Isabel Nationwide Forest, on BLM land close to my dwelling, via an limitless day of airports, and on that “hike” I discussed in California. The hikes ranged in size from 4 to 12 miles, and the terrain diversified from sandy desert washes to alpine scree, dust roads, and free rocks.

Sturdiness-wise, I’ve had no points to date. They’re holding up nicely.

There was a brief break-in interval with these boots. They weren’t in any respect constrictive, however after about 3 miles on the primary few hikes, I might really feel a scorching spot on the skin of my proper foot. It by no means manifested right into a blister, although, and I felt it much less with lighter (thinner) socks. Finally, this subsided because the boots loosened up and molded to my paddle-shaped toes.

TNF added a heel cup to raised cradle the wearer’s calcaneus (heel bone), and I didn’t expertise any notable wiggling or sliding contained in the boots. The comfort-padded collar and tongue are additionally a pleasant contact, hugging the ankle and including some additional safety. Ghillie-lace loops held the laces snugly in place as soon as they had been tied.

Grip-wise, TNF’s Floor Management outsole felt fairly customary. They felt assured scrambling on sandstone boulders and strolling atop moist granite river rocks. However on steep, free trails, I slipped slightly bit each on the uphill and downhill.

Regardless of the brief break-in interval, I discovered these to be snug climbing boots. They didn’t weigh me down, and after lengthy days on the path (or chasing gate modifications round an airport for 8 hours), I wasn’t dying to take them off. Once I backpacked into Utah’s Poor Canyon for a 2-night, 3-day journey, my toes weren’t screaming for assist.

My favourite side of those boots, although, was how nimble I felt carrying them. They had been mild sufficient that I might transfer my toes rapidly, had first rate rebound, and actually good floor really feel. I might really feel rocks and roots beneath me, however none of them harm because of the rock guard.

Room for Enchancment

The form of the Offtrail Boots’ tongue is slightly wonky. It doesn’t look humorous when it’s laced appropriately. But when I wasn’t paying consideration, and rapidly laced the boots up, the tongue typically bunched up or folded, which then wouldn’t provide as a lot safety/stability.

I additionally want the underside eyelet had been a 3rd hook as a substitute of a hard and fast loop. A hook would enable me to cinch the boot laces extra evenly and lock them in place. Pulling them via that eyelet created uneven strain throughout the highest of my foot.

The North Face Offtrail Hike LT Mid Boot: Who Is It For?

If you happen to’re searching for an on a regular basis hiker that will also be used for multiday journeys, TNF has designed a really succesful boot in its Offtrail Hike LT Mid. It’s mild, sturdy, and grippy. It’s waterproofed with GORE-TEX, feels nimble on the path, and securely holds your foot and heel in place. These boots are purposeful and able to hanging with a number of the greatest mid-height boots in its class.

For years, I’ve stored a beat-up previous pair of Salomon Quest boots within the mattress of my truck as my go-anywhere, do-anything hikers. These are simply as steady as these boots, lighter, and really feel barely safer. These Salomons are headed for (a well-earned) retirement. I’m excited to interchange them with these TNF Offtrail Boots.