If you are
into outdoor sports, you probably recognize the name The North Face. I have been using their gear for over 20
years. Founded in 1966 in San
Francisco’s North Beach area, two hiking enthusiasts decided to follow their
passions and founded a small mountaineering retail store. The little shop became known as The North Face, a retailer of
high-performance climbing and backpacking equipment. The
North Face gets its name from the coldest, most
unforgiving side of a mountain. It moved
across the bay to Berkley in 1968 and began designing and manufacturing its own
brands gear. The rest is history. After over 40 years, The North Face has grown to deliver an
extensive line of performance apparel, equipment, and footwear. Their motto is “Never Stop Exploring.”
Men’s Ultra Endurance Trail Shoe
I haven’t
had a chance to review any shoes from The
North Face, until now. The Ultra
Endurance shoes just blew me away from the moment I took them out of the
box. They are light weight, breathable
shoes that come with a really grippy outsole made by the amazing Vibram crew. From all the reviews I’ve read, it is perfect
for blazing through your next trail adventure, no matter what the conditions
are.
The Ultra
Endurance starts with a welded TPU and suede upper material with some
overlays to add extra support to the shoe.
There is a molded TPU toe cap that provides better protection than any
trail shoe I’ve seen to date. There is a
gusseted tongue that will keep dirt and small rocks from getting into your shoe
and a great ESS Snake Plate that will protect the bottom of your foot from
sharp rocks that could leave you in pain.
Anybody that has experienced a bone bruise can attest to how much they
suck.
The collar
lining has FlashDry, which is a fabric technology that was designed to feel
like a second skin against your body. It
accelerates the removal of moisture and speed up the evaporating process and
keeps moisture away from the surface of the fabric so you stay drier and more
comfortable. This protects against both
sweat and water.
The outsole
has Vibram’s Megagrip material that makes it durable and sticky regardless of
the conditions. The Ultra
Endurance weighs in at 11 ounces for a men’s size 9, which is decent for a
shoe built this well. It has an 8mm heel
drop and has enough cushion to make your feet happy all day without losing any
ground feel that can be so important.
The Ultra
Endurance also comes with the Ultra Protect CRADLE which increases
heel-stability. I normally run in a size 10 (for most shoes),
but it was recommended to get a size 10.5 and it fit well, so make sure to buy
this shoe a ½ size up. The Ultra
Endurance retails for $120 on The
North Face website.
Pros:
The outsole
is durable and grippy on any surfaces.
Breathable
and moisture wicking fabric
Great price
at $120
Protective
TPU toe-cap and snake plate.
Plenty of
cushion for all day comfort
Cons:
Not a
negative, but buy a ½ size up
Better Than Naked Winter Jacket
The Better
Than Naked Winter Jacket is an extremely light weight jacket that has been
specifically designed to put ventilation ports in the right places. The body mapped ventilation provides a quick
drying interior to help keep you dry and comfortable. To be completely honest, this is the first
light weight jacket that I have run in that hasn’t resulted in overheating. I used it on my 20-mile run last weekend
while on vacation. It was 42 degrees out
so I took out the Better
Than Naked Winter Jacket. It was extremely comfortable and even kept the
wind out.
It was pitch
black out on the roads I was running. I
had my strobe lights and head lamp, but it was reassuring that the Better
Than Naked Winter Jacket has 360-degree reflectivity, including reflective
logos.
The Better
Than Naked Winter Jacket is somewhat form fitting, which is enjoyable to
run in. There are articulated elbows and
cuffs that just make this jacket fit even better. There are two hand pockets that fit your
phone of gels. The zippers make sure you
don’t lose your items along the way. There
are slots for you to run your headphone cables through as well.
The Better
Than Naked Winter Jacket does not have a hood and is not waterproof, but it
rained on my long run and the jacket does well with small amounts of rain and
mist. This is a great jacket that will
remain comfortable no matter how long you are running. If you want to take it off, it condenses down
to a very small size that could fit in your pocket or backpack. The Better
Than Naked Winter Jacket retails for $120 on The North Face website.
Pros:
Great price
for a lightweight jacket at $120
360-degree
reflective material
Breathable
and moisture wicking fabric
Feels great
and moves with your body
Helps
Regulate body temperature
Cons:
No hood
Warm Tight
The Warm
Tight is a base layer that is great for keeping you warm and dry when you
want to get out in the cold, but remain warm.
It is a moisture wicking layer that stretches to provide an awesome
next-to-skin fit. This is a mid-weight
tight that features FlashDry Eco fibers to wick that sweat away from your skin
so you feel better and the tights dry faster.
The waist
band of the Warm
Tight has The North Face logo
and the tights also have flat-locked seams to eliminate the risk of
chafing. The bottom of the tights go all
the way to your ankles so you don’t have any exposed areas and there is a fly
opening so you can make a quick, pit stop without having to take the tights off
(sorry ladies, no trap door).
I found that
the Warm
Tights are best used as a base layer with shorts over them. They aren’t going to really help keep away
rain, but if it’s just cold out, they will keep your legs warm without needing
to wear running pants. The Warm
Tight would also be great for recovery days, under work clothes, or just
around the house. I even read reviews
that people love them to sleep in. The
fit is true to the sizing chart on The
North Face's website and where you can also pick up your pair for $50.
Pros:
Breathable
and moisture wicking fabric
Next-to-skin
fit that moves with your body
Flat-locked
seams prevent chafing
Extremely
comfortable
Fly opening
The North Face’s Social Media Links:
The North Face makes exceptional gear
and while it may cost a little more than some of the running gear out there,
the quality and feel makes them well worth the price. The
North Face offers a lifetime warranty against any manufacturing defects in
materials and workmanship. They will
repair or replace the product at no cost to you. All you pay is for is the shipping to The North Face. You can pick up all of your gear from The North Face website or find a
retail location near you (click here for
locations). Take a chance on some
gear from The North Face and you
won’t be disappointed. Be sure to let me
know what you think.
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