The North Face Offtrail Hike Mid GORE-TEX® boots: Tested
Trekking, bushwalking, tramping, hiking. Whatever you call foot-borne adventure, one of the key (and obvious) essentials is a comfortable, supportive and robust pair of hiking boots. As you’d expect, there’s a shedload of options on the market, now joined by The North Face Offtrail Hike Mid GORE-TEX® boots, from the iconic US outdoor brand. We’ve spent a month exploring the outdoors wearing these boots to see if they stand out in the crowded hike/walk/trek boot market.
Design
The first thing you notice with these boots is the burly – and wide – design. The upper uses Cordura ripstop fabric, which feels (and is) tough but without sacrificing flexibility when worn. Included in the boot is a PFAS-free GORE-TEX waterproof membrane, something that this particular tester can give or take (more on this later), while the reinforced heel cup includes a relatively large collar. According to The North Face, this is designed this way to ensure your foot is ‘locked in’ during long walks.
The outsole is SURFACE CTRL rubber, while the sole itself includes SKYCORE rock guard, aimed at providing additional protection to the forefoot when you’re tackling more technical (read: rugged) terrain. Finishing off the sole are some impressively beefy (5mm high) lugs that are designed to offer optimum traction – and they did so, very effectively, during testing.
The boot laces run through three metal eyelets and some loops for ease of adjusting tightness/fit for the wearer. Additional design features include a heavy-duty rubber toe cap (with TPU overlay) for even more durability and a handy loop at the heel section for ease of fitment/removal of the boot. In short, The North Face Offtrail Hike Mid GORE-TEX® boots look bulky and seriously over-engineered – although, as we found out, not to the detriment of fulfilling the design remit of a versatile, reliable boot.
In the field
The boots have been tested over a month to date. Impressively, and no doubt owing to the synthetic materials, there has been no ‘wearing-in’ period with them; since day one, any time in the field wearing the Offtrail Hike Mids has been simply a case of putting them on and getting out there. In short, they are very comfortable from the get-go.
A more surprising note is how light these boots feel on your feet, belying that bulky/over-built appearance by actually being considerably lighter than this tester’s usual pair of leather hiking boots. Equally impressive is the fact that, to date, even though these boots are notably lighter, they do not give up anything in regard to being up to the oft-rough treatment I serve up to my outdoor footwear.
The shape of the sole is interesting in that it is relatively narrow and quite snug at the rear but ‘fans out’ to what is quite a wide toe-box. That “locked in” description of the heel box rings true, keeping my usually upward-shifting heel firmly in place – something I rarely find in hiking boots I have used over the decades. The lace system is excellent in regard to adjustability of both fit and, more importantly, comfort over longer hikes.
The outsole lived up to its grip potential during testing; NSW copped torrents of rain over the last month and every walking track that was still open was a slippery challenge – especially over rocky surfaces – but those big lugs, and the wide sole, kept this tester glued to the terrain. The sole’s cushioning also does a pretty good job of being firm enough to absorb some impact of rugged surfaces, without removing that essential sense of ‘feel’ of where your feet are while traversing uneven terrain. The Cordura ripstop outer fabric has shrugged off the occasional drag and scrape through sharp vegetation and terrain, although it’s still way too early to say if it’s as durable as a leather outer.
The only slight negative – and this is more of a personal opinion, to be fair – is the boots’ GORE-TEX waterproof membrane. This tester is not a fan; the membrane is, to a point, ‘breathable’, but a GORE-TEX layer will always make your feet hotter/sweatier than if there was not one. Yes, it keeps rain out, but as all hikers know, once the water goes over the heel of your boot, your feet will be wet, regardless of how effective that membrane is at keeping rain out. It’s a small point to make, but…
We are very keen to keep the Offtrail Hike Mids through winter for further testing in colder conditions but, so far, these boots have simply (and effectively) done their job when in the field.
The not-so final word on The North Face Offtrail Hike Mid GORE-TEX® boots
For anyone looking for a new pair of hiking boots, this new offering from The North Face deserves plenty of consideration. The Offtrail Hike Mids are relatively light in weight, without sacrificing anything in overall performance. As we mentioned earlier when noting the short test period at this time, long-term durability is obviously still a question. However, from what we’ve experienced in testing to date (and drawing on decades of trekking experience), the Cordura upper and that big, wide and gnarly outsole do provide plenty of confidence you’ll be wearing the Offtrail Hike Mids for quite a few years. Look for our long-term update in September.
RRP: $320
See The North Face for more information.
