The North Face Offtrail Ultra Review | A Technical Trail Shoe Ready for Big Miles

The North Face Offtrail Ultra has it all in the name, and I won’t argue. This non-plated trail shoe is ready for all the technical trails.

I could run forever on a smooth rail trail in the Offtrail Ultra, but that would be a waste; technical trails and big elevation days are where these shoes stand out. 

While I would race in this shoe, I would actually make it a regular in my rotation of daily trail shoes when I have a big training run.

The North Face is coming through with technical trail shoes this year that really do perform on technical trails. The Offtrail Ultra is no exception to that.

This is a technical trail shoe built for runners who want more grip and ground feel than a cushioned, all-terrain trail shoe, while still getting enough protection and cushioning for long days on challenging terrain.

The North Face Offtrail Ultra Overview

The North Face Offtrail Ultra has an integrated gaiter. I am not traditionally a gaiter person, so making my own decisions and being forced to wear one gave me pause.  

It’s called the SCREEGUARD integrated gaiter, and it works without being noticeable or overwhelming. It was less noticeable if I wore tall socks instead of ankle socks, but gaiter users may already know this.   

I don’t know if it is because of the integrated gaiter, but there is no extra lacing hole to do a heel lock. I heel-lock lace every pair of running shoes I own, so yeah, I was concerned, but it was ultimately fine.  

I didn’t find myself slipping in the Offtrail even on the steepest grade.

The dual-density DREAMBOUND nitrogen super-foam midsole is a moderate cushioning that provides a good connection with the ground. 

It holds up well after long trail miles. 

The SURFACE CTRL outsole really stands out, though. While 5 mm lugs aren’t unusual, there are so many of them on this outsole. There might be as much lug surface as voided surface, and there is lots of grip in that.  

The toe of the outsole is like one big lug covering the entire end. I didn’t think much about this until I was scrambling up a pretty long rock face and noticed the extra grip on the climb. It’s a nice touch built for the mountains. 

This is also a nice moderate rocker shoe, so you don’t feel like you are falling on the steep descents before your toe makes contact with the ground.

The North Face Offtrail Ultra has a dual-wrap upper at the forefoot and hydrophobic ripstop at the back of the shoe. 

In addition, there are TPU overlays reinforcing the high-wear areas, rounding out this shoe.

The North Face Offtrail Ultra Fit

The size of The North Face Offtrail Ultra is true to size, but I can’t decide if this standard fit shoe is wide or not, and I know that sounds wrong. 

Because of the integrated gaiter there is not a separate tongue. This means the upper is the upper, and it’s all you get. On my narrow foot, it felt roomy, but also, I didn’t feel like I was overly cinching it down to get a good fit.

With no option to heel lock lace this shoe, I was worried, but this shoe held my heel snugly enough on the trail conditions I ran through, from steep grade to long rock faces to rolling soft dirt single track.  

I think mentally I really wanted to do a heel lock lace if that were ever possible with this shoe construction. The toe box is a standard width, not wide but also not restrictive.    

As with other The North Face trail shoes there is minimal padding in the shoe so the snugness comes from getting the right fit. 

The heel has a thin bumper padding at the top, but luckily there was no rubbing with the gaiter. What would be the tongue has a thin strip of padding on the top of the foot to buffer when cinching those laces down; it’s not a lot, but it does the job.

The North Face Offtrail Ultra Feel

This feels like an all-day adventure kind of shoe. It’s comfortable for the long miles and handles all kinds of terrain.     

The North Face Offtrail Ultra is a neutral shoe that grips the trails. The outsole is the right amount of flexible to do really well on sharp switchbacks and canted terrain, conforming and connecting with the trail without throwing your gait off.

While cushioned, there is that right amount of density to keep a good connection to the ground for a confident run.

Luckily, I was able to get one really good run in during a heavy rain. 

While not waterproof, the Offtrail is really breathable, so my shoes dried pretty quickly. I was surprised at how breathable they actually were with the integrated gaiter; there were worries that these would just feel swampy.

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