Heads up, hikers and trail runners: The iconic outdoor company The North Face just launched a new line of innovative, almost "space age" running shoes. The Offtrail series are eye-catching sneakers built for protection and traction — and they help uphold the company's environmental ideals.
What's happening?
The North Face has just released several versions of its Offtrail TR running shoes, including pairs that incorporate the company's waterproof, breathable, and PFAS-free Gore-Tex tech, as well as the eye-catching Summit version, which was developed in partnership with The North Face's athletes.
The Summit series doesn't look like your typical sneaker, either. It's got a built-in gaiter to keep out debris and a unique shoelace system — both of which give the shoe a particular "space-age" look. It may even remind you of the innovative Allbirds M0.0NSHOT shoe revealed in 2023.
But the biggest similarity between the Allbirds and The North Face shoes is the sustainable materials. In this case, the outsoles of North Face Offtrail shoes are made with 10% rubber from small-scale farms in Thailand that practice regenerative, eco-friendly agroforestry.
Why is agroforestry important?
When you're a leading shoe supplier in the U.S., sourcing materials sustainably — especially the rubber used in every shoe sole — is important. The North Face's rubber suppliers practice agroforestry by growing many species of plants together in the same fields with their rubber trees. Unlike monoculture farming — growing only one species in a space — the agroforestry approach benefits plants, people, and the wider world.
According to an informative video about the practice, agroforestry allows farmers to grow food in the same spaces used to grow rubber trees, creating a more sustainable and holistic lifestyle for farmers. They're also able to avoid using pesticides on their trees, which protects not just their water, but the water of every community downstream. This also benefits local wildlife, including pollinators.
What is The North Face's overall sustainability plan?
Just 10% of the rubber in a shoe's sole may seem like a small fraction, but it's only the beginning. The North Face is ramping up these sustainable practices to use even more agroforestry rubber, not to mention other eco-friendly materials.
The North Face aims for all its top materials (including cotton and nylon) in footwear and equipment to be recycled, responsibly sourced, or regeneratively grown by 2030.
Beyond that, The North Face and its parent company VF Corporation are incorporating materials with a lower impact on the environment for many other of the brand's products, like regeneratively sourced wool and leather in Smartwool socks and Timberland boots, respectively.
Bottom line: By emphasizing sustainably sourced materials like rubber in its new "space age" shoes, The North Face is opening the door to a more sustainable future for the company and its customers.
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