The North Face Offtrail Ultra Review: Trail Runner Meets Mountain Goat
The North Face Offtrail Ultra ($190) is a rare breed—a mountain running shoe that transitions between on- and off-trail terrain without a meaningful compromise in either direction. We wore it for a month in of running and scrambling in the mountains around Chamonix, where it emerged as one of the most well-rounded mountain shoes we've worn. The dual-density midsole offers stability on technical rock and pop on smooth singletrack, the integrated gaiter keeps debris out effectively, and the construction is built to withstand all manner of mountain abuse. At $190, that's a lot of performance, especially compared to the more expensive shoes that dot this category. For the mountain-goat runners or hikers who like to move fast on trail, rock, snow, and everything in between, this is a shoe worth knowing about.
Cushioning
Responsiveness
Stability
Traction
Durability
Sustainability
Best for
All-around, mountain
Weight
1 lb.
Stack height
29/23mm
Upper
Engineered mesh
Midsole
Nitrogen-infused foam
Outsole
Surface Ctrl (5mm)
Pros
Cons
The North Face Offtrail Ultra
For this season's top models, see our guide to the Best Trail Running Shoes.
The Offtrail Ultra runs a 29-millimeter heel stack and 23-millimeter forefoot—numbers that put it firmly in the moderate cushioning range. In my opinion, the underfoot feel threads the needle perfectly for routes that blend running and off-trail travel. The shoe feels relatively close to the ground—ideal for rambly third-class ridgelines, fourth and low fifth class terrain, snow travel, and scree slopes—without leaving you feeling too exposed to sharp surfaces or vulnerable to the impact of every step.
I tested The North Face's Offtrail Ultra during a month-long stint in Chamonix, taking it up to the Refuge Albert 1er and on an ascent of Aiguille du Belvédère. Both routes involved sections of trail running followed by steep scrambling, where I used my hands and relied on careful foot placement and shoe hold. The Offtrail Ultra met the varying demands of both objectives in a way that most shoes couldn't, and a big part of that is how the cushioning is arranged—a firmer outer rim and bottom layer provide a rigid, relatively inflexible platform while scrambling, while the softer interior lends rebound and comfort while logging 8-minute miles on trail.
Here's one anecdote that illustrates the shoe's versatility: My friend Kaytlyn, a TNF athlete who helped design the Offtrail Ultra, used it on our week-long traverse of the Southern Alps of New Zealand—a route involving almost no running and copious off-trail travel—and is also running a prototype with the same midsole and outsole at UTMB, a 100-mile race in Chamonix. There are very few trail running shoes that would be the right tool for both objectives, but the aptly named Offtrail Ultra is one of them. That said, some runners might want more cushioning for long-distance races (for example, I’ll be wearing the Norda 055 with a 36mm heel stack), as the additional stack underfoot will help absorb more impact over time.
The Offtrail Ultra isn't a rocket ship like a speed-focused shoe like the Hoka Rocket X Trail, with no carbon plate, no aggressive rocker, and no attempt to maximize speed above all else. But for what it is—a supremely well-rounded shoe built to toe the line between on- and off-trail adventures—it’s got a great amount of energy. It gets its pop from a nitrogen-infused foam, and the dual-density arrangement that places firmer foam on the rim and bottom and softer foam on the interior gives it a balanced personality that doesn’t feel like it loses any energy on each stride. The low weight helps too. For a shoe this well-rounded, it can log some genuinely fast miles.
I wouldn't reach for the Offtrail Ultra if outright speed was the priority; there are more purpose-built trail running shoes for that. But for a shoe that transitions from scrambling to running and back again across a big mountain day—similar to the Nnormal Kjerag 02—the responsiveness is more than adequate, and the foam's energy return holds up over many hours of varied use.
The Offtrail Ultra's stability is one of its most impressive qualities. It comes from the shoe’s tight foot hold, moderate cushioning, and dual-density foam construction: The firmer outer rim creates a planted, grounded base around the base of the foot that inspires real confidence across varied and unpredictable terrain. The shoe is so stable, in fact, that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it as a hiking shoe, especially given its practical integrated gaiter, balanced cushioning, and great traction.
The Offtrail Ultra was the perfect shoe for smearing, edging, and boulder-hopping along the Aiguille du Belvédère ridgeline. It also offered a perfectly planted feel on the short section of 5.4 climbing to the summit, which is the kind of terrain where I’ll notice immediately if a shoe has any squirrelness to it. I’ve worn a lot of running shoes off-trail in the mountains, and genuinely think this is one of the best for the job—it never once made me feel separated from the rock by too-plush cushioning or a poor foothold. And for the runners among us, it also offers great stability on technical trail. On 4,000-foot descents to the valley floor, it feels grounded and sure-footed without a hint of tippiness on the rocks and roots of the Chamonix mountains.
The Offtrail Ultra features a full-coverage Surface Ctrl outsole with 5-millimeter lugs and a dedicated scrambling zone at the toe. This setup delivers high-level traction on rocky and technical terrain, which is where this shoe is meant to spend most of its time. The scrambling zone in particular is a standout detail—alongside the firm outer rim of midsole cushioning, it helps the shoe edge on small ledges and smear on rock with a confidence that most trail running shoes can't claim.
I didn’t give the Offtrail Ultra a perfect 5 out of 5 for traction for a few reasons. Because the lugs aren’t particularly sharp, the outsole shows its limits in mud and snow, although it’s nothing egregious (and a shoe with shallower lugs would perform even worse). The key reason is that the shoe uses TNF’s in-house Surface Ctrl rubber rather than Vibram Megagrip. It’s simply hard to match the stickiness of Vibram Megagrip on rock, and I’ve noticed a few slips in these shoes that surprised me coming from predominantly Vibram-soled shoes.
The North Face hasn't been in the trail shoe game for long, but each release seems to improve on the last, and the Offtrail Ultra feels like a genuinely well-built shoe. The upper combines a lightweight seamless engineered mesh at the toe box with a burlier, water-resistant ripstop fabric below the collar. Underneath it all is a bonded internal frame that adds a hefty amount of rigidity. A rubber toe, generous TPU overlays, and a stiff heel round out a construction that feels designed with durability in mind.
One of the design points that I’m most excited about from a durability standpoint is the midsole foam, which has a durable outer finish that resists abrasion noticeably better than something like Norda's Arnitel, which has been a weak point in my experience. I’m also thrilled that TNF designed the Offtrail Ultra with 5-millimeter lugs, which means there's simply more rubber to wear through before performance degrades—a meaningful advantage over shallower-lugged shoes for this kind of mountain use. The one open question is the upper: It's not as bulletproof as Matryx or Dyneema constructions, and I'm eager to see how it holds up as the miles accumulate.
The best testament to the Offtrail Ultra's durability comes from Kaytlyn and my week-long traverse of New Zealand's Southern Alps. Kaytlyn wore a sample pair of the Offtrail Ultra while I wore the La Sportiva Prodigio 2; both were brand new for the trip. By the end of the week, my Prodigio 2 was ready for retirement—holes in the toe box, minimal tread, cushioning poking out at the collar—and Kaytlyn’s Offtrail Ultra looked like it could go another round. I've been searching for the perfect mountain running shoe that will last for 500-plus miles, and this one looks like a serious contender.
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The Offtrail Ultra’s upper seeks to balance low weight with breathability, protection, durability, and even a little water resistance, and I’d say it pulls it off fairly well. The toe box and sides of the foot are surrounded by a lightweight, seamless engineered mesh, and just below the collar, TNF patterned a burlier, water-resistant ripstop fabric. Underneath it all, a bonded internal frame adds meaningful rigidity; on top, there’s a firm rubber toe cap, generous TPU overlays, and a stiff heel cup. It’s a thoughtful upper that seems to thread the needle for performance in mountain conditions.
One of my favorite aspects of the Offtrail Ultra is the integrated gaiter. On the Southern Alps Traverse, I was constantly stopping to empty debris from my gaiter-less La Sportiva Prodigio 2 while Kaytlyn’s Offtrail Ultra kept her feet relatively clear throughout. For off-trail mountain travel where scree, gravel, sand, and pine needles are a constant presence, this is more useful than it might sound. Padding at the tongue and around the Achilles adds to foothold and helps with heel security on technical terrain.
The shoe also drains surprisingly well. I got mine completely soaked on our climb of Aiguille du Belvédère—on hot days, I love soaking my feet for a radiant cooling effect—and the lightweight mesh at the front and sides of the foot let water drain quickly without the shoe becoming a soggy burden. I’m not quite sure why TNF patterned water-resistant fabric underneath the knit collar, and I would be fine with this section also being fully breathable and well-draining. Finally, the shoes also feature race laces—which quite simply never come undone—and an integrated strap to tuck the lace under and out of the way.
I'm generally a women's 8.5 or 9 in trail running shoes, and I've historically had to size up in The North Face shoes—the Altamesa 500 V2 being a prime example. Knowing this, I went with a size 9 in the Offtrail Ultra. After a few days of wear, though, I realized the shoes were too large: I had far too much space in front of my toes and felt like the toe box was almost folding in on itself. The North Face generously replaced them with a size 8.5, which proved to be the right fit. The toe box isn't as wide as something like the Altamesa 500 V2, but it's still more than ample for my wider feet, and the snugger fit bodes well for precise movement over technical terrain. The snug collar and padding at the ankle and top of the foot also help significantly with overall lockdown and foothold.
For longer days and multi-day objectives where I anticipate foot swelling, the size 9 will still come in handy, especially given the shoe's narrower profile. It’s also my backup shoe for UTMB, where the extra room might be welcome after 80-odd miles. For shorter runs and technical terrain, though, the 8.5 is what I want on my feet. All in all, the Offtrail Ultra offers a decently high-performance fit, once I found the right size.
Norda 055 ($325): When the Miles Stack Up
The Norda 055 has a lot of the same elements as the Offtrail Ultra—durable upper, knit collar, sticky outsole—but it leans a bit more running-oriented. The main ingredient here is a generous dose of Arnitel TPEE foam (38mm in the heel), which feels both plusher and more energetic than the Offtrail Ultra’s midsole. It also features the most aggressive Vibram Megagrip Elite outsole we've tested (with mini, track-spike-like nodules) and a Dyneema upper that will outlast just about anything else in the category. All told, it's the better shoe for high-mileage running on technical trails, but you’ll pay for it. The Offtrail Ultra, though, with its lower stack and dual-density midsole, is more capable on technical scrambling terrain. To learn more, read our Norda 055 review.
Nnormal Kjerag 02 ($215): Even Goatier
The Nnormal Kjerag and the Offtrail Ultra are both purpose-built mountain shoes that excel at both trail running and technical scrambling, but the Kjerag leans further into the off-trail specialist role. With just 26 millimeters of stack at the heel, it sits closer to the ground than the Offtrail Ultra, and its 3.5-millimeter lugs and stickier rubber compound are even more purpose-built for rock performance. The super-lightweight, super-durable upper is also a standout. That said, the Kjerag runs narrower and isn't quite as adept for miles of trail running as the Offtrail Ultra. For routes that truly combine it all—including meaningful stretches of running—and if you want some cushion underfoot, reach for the Offtrail Ultra. If you prioritize time-tested durability and a closer-to-the-ground feel on technical terrain, the Kjerag is worth a look. For more, read our review of the Nnormal Kjerag 02.
The North Face Offtrail Ultra is a rare shoe that transitions seamlessly between trail running and technical scrambling without compromising either—stable and grippy on off-trail mountain terrain, responsive and capable on smooth singletrack. At $190, it's one of the most well-rounded and affordable mountain shoes in the category.
Cushioning
Responsiveness
Stability
Traction
Durability
Sustainability
For mountain runners who want a shoe that can handle the full gamut of terrain—technical climbs, rocky descents, and fast runnable sections—while remaining comfortable into the ultra distances, the 055 might be the most complete trail shoe ever made. It’s overkill for those who stick to smooth singletrack.
Cushioning
Responsiveness
Stability
Traction
Durability
Sustainability
The Kjerag 02 is a minimalist, ultralight trail shoe built for speed and precision on technical terrain. It offers a sprightly feel on smooth trails and is incredibly stable and grippy on rock. However, underfoot protection is limited, and the shoe runs snug in the forefoot.
Cushioning
Responsiveness
Stability
Traction
Durability
Sustainability
Is the Offtrail Ultra for You?
The North Face Offtrail Ultra is for the mountain runner or hiker who spends as much time scrambling, traversing scree, and picking lines through technical terrain as they do running smooth trail. It's not the fastest or most cushioned shoe on the market and it's not trying to be; rather, it's a supremely well-rounded tool built for the kind of objectives where you need a planted, grippy, stable platform one minute and a responsive, capable running shoe the next. I took it up some of Chamonix's most iconic mixed terrain and came away genuinely impressed by how seamlessly it handled the varying demands. If your runs regularly involve off-trail travel, scrambling, and shoe-destroying mountain travel, this is one of the most compelling shoes in the category.
Go for it if you want a versatile, durable mountain shoe for off-trail adventures that blend running, scrambling, and technical terrain.
Pass on it if you want a dedicated shoe for groomed trails, want max cushioning for long days of pounding, or want more aggressive lugs for mud and snow.
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