Weave, meet foot. The North Face thinks a woven fabric will mean more comfort in a light hiking boot. The woven Ultra Fastpack III GTX hiking boot marries athletic woven uppers with a waterproof boot design.
Woven shoe uppers, popular in the athletic space, are coming to the boot world. Woven uppers flex well with the foot and give a nice conforming fit. But they’ve been missing from the light hiking space until now.
The North Face Ultra Fastpack III GTX (Woven) mixes a nylon woven upper with a Gore-Tex laminate for waterproof performance.
Woven Ultra Fastpack III: Light Hiking Boot From TNF
The woven Ultra Fastpack III GTX cuts more than an ounce off the leather version. A women’s pair weighs in at just 11.7 ounces, which hits the same neighborhood as heavy trail running shoes. For a high-top boot, it’s really light.
To resist abrasion on the weave, TNF added a TPU toe cap and “abrasion resistant zones” with dense weaves in places prone to wear.
Underfoot, a dual-density midsole aims for both energy return and support. And where the rubber meets the trail, Vibram Megagrip should keep hikers secure on varied surfaces.
We haven’t tested this model yet, but it turned heads at the Outdoor Retailer convention last week. We’ve used and really like the feel of woven running shoes. Holding these in the hand, the woven Fastpacks give the impression of a shoe that should be supportive but light – a happy place in the hiking world.
The blend of a soft, woven upper with advanced boot tech is promising. We hope to get some miles on the woven Ultra Fastback III soon.
