Speedy Foot Fortresses Fly Over Nasty Terrain: The North Face Summit Series Offtrail TR Review

As the snow started swirling around and caking the rocky trail in an icy rime, the possibility of a slip, followed by a 1,000-foot fall, quickly jumped to the top of my mind. We were ascending a semi-technical trail in Switzerland during a September cold snap.

Thankfully, my wife had metal microspikes attached to her trail runners. I had The North Face’s new Summit Series Offtrail TR shoes ($199), whose 7mm lugs provided impressive grip on rock, mud, and ice.

There are very few trail running shoes with grip like the Summit Series Offtrail TRs. And there are even fewer that pack in as many techy features or such a distinct aesthetic. The North Face went all out with these ones. During a season of long runs, technical hikes, and backpacking trips, my initial hunch was confirmed — the Summit Series Offtrail TRs blur the line between trail runner and light hiker.

In short: The North Face’s new Summit Series Offtrail TR Shoes are first and foremost trail runners. But they’re overkill for casual outings and manicured trails. These bright yellow shoes were born to eat rock, root, and scree at speed.

Those same attributes made them solid footwear for light-and-fast backpacking and hiking in the mountains, too. While they’re not nearly as waterproof as they look, the innovative Summit Series Offtrail TR’s are exceptionally durable, protective, comfortable, and eye-catching.

If you’re in the market for trail running shoes, compare the Summit Series Offtrail TR Shoes to those in our guide to the Best Trail Running Shoes.

TNF Summit Series Offtrail TR Shoe Review

There’s something special about mashing down a technical trail at full speed with your arms out, giving the reins over to gravity. It’s as close to flying as landlubbers like me get. But that freedom is only unlocked with solid, confident feet. It was those scenarios when the TNF Summit Series Offtrail TR shoes and I really clicked.

The Summit Series Offtrail TRs are built about as burly as trail running shoes get. For one, the outsole’s 7mm lugs are downright aggressive. A relatively stiff EVA midsole sits in the middle of the shoe sandwich, topped by a thin but tenacious woven Matryx and Kevlar sheet. A Neoprene-esque ankle gaiter seals in the whole package. A BOA Fit System under the outside of each ankle tightens the shoes.

The — let’s call it futuristic — look attracted a lot of attention. Did the designers consult the marketing department first? Are you running in mountaineering boots? Why do they look like that? These are all actual questions that my friends asked as they saw me strutting around in my bright yellow Summit Series Offtrail TR shoes.

Did it sting a little bit? Sure. But only because I think they look cool. I’m a sucker for an integrated gaiter and a sleek aesthetic. And thankfully, their performance on the trail matched their bold looks.

Running in the TNF Summit Series Offtrail TR Shoes

For such a burly shoe, these shoes run well. They roll forward naturally thanks to a built-in rocker, and they have just enough rebound to make them feel sufficiently energetic for easier trails.

I don’t think anyone would be surprised to hear that the 7mm lugs don’t make them particularly fun road shoes. However, they were comfortable enough to cover some pavement on my way to the trails around my house.

A middle-of-the-road 6mm drop is accomplished by 18mm of high-rebound EVA midsole in the heel and 12mm of cushion in the forefoot. The profile gave the shoe a balanced character uphill, downhill, and on the flats. They never felt too extreme or too neutral on any terrain that I could sniff out while running and hiking.

The midsoles are stiff, though. They’re even stiffer than my beloved La Sportiva Mutants, which excel in technical, rocky terrain. At 190 pounds, that stiffness felt supportive and protective. Smaller runners might find them overly stiff once the miles start stacking up, however.

Foot Protection

What really stood out is the Summit Series Offtrail TR’s ability to fully mute rocky trails that can otherwise beat up your feet pretty quickly. That’s in part thanks to the Skycore Rock Guard under the forefoot.

No matter what I threw at them, the midsoles, rock guard, and burly outsoles ate the terrain. Impacts from pointy rocks didn’t stand a chance of getting through to my feet. After many miles on rugged trails, my feet were happy.

The flip side of all that protection is that they’re not sensitive shoes. You can’t feel the intricacies of the trail like you can with softer, lighter trail shoes. For someone like me who is not particularly delicate on my feet, the TNF Summit Series Offtrails were a good match — I was free to mash through rocky sections of the trail like I was wearing mountaineering boots.

Crossover

I typically prefer sturdy trail runners over light hiking shoes or boots unless the terrain is really soggy or snowy. While prepping for a 2-week trip to the Alps, I faced the classic packing dilemma: running shoes and/or hiking shoes? I went all in on the Summit Series Offtrail TRs.

So, over the next 2 weeks, I ran cobblestone streets and hiked steep trails nearly every day in these bright yellow kicks. Back in the States, they accompanied me on two backpacking trips into Colorado’s rugged Gore Range.

The Summit Series Offtrail TRs are a sturdy set of shoes from the ground up. You’d be forgiven for mistaking them for dedicated lightweight hiking shoes. And though they don’t have as much ankle support as some dedicated hiking shoes, the whole package is decently supportive laterally thanks to the BOA Fit System.

I had no problem carrying moderately heavy backpacks through technical terrain. As with trail running, the burly outsole and firm midsoles kept my feet protected and happy. They’d be a good choice for thru-hikers accustomed to wearing trail running shoes.

Waterproofing

I was surprised to learn during a freak snowstorm above Chamonix that the Summit Series Offtrail TR shoes are not at all waterproof. Aesthetically, it’s tough not to just assume that they’ll repel water in all of its forms. But in reality, they don’t sport any kind of waterproof membrane, and the Kevlar and Matryx uppers are porous. So, in wet conditions, my feet were wet.

I’m not dropping that into the cons column, though. The designers at The North Face made the choice intentionally. Even modern waterproof liners can turn your shoes into saunas. With snug ankle gaiters on each shoe, the Summit Series Offtrails would probably get swampy fast if they were wrapped in a waterproof membrane.

Thankfully, they breathed well for such burly shoes when paired with a light sock like the Swiftwick Flite XT Trail sock.

The ankle gaiters give the Offtrail shoes a really unique look. While they make the shoes significantly more challenging to get on (especially with ultra-high arches like mine), I ended up really appreciating the defense they provided on the trail. A tight seal on the ankle prevented even a speck of trail debris or snow from intruding.

The North Face’s new Offtrail shoe lineup includes two other shoes: the waterproof Offtrail TR GORE-TEX Shoes and the more standard Offtrail TR Shoes. Both shoes drop the integrated gaiter, and the BOA Fit System in favor of more standard laces, and the outsole lugs are 2mm shorter at 5mm.

Comparison

On paper and in real life, the TNF Summit Series Offtrail TR shoes look incredibly similar to one of my favorite shoes in the category, the La Sportiva Cyklon. Both shoes sport a minimalist integrated gaiter, low profile BOA Fit System, deep grippy outsole lugs, and big mountain intentions.

The two run quite differently, however. The Cyklons are much softer, more nimble, sensitive, and lighter than the Offtrails. That allows them to run faster and more comfortably on mellow terrain, but it also requires more finesse in the techy stuff.

The BOA lacing also extends down a little farther toward the toes, which enables more precise tightening throughout the foot.

The Summit Series Offtrail TRs, on the other hand, were more protective, stiffer, and stable than the Cyklons. I suspect that they’re more durable, too, given the shoes’ protective outer layers. For that reason, they were better trail runner/light hiker crossovers.

Wish List

It’s hard to argue with these shoes, given how happy my feet have been in them over many miles of difficult terrain. But if there’s one thing these bright yellow crushers could use, it’s a smidge more forefoot tightening control.

I like the BOA Fit System in these shoes, don’t get me wrong. But the laces and guides end midfoot, meaning you don’t have much control over the medium-width forefoot like you would with laces or a second BOA dial lower down.

My forefoot slid around a little bit on off-camber sections of trail and while side-hilling off trail. That tiny bit of slop in the forefoot also meant that they weren’t quite as precise on more technical rocky sections of trail or on rocky scrambles as, say, a laced shoe like the aforementioned La Sportiva Mutant.

TNF Summit Series Offtrail TR Shoes: Conclusion

The Summit Series Offtrail TR Shoes are an eye-catching addition to The North Face’s growing catalog of trail running shoes. And these ones sit squarely at the burly end of the spectrum — 7mm lugs, a stiff midsole, protective outer layers, and a mini gaiter don’t exactly mask their intentions.

These shoes were designed for the rockiest, nastiest trails. Hammering through the tech, mud, rocks, and roots brought them to life. As the terrain became more complicated, my feet felt not only protected but also confident.

Those same attributes made them solid for hiking and light-and-fast backpacking. The midsoles supported a moderately heavy backpack. The rockered outsole helped them move quickly and confidently over technical terrain.

However, users in this category should know these shoes are decidedly not waterproof. They also don’t provide as much lateral ankle support as some dedicated hiking shoes.

I’ve now called the Summit Series Offtrail TR shoes “burly” six times. So, I think you get that these aren’t casual joggers or easy trail cruisers. But runners looking to tackle the tech and backpackers looking to move quickly through the backcountry will find a protective, fast-moving friend in the Summit Series Offtrail TRs. That is, as long as you don’t anticipate getting them wet.