Article by Jeff Valliere
The North Face Summit Series Offtrail TR ($199)
Introduction
The Summit Series Offtrail TRsis a rugged, durable all mountain trail running shoe that also doubles as a solid hiking shoe. Featuring a BOA Fit System Li2 dial, protective EVA midsole, High Tenacity Ripstop rear quarter, built in gaiter, lightweight Skycore rock guard, an overlasted Matryx upper reinforced with Kevlar and a Surface Control Outsole with 7mm lugs, the Summit Offtrail is built with protection in mind when traversing the most technical, difficult terrain.
Pros: Protection, traction, Li2 BOA Fit System, built in gaiter, all day comfort, durability
Cons: Weight, dual BOA would be nice to dial in forefoot fit, not a lively shoe
Most comparable shoes
Ron Hill Reverence
Inov-8 Mudtalon Speed
VJ XTRM 2
Stats
Spec Weight: men's 12.52oz / 355g
Sample Weight: men’s 13.1oz / 371g US 10
Midsole Stack Height: men’s 18mm heel / 12mm forefoot (6mm drop spec)
Platform Width: 97mm heel / 76mm midfoot / 125mm forefoot
First Impressions, Fit and Upper
These were a complete surprise and at first, out of the box, I mistook them for a waterproof, winter shoe given the burly upper, built in gaiter and weight.
The upper features an overlasted (wraps down over the midsole) Matryx forefoot with Kevlar fiber reinforcements and a high tenacity ripstop rear quarter, and topped off with a very burly reinforced and protective toe cap. The name of the game here is providing maximum protection and durability when bashing them around in scree, talus and general offtrail/rough trail use.
The Offtrail TR features a single BOA Fit System Li2 dial for easy, secure lockdown. The dial has two way micro adjustments for easy, fast, fine tuned precision fit.
The built-in gaiter is snug around my thin ankles, keeping out trail debris effectively and is quite comfortable and unnoticeable. The shoes are easy to get into, not always the case with high gaiter shoes, and is helped by the heel pulll loops.
The heel counter is semi flexible(ish) and is very secure, stable and protective.
Fit is true to size in my usual US 10, with plenty of wiggle room in the forefoot, and with a secure heel and secure midfoot. I find that the BOA Fit System snugs the midfoot well, but this shoe would benefit greatly from a 2nd BOA dial for closer to the forefoot adjustment. That said, my foot still feels secure in technical terrain and steep downhills.
Midsole & Platform
The midsole is made of what The North Face calls a High Rebound EVA midsole. It does not have a light, responsive or dynamic feel, but that is not the point of this shoe. Instead, it is very predictable, stable, supportive and protective in rough, rocky terrain and for long days on your feet in the mountains (or any other rugged terrain). Despite the listed midsole stack of 18/12, they feel more cushioned than that, some of which is likely due to the 7mm lugs. There is a Skycore Rock Guard in the mix under the forefoot that provides maximum protection.
Outsole
The Surface Control outsole features aggressive, 7mm lugs, made with “10% Rubber From Smallholder Farmers Committed To Agroforestry Principles And Regenerative Agriculture Practices”.
The rubber is a sticky compound and grips well on rocks, wet, dry and I am confident will work well in snow. It has been exceptionally dry here in Colorado, but I did get them into some mud in the high mountains and they performed well there, but presume that they will pack full in sticky clay mud like any shoe would.
Where they really excel is on very steep, loose dirt and off trail. One of my test outings was a less traveled route on a 14,000 foot Colorado peak (La Plata) that featured dirt road, nice singletrack, some mud, a very steep, loose dirt gully climb, followed by a LOT of talus hopping, then the reverse route.
The Offtrail performed flawlessly on all of these surfaces and was especially adept on the talus.
Coming down loose dirt steep gullies, the 7mm lugs were key and I felt really confident working my way down and even running at times (my family, with good trail shoes, were slowly crab walking and butt sliding down).
Ride, Conclusions and Recommendations
As the name implies, the Offtrail TR is a rugged all mountain, all terrain trail runner/hiker, straddling the line between trail running shoe and hiking boot. It is a bit on the heavy side for faster running and is not very responsive or dynamic, but does just fine at slower paces. I think that they really excel though as an all day shoe for more moderate paces and hiking when traction, protection, stability and durability are paramount in technical mountain terrain..
Jeff’s Score: 9.6 / 10
Ride: 9.5
Fit: 9.5
Value: 9.5
Style: 9
Traction: 10
Rock Protection: 10
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3 Comparisons
Ron Hill Reverence (RTR Review)
Both shoes have deep, aggressive 7mm lugs and I would say that overall, traction is comparable.I find that the Offtrail TR feels more cushioned underfoot, with a more soft and forgiving midsole than the Reverence, which feels very flat and slab like. The Reverence is about an ounce lighter, but does not feel lighter and in fact, feels heavier on the run. The Offtrail TR has a superior ride, is much more comfortable, has a BOA fit system, built in gaiter,and is more stable and more agile.
Inov-8 Mudtalon Speed (RTR Review)
The Mudtalon Speed has even deeper 8mm lugs, but I think that is hitting the limit of practicality and usability for a trail shoe, as they are notable and noticed underfoot and can throw off stability in all but the softest terrain. The Mudtalon is much lighter (4 oz/ 113g lighter!) though and is designed for faster fell running with a really minimal feel is and not nearly as protective under foot, with a near see through upper unlike the dense Matryx upper of the Offtrail.
VJ XTRM 2 (RTR Review)
The VJ has 6mm lugs, but still has impressive bite in soft terrain and is nearly 3 oz / 85g lighter than the Offtrail TR. For shorter, fast all out efforts in tech terrain where I need lightweight and traction, the VJ is supreme and my first pick, but for longer, slower, rough mountain adventures, then the Offtrail TR is the obvious choice.
Index to all RTR reviews: HERE
Jeff Valliere loves to run and explore the mountains of Colorado, the steeper and more technical the better. He has summited all of the 14ers in the state, many 13ers and other peaks in Colorado and beyond, plus, he has summited his local Green Mountain over 2,100 times in the past 20 years. He can be found on mountain trails daily, no matter the weather, season, conditions or whether there is daylight or not. On the side he loves to ski (all forms) bike and hike, often with his family, as he introduces his twin daughters to the outdoors. Jeff was born and raised in New Hampshire, but has called Colorado home for over 25 years. He is 5’9” and 145 lbs.
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4 comments:
Thinking of using these for a SkyRace next year, very technical on 3 peak climbs and then 10k trail run at the end. How would they feel for that last run? Thanks
I guess it depends whether you are shooting for front of the pack, mid or back, but I would say they are a bit heavy for racing anything outside of the most rugged terrain. Even then, I would likely go with something like the VJ XTRM 2.
Hey Jeff, how do these compare with the La Sportiva models? Mutant and Akasha? I'm trying to find a roomier substitute for the Mutants (my all time favorite off trail machine...now my feet can't take the narrow width any longer). These seem promising... I love the lockdown and protection of the Mutants..but wish they had more width and volume, and a bit more non-plush cushion as the Akashas for longer mountain/tech days...where you usually approach high-routes via regular trail and spend all day above tree line in technical terrain.
Hi James, the upper is not quite as precise and dialed as the Mutant, but simultaneously, is more accomodating (but still very locked in). The Summit Offtrail is not quite as quick or nimble feeling, but has much better protection and good cushion. In retrospect, the Akasha is just "fine", but a bit dated it seems and the Mutant I found too flexible and my feet would hurt after a few hours. I guess it depends on your use, but for long, slower days in rough terrain, I highly recommend the Summit Offtrail.
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