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The North Face

The North Face is the outdoor brand founded in San Francisco in 1966 and owned by VF Corporation since 2000. Beyond the Nuptse jacket, it makes trail running and hiking shoes built on its VECTIV plate system, the Offtrail lifestyle line and Nuptse booties and mules, with waterproof versions built on FUTURELIGHT and GORE-TEX. Its long collaboration list includes Supreme, Gucci, KAWS, UNDERCOVER, Aimé Leon Dore and Engineered Garments. This page collects JustFreshKicks coverage of The North Face footwear, collaborations and release dates.

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About The North Face

Curated by the editorial team.

Quick Facts
Founded1966, San Francisco
FoundersDouglas Tompkins, Susie Tompkins
Parent companyVF Corporation (since 2000)
HeadquartersDenver, Colorado
Footwear technologyVECTIV (2021)
Iconic pieceNuptse jacket (1992)
Key collaboratorsSupreme, Gucci, KAWS, UNDERCOVER, Aimé Leon Dore

Douglas Tompkins and Susie Tompkins opened the first The North Face store at 308 Columbus Avenue in San Francisco in 1966. Kenneth "Hap" Klopp took over the business in 1967 and grew it from a climbing shop into a maker of tents, sleeping bags and outerwear. The brand says it is named for the coldest, most unforgiving side of a mountain in the Northern Hemisphere, and its logo is drawn from Half Dome in Yosemite. VF Corporation bought The North Face in 2000, and the company moved its headquarters from Alameda, California, to Denver in 2020.

From the Nuptse to footwear

The Nuptse down jacket, introduced in 1992 as part of the Expedition System and updated in 1996, is the piece most people know. It is named for Nuptse, a peak next to Mount Everest, and the 1996 Retro Nuptse is the version most collaborations rework. On the footwear side, the most important launch is VECTIV, a system that pairs a 3D plate with a rocker midsole and outsole to push the foot forward and add stability. It arrived in February 2021, and the Flight VECTIV was billed as the first carbon-plated trail shoe. The platform now runs from the racing-focused Summit VECTIV Pro to the VECTIV Fastpack hiker. Today The North Face makes trail runners and hikers built on VECTIV, waterproof models with FUTURELIGHT or GORE-TEX, the Offtrail lifestyle sneakers and the Nuptse Bootie and ThermoBall Traction Mule.

Collaborations

  • Supreme (since 2007): the longest-running outdoor and streetwear partnership, starting with the Summit jacket in Fall/Winter 2007 and running to more than 20 capsules, including the SS23 collection and footwear such as the Nuptse Bootie and Traction Mule.
  • Gucci (2021): a luxury collection that included a Goodyear-welted hiking boot, followed by a second chapter that December.
  • KAWS (2022): two collections built around the Mountain Jacket and Retro Nuptse.
  • UNDERCOVER SOUKUU (2023 onward): Jun Takahashi's technical line, first released in October 2023, with footwear including a Glenclyffe boot on a Vibram outsole and an Offtrail hybrid with BOA lacing.
  • SKIMS (2024 and 2025): winter collections of Nuptse outerwear and cold-weather layers.
  • Aimé Leon Dore: the Fall/Winter 2026 collection reworked the Mountain Jacket 2000, Nuptse and Denali.
  • Engineered Garments (2026): the VECTIV Forward, a convertible lace-up and slip-on sneaker and the pair's first shoe.

For other outdoor brands in sneaker culture, see our Salomon and Timberland archives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does The North Face make sneakers?

Yes. The North Face makes trail running and hiking shoes built on its VECTIV plate system, the Offtrail lifestyle sneaker line, and casual styles like the Nuptse Bootie and ThermoBall Traction Mule. Collaborations such as the Engineered Garments VECTIV Forward bring those shoes into streetwear.

Who owns The North Face?

VF Corporation has owned The North Face since 2000. VF also owns Vans, and The North Face is headquartered in Denver.

What is VECTIV?

VECTIV is The North Face's footwear platform that combines a 3D plate, a rocker-shaped midsole and a grippy outsole to move the foot forward and add stability on uneven ground. It launched in 2021, and some versions use a carbon fiber plate.

Why is it called The North Face?

The brand says the name refers to the north face of a mountain, which in the Northern Hemisphere is usually the coldest and hardest side to climb. Its logo is based on Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

Are The North Face shoes waterproof?

Only some are. Models labeled WP, FUTURELIGHT or GORE-TEX use a waterproof membrane, while other trail and lifestyle shoes are built for breathability instead.

When did Supreme and The North Face start working together?

Supreme and The North Face released their first collaboration in Fall/Winter 2007, and the partnership has continued for more than 20 collections since, making it one of the longest-running collaborations in streetwear.

When was The North Face founded?

The North Face was founded in San Francisco in 1966 by Douglas Tompkins and Susie Tompkins, who opened the first store on Columbus Avenue. Kenneth "Hap" Klopp ran and expanded the company from 1967.

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