Rose Anvil X JK Boots BEAR SLAYERS, the perfect PNW boot, drop 5/23! Get early access & updates by signing up for the Limited Edition email list here - bit.ly/3WyuY6c
Thanks for helping people not buy trash. In the early 2000s. If I put my hand inside the shoe and push down on the sole. If it didnt even move. It didnt get tried on. You might as well walk barefoot if the sole cant move.
I bought a used North Face tent in the mid-80s and I still use it today. The quality is outstanding. I was so impressed that I bought a North Face Gore-Tex jacket. It was the most expensive jacket that I ever purchased, but it was worth it. Back in the early 2000, I found a similar North Face jacket at REI and I bought it. When I wore the jacket the next day, the front zipper snagged and I had to take the jacket off by pulling it over-my-head like a sweatshirt. I returned the jacket to REI for a refund and the REI customer return employee agreed with me that it was a piece of junk. Instead of using a YKK zipper, North Face used a cheap plastic zipper. I've never bought a North Face product since then.
The zipper test is a good metric to go by. If a product has zippers on it and they aren't at least YKK or a better quality brand it is probably not worth buying...
@@NotTheRealRustyShackleford I think YKK is the best. My family is tradition Tailors, so I know a bit about linen and fabric. We always use YKK for our Jeans and pants and those mtf last like forever. My jeans ripped and tear but the zipper still working very fine (I wore that jeans for 7 years and my uncle made it for me.)
My most expensive jacket was also a TNF one, from their Summit series. Extremely overpriced and the quality was null: breathed poorly, water just seeped in and it was a piece of shit.
@@Oldsmobile69 North Face used to be great on the “big three,” tents, sleeping bags, and backpacks. I had the best experience with the brand growing up in San Francisco. North Face in Berkeley totally outfitted us kids in the Sierra Club program “Innercity Outings.”
Consumers should also be more demanding. There are far too many products out there that west out too easy. I have a relative who buys a few pairs of jeans and shoes every year. He thinks it’s normal that his stuff breaks so easy, he buys expensive brands mind you. In my mind if my shoes or jeans have to thrown away after a year then I’m not buying from this brand again.
Just wanted to say a big thank you to your channel for fixing my feet and lower back! For years I had relied on Doc Martens as daily boots but over the last 10 years couldn't understand why my feet and back were playing up...I put it down to being 50, until my mother, a physio, suggested my boots might be the issue. I then watched your dissection of a DM and was both angry and appalled. DMs subsequently replaced with Iron Rangers and Solvairs and my back and feet are now fine.
Too many brands are throwing a gore-tex layer in the boot and calling it a day. Rose Anvil has taught me to choose construction over marketing. Have a pair of Gronell stelvios and JG Baobabs coming in the post on Monday. I used to swear by gore-tex, now I think it's for city slickers and yuppies
Of course the north face brand is for city slickers and yuppies just like Timberland, Polo, Nautica, and much more look how many street people are rocking the brand. We the street people make everything fashionable and just for it's originally cause.
My Danner Quarry are gore-tex lined and keep my feet dry, or maybe it’s the leather and construction, or all of the above. One thing for sure is I don’t walk around puddles on the jobsite.
goretex or any breathable membrane is fine when its done correctly. theres a reason why all of the top level professional mountaineers and outdoorsmen use it. it is a literal life saver. that being said, 90% of the waterproof breathable stuff on the market is just marketing hype without real function
just found the channel, thank you, I was thinking for years about the bad quality of this and that, especially sneakers, believing that living in poor market like Bosnia we always receive bad products (I just cant afford that Salomon Goretex last few months before insole torn apart and they start leaking) comparing to rich markets, because of your video we can finally take a peak in the overall quality of the products and looks like it not just us
It seems like the recurring theme is “built for function, then becomes popular and becomes built for fashion.” The one thing I haven’t seen yet is 2008 making it suck like everything else lol.
Doctor Martens being a prime example. Another product that used to be decent many years ago, but for a long time now, just junk. Very sad, but it happens with everything now.
@@paulandrews7622 you can still get real old school docs. You just have to buy them from Solovair. They’re Grigg and company’s own take on Docs the way they used to be made since Grigg actually made Doc Martins boots. They’ve had to change a few things owing to brand copyright but they’re essentially the OG doc Martin boot. Grigg/ NPS also owns the gripfast brand as well and they do have a us distributor. Just be ready to pay good money cause they’re running in the 185 plus range. I personally buy wedge sole type construction type boots for comfort and foot issues that I’ve recently had surface ( plus I can get danner bull runs resoled at least twice )
@paulandrews7622 The original factory, Solovair decided to create their own brand instead of just manufacturing for dr Martens after dr Martens got bought out and moved most of production to Asia. So I bought Solovair, 3 pairs of their high quality shoes, well that was a disappointment. The quality is still Meh, better than dr.Martens from Asia but really not so much better as I expected.
Yeah every brand that gets sucked up by corpo does it. Beats headphones did it, skullcandy headphones did it, Like someone else said, Doc Martens did it. The brands start good because they're local and not global, the moment something becomes a global 'easy to get from your local store' type item, it's trash.
Why is it that so much stuff is junk now. Not even that stylish in most cases. The absolute best trainers I ever owned were some 2004 Merrels that looked great, worked great and lasted great.. I bought two pairs and then it was discontinued. I would buy the same trainers again in a flash if i could but nothing the company makes comes close with build and design. In fact a lot of kit I bought decades ago is very hard to replace with modern kit.. For some reason design seems to have gone backwards in many ways.. all to often there is just something where you look at it and say "why did they do that?.." It's kinda sad. I mean stuff should be so good now, but it's all about maximising your consumption by selling you Polished turds.
Yupp, every shoe today is made in Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh for less then 2 dollar's and sells from 150-1000+ dollars. You're just paying for expensive junk, you'd be lucky is pair can last you for 2 years without breaking apart.
@@antemrkic1702 Every mass produced shoe that is. If you got the $, you can buy good Western made shoes from reputable shoemakers. Of course theyre pretty much all day wear leather shoes, not high-tech hiking shoes
That's not true. It actually does cost quite a bit more to produce a shoe. Maybe it's not anywhere near what we pay, but it's not $2. If you show me a business plan to do that, I'll write you a check.
that "rocker midsole geometry" was literally taken from Sketchers Shape-Ups (based on Swiss masai barefoot technology). It's meant to have an unstable platform to make you work your calves and ankles more to keep balance and tone your legs. It's horrible for anything other than flat road.
Vectiv is exactly the opposite of shapeups. Shapeups were made to have you use more energy. Vectiv makes it so you have to use less energy (multiple independent tests verify that).
Oh man! These vids are priceless! Revealing what is hidden! Please can you do it on the real hiking brands such as Lowa, Raichle, Salomon, Asolo, La Sportiva, Merrell, Scarpa, Meindl? These are the benchmarks!!!
Some of these are still made by craftsmen in the original factories (at least for the European market) some are made by the lowest bidder from low end garbage.
I've worn Merrell for the last 20 years, they were the most comfortable hiking boots I ever had and were quite durable and consistent. I bought my last pair about 6 months ago, never again.
I sincerely hope that someday with enough people and channels like roseanvil, that we can run these big brands into the ground. Enough selling garbage. I want good stuff that’s gonna last me years. Heck. Even decades. I’m sick of the disposable world. Nothing is repairable not even shoes. This is obviously not sustainable. But what’s really hard as a consumer is to find the time to research what is good and what is garbage. So thanks roseanvil for making it a little bit easier. Your work is appreciated.
Appreciate the exposé. North Face was never really a boot maker. Tents and clothing which morphed into mountain fashion. I would argue with you on the rocker sole which is a traditional European mountaineering shape that backpackers have used since the 60s. I never had a problem with it in a good boot sometimes with 40 pounds on my back and a 10 hour hiking day. Especially good clambering over rocks.
Right, but the rocker is necessary on mountaineering boots with no flex in the sole and ankle. Hiking boots, and more specifically, *light* hiking boots that aren’t rigid enough to need or benefit from it? I wouldn’t be surprised if the squishiness of the sole flattened the rocker right out so it didn’t do anything anyway.
@El_Petodoes that add to the conversation? Gate keeping isn’t helping anyone. 40lbs in my world has been 5 day backpacking trips or 2 day fast and light alpine missions.
@SeanHardaker He does have some misses here and there. He understands leather and shoe construction really well but is sometimes a bit biased with childish or simplistic mindsets. Meaning he takes shortcuts in his logic and misses the mark.
@@SeanHardaker I think at this point anything that isn't an extremely heavy leather workboot just gets dumped on in these videos.... The video where he did a pair of climbing shoes was pretty amusing also....
As an old school hiker, I find this really sad. TNF used to be expensive, but it used to be expensive for a reason. Even when it turned into streetwear, it was still highly functional, and the backcountry people and the street where people could live side by side. There *are* still a small handful of serious products in the North Face product stack, but they're hard to find, just like tents are buried on the site. You wonder how long they can go trading on a reputation for things that no longer exist.
I bought the original McMurdo parka iv still got it heavily worn but over 20 years old iv slept in snow init many times(bad planning) I saw the modern version of it What a shame you could freeze going to the shops just a fashion Item now
Golden rule: if the brand is famous for one product line don’t buy their other products: Example, North Face is renowned for jackets and packs, not shoes
I've had a couple of pairs of their winter boots, not for hiking but they are excellent for trudging through snow in the city, which I guess isn't really that much of an endorsement for an "outdoors" company.
I couldn't even watch this video all the way through, as a former employee at the corp HQ (12 years supporting finance and product) Anvil has it spot on. I've had over 8 pairs of their shoes for all different purposes. The shoes are designed as a throw away...like most shoes are these days. VF is a publicly traded company so they have to answer to shareholders and wall street expectations. It's not about making money, it's about how much $$ can you make vs. the previous year. The only stupid comment was re: the D-Ring, it's a D-ring for gaiters...what do you expect? Who wants steel that rust?
You hit the nail on the head about what is all about. . . .profits and only profits, regarding the ring, aluminum not only rusts as well but can break easy, a simple stainless steel works fine, but the boot is only designed for a year or maybe two, is just disposable like cars, appliances and now as we are finding out due to the Boeing clusterfuck , airplanes.
@Mr.DMZ Both Galvanized and Stainless still will rust. Just slower (orders of magnitude slower) with way more discoloration. But aluminium for gaters is fine unless you catch it and bend it out. Galvanized just means it has an outer layer of a different metal on it (this is a simplified explanation)(usually zinc) and stainless is just a different ally compound that is less exposed to oxidization because of the charge in the surface. But they will both rust
By the time a good stainless steel rusts the boot will be completely worn out. But the aluminum will bend and snap long long before the boot is ready to be junked.
@@SHDW-nf2ki Fair nuff. I just felt the need to point it out. Because it seems like most ppl think stainless and galvanized *Has absolutely zero chance of rusting* (I work with offshore oil and gas, so it's an important distinction to me). Tried to write it in a "I see where you're coming from but maybe you don't know this fact that admittedly doesn't mater super muchin this specific case but is so abjectly wrong I feel you should probably know it" angle. Rather than a haughty"NO you are wrong. I am smart you stupid" kinda way 😅😅 Dunno how well I managed if you get what I mean
Forced DEI does that to a company. Shit just look at Boeing. They go full DEI and stop using merit in their production and engineer staff and now look how many issues with Boeing planes falling apart IN FLIGHT! Like every week now. And DEI woke stuff is the only thing that's changed in the company.
I hope you do some Salomons. I had a pair for a long time and they were great--waterproof, durable, comfortable. Maybe the best pair of sneaker-style hiking boots I've had.
Came FULL circle with this video. I’ve been watching boot reviews for a couple of weeks, trying to decide on a casual boot. This morning, I watch a live Alpha Wolf set to get me excited for their NA run this fall. Come to this video to see you wearing an AW shirt and tearing apart NF. 🎉
TNF was once a decent company that actually put out cutting edge technology in their products, however once they went to fashion over function, they became just another outdoor company that was more about their past laurels than striving to be the best. To be fair, most of the outdoor companies have done exactly the same thing. Making room for beginning companies to fill those voids left by the bigs...
Wearing The North Face Safien GTX for 3 years now, still no issues, very comfortable. I have the one from this video, but haven't cold winter last year to wear it 😂
My only critiques. I used to work for TNF PT when I was in grad school. Futurelight is TNF proprietary and not Chinese. They own all the machinery required and it's manufactured quite differently from gore-tex or other membranes. It's most similar to Outdoor Research's AscentShell but is significantly more waterproof while being more breathable than gore-tex. Unless that changed since 2019... Also, these are light hiking boots. You don't need a steel d ring for gaiters you might use once hiking or backpacking. But yeah their quality on many things has definitely dropped, esp. when they started to do all the fashion collabs.
Just discovered your channel. The scientific testing, video content and sarcasm combined got me subscribed. It’s very Gamers Nexus like, testing products while spreading buyer’s awareness. My first shoe channel.
many years ago I had a pair of insulated North Face winter hiking boots and they were the best warmest boots I ever had , and very comfortable. There was zero leather in them and they lasted a really long time . Too bad if the quality is going way down . I would like to see some older North Face boots cut open and see if they were good quality at one time.
I'm wearing these for third year now, and the biggest problem is I can't find another pair to buy them again. They are the single most comfortable pair of hiking shoes I ever wore, period. Maybe they aren't the best by some of your standards, but I'd bring them along anywhere.
This is true to most things nowadays. "Shoes" are not a hard problem to solve in an advanced civilization like we are living in currently. But the problem is, once your company has developed a really good shoe and the market is saturated your company can't grow anymore and therefore will fail. That's why companies create new desires through "design", since we all strife to individualize ourselves and sell them as if its is something really valuable and good while it is just hot air, that nobody ACTUALLY needs.
Hope this man have millions of millions subscriber to debunk the big company's that's not having the quality they claimed. Please don't stop doing this content.
Well, damn. Looks like my most recent the North Face purchase will be my final one. Can't even go on a hike these days without getting scammed. Thanks for looking out for us.
Great Job! I imagine a conference room full of BS marketing, bean counters and wanna be designers sitting around a the table..."You know theres a chance Rose Anvil is going to cut this boot apart and bring our substandard short cuts to light, right?" KEEP doing the needful!! Customer money is hard earned, life is too short to buy poorly made footwear!!!
Yo Weston, been a fan of the channel for years with a pair of ND1's in the cupboard. As an engineer with a materials background though I wanted to point out that you didn't consider corrosion as a key factor for material choice in the D ring. If it had been a ferrous metal as you had hoped it would rust away as soon as it is exposed to even rain, let alone rivers or puddles, even a stainless steel would corrode in these conditions (see cybertruck pannel issues), the same can be said of copper and most other metals. Something stable like brass or aluminium is the only choice in this situation, so the aluminium makes a lot more sense than you give credit for. Just some food r thought for future critiques. Great video regardless, love a bit of corporate shredding!
Stainless d-rings if it was on this boot would still be in one piece and not rusted through at the dump while the rest of this boot would be garbage compose.
@@mountainspider342 But exactly the same can be said for the aluminium D-ring, its a light, strong material that doesn't corrode and it'll be there long after the rest of the boots have fallen apart. While I agree with the overall read of the video on big companies making shit products, imo the D-ring criticism is not 100% accurate so it provides a good opportunity to learn more and clarify.
Aluminum corrodes as well. Don’t believe me, ask someone with a Cessna! Although to be fair, if they chose a decent aluminum alloy for that D (and it’s safe to assume they didn’t) I’d be fine with it. Personally I doubt it was even aluminum. Likely zinc.
Love this! Please keep exposing these “green washing” companies. Durability and natural materials is as green as it gets. Would love to see you deconstruct some high end boots such as Han Wag, Lowa, Crispi, Kennetrek, Zamberlain etc…
They're not even in the same class. North Face was never really known for their boots, and when they started making them, they primarily made lightweight boots. European brands tend to be heaver and sturdier. I have a pair of Asolos that I've beat for about 15 years and I can still wear them. My dad had a pair of Asolos he bought in college and lasted for decades. My pair of Scarpa mountaineering boots will likely never wear out.
@@TylerWardhaha I know they are worlds apart, which is my point really - we've seen what not to buy, how about what we should buy. I've had a couple of pairs of Salomon's and recently a pair of Keen Targhee III's and while they are very comfortable the durability of them is not great. The Keen's also seem to struggle with wet and muddy conditions that we have in the UK. This, and wanting something better than Dr Martens is what got me onto this channel and just looking at boots in general. I've replaced the Keen's with a pair of Iturri Patrol boots, full leather, new in box for £70. I also got a pair of Altberg Defenders and I'll rotate between them for hikes and dog walks. I'll probably get something from AKU as a summer boot as they have lots of good options.
@@JohnH-mo5mb It's not just the US market, it's also the UK market. Most high-street chains are full of mediocre or overpriced stuff. It amazes me how many of these companies brag about their green credentials, but all of their products are disposable. Almost none of them can be resoled.
@@shaunpugh3287 Quality wise I would say $250-300 is the sweet spot for European brand boots. The ASOLO tps520 of the powermatic 200, because of my experience with the brand, is what I personally would buy. The stiff midsole, the flexible tongue, seemingly indestructible Vibram outsole, and pulley lacing system make wearing these boots for a decade something I’ve never regretted.
I actually retired my north face backpack yesterday after 17 years of service. Not because it is broken but because a new one was more practical. So they do make some great products.
Perhaps its nostalgia, but I remember that the quality was way higher even just a few years ago - I got a few pieces about 7 years ago and they're still going strong I bought a hoodie a few weeks ago and I seldem wear it anymore since it started loosing color and cuffs went loose on the first wash It's disappointing since it was my go to store I often work in the outdoors and depend on what I wear to keep me warm or cool, as well as reliably protect me from any other hazards
It's likely not nostalgia. Capitalism has shifted towards a consumerist planned obsolescence mindset more than ever. Things become unusable as soon as possible in order to have people buy again.
I stopped buy north farce stuff years ago, I found a dealer in china that was making copies of their stuff and the quality is very similar, but for the 80% savings it's by far worth it, I still have my first jacket I got off them back in 2011, I didn't wear it every year but it's still the best jacket I've ever owned, it kept me warm in the worst conditions I've ever been in the ONLY thing I can complain about is the zipper that joins the hood to the jacket gave up the first year, but other than that it almost looks new and I went on long 20+ mile snow hikes in Unaka/Iron mtn in TN and so happy with my counterfeit north face stuff. People can make fun of China stuff all they want but alot of US made stuff when you compare price and length of life it only makes sense to go with the cheaper item when it lasts just as long if not longer than the over priced good. I never looked into north face but if I'd known it was a cali based bunch I'd not even wear something with their name on it, I will pluck the name off the stuff I have, I don't want some hippy name on me, that makes me want to dump some oil on the ground LOL.
My North Face ultralightweight, waterproof boots are absolutely perfect for the use-case I intended for them: playing disc golf in wet conditions. They keep my feet dry, even if I stand in water 70mm deep. The grip is superb, and doesn't get clogged with mud. The only downside is that the top hooks for the laces are a bit tight, and need careful use.
I love my Salomon Quest 4 hiking boots! they may be determined to be garbage but they have kept my feet warm and well protected in mountains with snow and ice as well as being an absolute joy for my feet, knees and back after a long day of use.
Yes that can be accomplished nowadays. Water vapor, which is what comes out of your skin, is in much smaller form than droplets. You can block the droplets, and let small water molecules pass through. However its not perfect, not all the perspiration will go through and it will start to build up eventually especially if youre doing athletics. But its much better than what we had before
I work in geophysical exploration so we hike all day everyday when on contracts. I’ve tried Keen, karrimor (lasted like 2 days lol), Salamon and even hoka hiking boots (had foot problems at the time and they claimed to be good for the problem I had). My current boots are head and shoulders better than anything I’ve tried. If you do long distance hikes on rough terrain, not just dog walking on paths, I can’t recommend salweas enough. They’re the only boot that’s lasted me more than a year and they’re still going strong.
Having worked in the Outdoor-Mountaineering business for 25 years, I have long ago shunned away from purchasing clothing from the major brands. Its workwear nowadays, for price and longevity. That said, the one thing that still is ok with me is the way Gore regulates how any brand has to use the Goretex material in their boots and these mandatory guidelines are quite strict. (Whether Goretex is useful in boots is something completely different.)
North Face is a fashion brand now, they used to make top notch gear. I still have my Mountain Jacket from 96. However, nowadays about 99% of their gear is too poorly made for serious outdoor use.
I still have my North Face steep tech Scott Schmitt jacket from the early 90s. Thing is indestructible. My son wears it at retro ski day. Yep, I'm old as dirt.
They've been a fashion brand for years, I have a gilet of theirs and an ancient goretex lined jacket. I wouldn't wear any of their stuff in inclement weather though, I stick to specialist outdoor brands for that.
My then-girlfriend, later wife, and I each bought the other a North Face item. I got a down filled vest, she got a jacket. This was in the early 70s when we attended college at Western State in Gunnison, Colorado. We each still have them. These are the old brown label items made here in the US. Show some wear, but still in good shape.
I wore north face hedgehogs for walking my dogs and playing airsoft in basically a swamp in nortu wales and they were EXCELLENT. About 3 years ago i got a new pair. The goretex references had gone. Changed for their own new in house materials tested in the french alps by record holding climmers and Olympic athleties. Took me 20 minutes on the field near me to get my feet SOAKED. Took them back to the shop and was told this was "impossible" because they had been tested in the Alps. Must be a malfunction in this pair somewhere and gave me a new pair. Next day....same wet feet. Took em back and they got sent away for testing for 4 weeks! Emded up with a refund and apology and an offer of a new pair with 40%. Didn't even bother.
The fastpack hedgehogs i bought in 2017 were my favourite lightweight hiking shoes ever. the generic outsoles were the only downside, but it still took 4 years of solid use to wear out. the rest of the shoe was almost as new. went to north face shop to buy some new ones and walked out empty handed because they were all dog shit. ironically the outsoles were the only thing that looked improved. was so sad :(
North Face used to be my favorite brand. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on their products over the years. However, since they have become "woke," I will never buy anything from them again.
You're equating two totally separate things. Wokeness has absolutely nothing to do with them putting out shitty products. That's the fault of capitalism and being beholden to market share and stock holders. It's a company, their only goal is to make money. Whether that's by convincing idiots to buy their products because they are recycled or by convincing idiots to buy their products because they own the name of a company once respected by idiots, their only goal is to make money... They don't care about you and your opinions.
That's fine an all, but do you really think that's their ideology or maybe it's just a cynical marketing bit? They're basically saying to you, "we don't care that you won't buy as we've identified the consumers who will and they are worth more to our bottom line, bye". Personally, I won't buy them due to quality issues.
I have my most favorite boots ever. just some off-brand one's my mum bought me some years ago for my job. not only are they comfortable, but also kept me super dry and warm, when an incredible winter hit germany, a few years ago. stalked through kilometers of almost knee deep snow with them (with my jeans stuffed into them). she has a hand for good clothing... I would have bought some crap in which I'd freeze my toes off, that's for sure. listen to your mums, boys ;-)
Um, how do you really feel? Thanks again for the videos. Bought pairs of Thursdays boots for my wife, daughter and me for Christmas and we all love them.
This is a very weird one for me. Least week i put on my "work" cargo pants and noticed a North Face logo on them. I had these pants for years, never gave a crap. But that day ive seen alot of people wear that brand. So i thought to my self it must be a popular brand. You have have uploaded this video day or two after ive started to pay attention to the brand. It popped out today when ive thrown them in the wash yesterday.
Great equipment back in the 1980s-1990s when I was climbing. Their equipment was pricey, but the quality and reliability out in the field was top notch. The only problem back then was they 'improved' products by making them heavier! When VF took them over it was all downhill into just another outdoorsy mass-market consumer brand on the store shelf. They lost me pretty quickly as an option for gear, but the real disappointing point was when they discontinued the VE-25 tent.
I've had some Brasher boots for 26 years. Had them resoled twice and they've been fantastic. I paid £100 for them in 1998. That was expensive back then but so worth it.
I know this is a small sample. But my wife and I had a pair each and they both barely lasted one summer of use. That was 10 years ago. I’ve never considered north face for anything since.
Ive owned three brands of backback in the last 20 years. Berghaus lasted years, still going. Osprey lasted years, still going. North Face didnt last six months when the material and stitching broke at the strap. I wouldnt take their products to the North face of my garden.
Best hiking boots I ever owned were Meindl’s, all leather inside and out. When well maintained they are waterproof, not sweaty on your feet (unlike Goretex) and indestructible.
About two years ago I bought North Face trailing shoes. The GTX net fell apart after a month of moderate usage on both of the shoes. I guess a lesson I took from it was to avoid buying shoes from clothing brands.
I worked at a vf warehouse... they made a big deal about giving us recycling bins...they took pictures... there were big murals about Reduce reuse recycle in the cafeteria... housekeepers told me all the recycling goes in one big dumpster with all the other trash
I got a north face jacket. Got it from my grandpa because he doesn't wear it. Love the jacket, its a good autumn wear but I'd never buy from them, even before wearing this.
If you want hiking boots try Trespass they are not leather but they are very Rugged high quality and always Fitted with Vibram and they dont break the bank 😊
I'm no brand expert but I like outdoor gear and trekking with a tent in the mountains. I've always perceived 'the north face' as a "pop brand" - though I've probably only known them after the 2000's when they were apparently bought by VF corporation 1:13. My understanding has always been that TNF primarily makes products for city folks who need a new winter coat for going to the office or boots for walking your dog around the neighbourhood. Products for regular everyday stuff like that. I've never perceived TNF as a "serious" brand for outdoor trips. It's not that I would refuse to wear TNF gear, I just expect I wouldn't find anything for my needs. But yeah, look at those boots in the video. To me they look more like the Nike MAG from 'back to the future' than a hiking boot. They look like something a soccer dad would buy in the fall from the local sports store for taking the kids to school, when his summer shoes got a little too cold and soaked. I mean LOOK AT THEM. Who in their right mind glance at these things and see quality boots for hiking in the outdoors? I would at least be very sceptical if those were introduced to me for that purpose. So to me, you got a hot poop boot because you bought a hot poop boot. Nothing to be surprised by really?
Rose Anvil X JK Boots BEAR SLAYERS, the perfect PNW boot, drop 5/23! Get early access & updates by signing up for the Limited Edition email list here - bit.ly/3WyuY6c
*_PLEASE CALL OUT "RED BARN" JUNK BOOTS!!!!_*
Alphawolf t-shirt haha amazing😁I respect you now even more. man of culture😁
I have some Metzeler Boots still and I would not want to replace them. Good stuff...
Thanks for helping people not buy trash. In the early 2000s. If I put my hand inside the shoe and push down on the sole. If it didnt even move. It didnt get tried on. You might as well walk barefoot if the sole cant move.
Will your Goral SMUGS have another release? I didnt manage to order them in the first round :(
Their marketing department: “really, who’s gonna check?”
This guy. This guy checks.
Their marketing department is probably one guy outsourced from India who has chatgpt account.
Like we keep saying, everything DEI touches(like TNF here)goes to utter shit.
Lying is normalized.
"Sponsored by Pfizer!"
Their marketing is more: who is interested in quality? It’s more important that more black people go hiking and buy our trash.
@@SheldonShooter I figured they’d be more into jogging.
I bought a used North Face tent in the mid-80s and I still use it today. The quality is outstanding. I was so impressed that I bought a North Face Gore-Tex jacket. It was the most expensive jacket that I ever purchased, but it was worth it. Back in the early 2000, I found a similar North Face jacket at REI and I bought it. When I wore the jacket the next day, the front zipper snagged and I had to take the jacket off by pulling it over-my-head like a sweatshirt. I returned the jacket to REI for a refund and the REI customer return employee agreed with me that it was a piece of junk. Instead of using a YKK zipper, North Face used a cheap plastic zipper. I've never bought a North Face product since then.
The zipper test is a good metric to go by. If a product has zippers on it and they aren't at least YKK or a better quality brand it is probably not worth buying...
@@NotTheRealRustyShackleford I think YKK is the best. My family is tradition Tailors, so I know a bit about linen and fabric. We always use YKK for our Jeans and pants and those mtf last like forever. My jeans ripped and tear but the zipper still working very fine (I wore that jeans for 7 years and my uncle made it for me.)
I had a zip up north face hoodie I paid $80 for that lasted 15 years while still looking relatively new. Now I'd be surprised if it lasted 15 months.
@@NotTheRealRustyShackleford Even YKK has different ranges low-mid-high...
My most expensive jacket was also a TNF one, from their Summit series. Extremely overpriced and the quality was null: breathed poorly, water just seeped in and it was a piece of shit.
This heartbreaking to me how corrupt corporate money grubbers destroy decades of goodwill in an instant. Excellent video.
As someone who's been shopping for hiking shoes, gotta say, North Face doesn't really make any good shoes.
@@Oldsmobile69 North Face used to be great on the “big three,” tents, sleeping bags, and backpacks. I had the best experience with the brand growing up in San Francisco. North Face in Berkeley totally outfitted us kids in the Sierra Club program “Innercity Outings.”
Get used to it.
Consumers should also be more demanding. There are far too many products out there that west out too easy. I have a relative who buys a few pairs of jeans and shoes every year. He thinks it’s normal that his stuff breaks so easy, he buys expensive brands mind you. In my mind if my shoes or jeans have to thrown away after a year then I’m not buying from this brand again.
what did you expect from a brand that created pattygonia😂
Just wanted to say a big thank you to your channel for fixing my feet and lower back! For years I had relied on Doc Martens as daily boots but over the last 10 years couldn't understand why my feet and back were playing up...I put it down to being 50, until my mother, a physio, suggested my boots might be the issue. I then watched your dissection of a DM and was both angry and appalled. DMs subsequently replaced with Iron Rangers and Solvairs and my back and feet are now fine.
Too many brands are throwing a gore-tex layer in the boot and calling it a day. Rose Anvil has taught me to choose construction over marketing. Have a pair of Gronell stelvios and JG Baobabs coming in the post on Monday. I used to swear by gore-tex, now I think it's for city slickers and yuppies
Of course the north face brand is for city slickers and yuppies just like Timberland, Polo, Nautica, and much more look how many street people are rocking the brand. We the street people make everything fashionable and just for it's originally cause.
My Danner Quarry are gore-tex lined and keep my feet dry, or maybe it’s the leather and construction, or all of the above. One thing for sure is I don’t walk around puddles on the jobsite.
goretex or any breathable membrane is fine when its done correctly. theres a reason why all of the top level professional mountaineers and outdoorsmen use it. it is a literal life saver.
that being said, 90% of the waterproof breathable stuff on the market is just marketing hype without real function
As a yuppy city slicker myself, I would never want goretex in my boots, might as well wear rubber boots.
You’ve now swung all the way to the other extreme my friend
just found the channel, thank you, I was thinking for years about the bad quality of this and that, especially sneakers, believing that living in poor market like Bosnia we always receive bad products (I just cant afford that Salomon Goretex last few months before insole torn apart and they start leaking) comparing to rich markets, because of your video we can finally take a peak in the overall quality of the products and looks like it not just us
It seems like the recurring theme is “built for function, then becomes popular and becomes built for fashion.” The one thing I haven’t seen yet is 2008 making it suck like everything else lol.
Doctor Martens being a prime example. Another product that used to be decent many years ago, but for a long time now, just junk. Very sad, but it happens with everything now.
@@paulandrews7622 you can still get real old school docs. You just have to buy them from Solovair. They’re Grigg and company’s own take on Docs the way they used to be made since Grigg actually made Doc Martins boots. They’ve had to change a few things owing to brand copyright but they’re essentially the OG doc Martin boot. Grigg/ NPS also owns the gripfast brand as well and they do have a us distributor. Just be ready to pay good money cause they’re running in the 185 plus range. I personally buy wedge sole type construction type boots for comfort and foot issues that I’ve recently had surface ( plus I can get danner bull runs resoled at least twice )
@paulandrews7622 The original factory, Solovair decided to create their own brand instead of just manufacturing for dr Martens after dr Martens got bought out and moved most of production to Asia. So I bought Solovair, 3 pairs of their high quality shoes, well that was a disappointment. The quality is still
Meh, better than dr.Martens from Asia but really not so much better as I expected.
Yeah every brand that gets sucked up by corpo does it. Beats headphones did it, skullcandy headphones did it, Like someone else said, Doc Martens did it. The brands start good because they're local and not global, the moment something becomes a global 'easy to get from your local store' type item, it's trash.
Why is it that so much stuff is junk now. Not even that stylish in most cases. The absolute best trainers I ever owned were some 2004 Merrels that looked great, worked great and lasted great.. I bought two pairs and then it was discontinued. I would buy the same trainers again in a flash if i could but nothing the company makes comes close with build and design. In fact a lot of kit I bought decades ago is very hard to replace with modern kit.. For some reason design seems to have gone backwards in many ways.. all to often there is just something where you look at it and say "why did they do that?.."
It's kinda sad. I mean stuff should be so good now, but it's all about maximising your consumption by selling you Polished turds.
made in Vietnam for about $ 1.98 per pair?
Yupp, every shoe today is made in Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangladesh for less then 2 dollar's and sells from 150-1000+ dollars. You're just paying for expensive junk, you'd be lucky is pair can last you for 2 years without breaking apart.
We don't made decisions, the company made it. And to you, we have our own line of products in clothings and they are great.
@@antemrkic1702 Every mass produced shoe that is. If you got the $, you can buy good Western made shoes from reputable shoemakers. Of course theyre pretty much all day wear leather shoes, not high-tech hiking shoes
That's not true. It actually does cost quite a bit more to produce a shoe. Maybe it's not anywhere near what we pay, but it's not $2. If you show me a business plan to do that, I'll write you a check.
thank you for your public service
that "rocker midsole geometry" was literally taken from Sketchers Shape-Ups (based on Swiss masai barefoot technology). It's meant to have an unstable platform to make you work your calves and ankles more to keep balance and tone your legs. It's horrible for anything other than flat road.
Sketchers shoes are horrible. It hurts my feet a lot. I think a pair of Converse is much better than their shoes.
No such thing as "tone your legs", or tone anything else. You cant spot reduce fat, and you arent gonna build any muscle by walking
Vectiv is exactly the opposite of shapeups. Shapeups were made to have you use more energy. Vectiv makes it so you have to use less energy (multiple independent tests verify that).
@@jimmyngo2191terrible shoes
Oh man! These vids are priceless! Revealing what is hidden! Please can you do it on the real hiking brands such as Lowa, Raichle, Salomon, Asolo, La Sportiva, Merrell, Scarpa, Meindl? These are the benchmarks!!!
I’d love a hiking boot month! Like 10 videos talking about the 10 best one, then at the end of the month a video that picks like the top ones
Some of these are still made by craftsmen in the original factories (at least for the European market) some are made by the lowest bidder from low end garbage.
I've worn Merrell for the last 20 years, they were the most comfortable hiking boots I ever had and were quite durable and consistent. I bought my last pair about 6 months ago, never again.
@@larstorders9695 he escuchado eso muchas veces, tal parece que merrel ya no es más para nada una marca decente.
What about Nike Hikey
I sincerely hope that someday with enough people and channels like roseanvil, that we can run these big brands into the ground. Enough selling garbage. I want good stuff that’s gonna last me years. Heck. Even decades. I’m sick of the disposable world. Nothing is repairable not even shoes. This is obviously not sustainable. But what’s really hard as a consumer is to find the time to research what is good and what is garbage. So thanks roseanvil for making it a little bit easier. Your work is appreciated.
Appreciate the exposé. North Face was never really a boot maker. Tents and clothing which morphed into mountain fashion. I would argue with you on the rocker sole which is a traditional European mountaineering shape that backpackers have used since the 60s. I never had a problem with it in a good boot sometimes with 40 pounds on my back and a 10 hour hiking day. Especially good clambering over rocks.
Right, but the rocker is necessary on mountaineering boots with no flex in the sole and ankle. Hiking boots, and more specifically, *light* hiking boots that aren’t rigid enough to need or benefit from it? I wouldn’t be surprised if the squishiness of the sole flattened the rocker right out so it didn’t do anything anyway.
@El_Petodoes that add to the conversation? Gate keeping isn’t helping anyone. 40lbs in my world has been 5 day backpacking trips or 2 day fast and light alpine missions.
Anvil doesn't know shit about proper mountaineering boots.
@SeanHardaker He does have some misses here and there. He understands leather and shoe construction really well but is sometimes a bit biased with childish or simplistic mindsets. Meaning he takes shortcuts in his logic and misses the mark.
@@SeanHardaker I think at this point anything that isn't an extremely heavy leather workboot just gets dumped on in these videos.... The video where he did a pair of climbing shoes was pretty amusing also....
this is why I love this channel. Helping customers identify actual good products from bad marketed products
As an old school hiker, I find this really sad. TNF used to be expensive, but it used to be expensive for a reason. Even when it turned into streetwear, it was still highly functional, and the backcountry people and the street where people could live side by side. There *are* still a small handful of serious products in the North Face product stack, but they're hard to find, just like tents are buried on the site. You wonder how long they can go trading on a reputation for things that no longer exist.
there are lots of tents on the site?
so the BMW of outdoor gear. Got it.
My 33 y.o. No Hitch Pitch tent is STILL rock solid!
I bought the original McMurdo parka iv still got it heavily worn but over 20 years old
iv slept in snow init many times(bad planning)
I saw the modern version of it
What a shame you could freeze going to the shops just a fashion Item now
A while. People are stupid.
Golden rule: if the brand is famous for one product line don’t buy their other products: Example, North Face is renowned for jackets and packs, not shoes
Sadly the quality with their jackets isn't there anymore.
I've had a couple of pairs of their winter boots, not for hiking but they are excellent for trudging through snow in the city, which I guess isn't really that much of an endorsement for an "outdoors" company.
My favorite shoes are North Face, by far the most comforable hiking shoes for me.
Their bags are shit quality now too
I couldn't even watch this video all the way through, as a former employee at the corp HQ (12 years supporting finance and product) Anvil has it spot on. I've had over 8 pairs of their shoes for all different purposes. The shoes are designed as a throw away...like most shoes are these days. VF is a publicly traded company so they have to answer to shareholders and wall street expectations. It's not about making money, it's about how much $$ can you make vs. the previous year.
The only stupid comment was re: the D-Ring, it's a D-ring for gaiters...what do you expect? Who wants steel that rust?
You hit the nail on the head about what is all about. . . .profits and only profits, regarding the ring, aluminum not only rusts as well but can break easy, a simple stainless steel works fine, but the boot is only designed for a year or maybe two, is just disposable like cars, appliances and now as we are finding out due to the Boeing clusterfuck , airplanes.
Galvanized or stainless won't rust
@Mr.DMZ Both Galvanized and Stainless still will rust. Just slower (orders of magnitude slower) with way more discoloration. But aluminium for gaters is fine unless you catch it and bend it out.
Galvanized just means it has an outer layer of a different metal on it (this is a simplified explanation)(usually zinc) and stainless is just a different ally compound that is less exposed to oxidization because of the charge in the surface. But they will both rust
By the time a good stainless steel rusts the boot will be completely worn out. But the aluminum will bend and snap long long before the boot is ready to be junked.
@@SHDW-nf2ki Fair nuff. I just felt the need to point it out.
Because it seems like most ppl think stainless and galvanized *Has absolutely zero chance of rusting* (I work with offshore oil and gas, so it's an important distinction to me).
Tried to write it in a "I see where you're coming from but maybe you don't know this fact that admittedly doesn't mater super muchin this specific case but is so abjectly wrong I feel you should probably know it" angle.
Rather than a haughty"NO you are wrong. I am smart you stupid" kinda way 😅😅 Dunno how well I managed if you get what I mean
Turned from The North Face to The North Farce
Forced DEI does that to a company.
Shit just look at Boeing. They go full DEI and stop using merit in their production and engineer staff and now look how many issues with Boeing planes falling apart IN FLIGHT! Like every week now. And DEI woke stuff is the only thing that's changed in the company.
Hahahaha statement of a legend! North Farce's all around us!
💯
Glad you’re keeping them honest
more like exposing them and their fancy words
I always watch these videos before buying a pair of boots. Changed my mind more than once. Thank you sir!
These takedown videos are pure chef's kiss. Passion, knowledge, and some grass-kicking graphs to back it up. Ooh yeah.
Great review ...Honest reviews makes your channel the best out there.
I hope you do some Salomons. I had a pair for a long time and they were great--waterproof, durable, comfortable. Maybe the best pair of sneaker-style hiking boots I've had.
Salomon is the GOAT of hiking shoe brands
They are just a fashion brand using internet hype to sell
Came FULL circle with this video. I’ve been watching boot reviews for a couple of weeks, trying to decide on a casual boot.
This morning, I watch a live Alpha Wolf set to get me excited for their NA run this fall.
Come to this video to see you wearing an AW shirt and tearing apart NF. 🎉
TNF was once a decent company that actually put out cutting edge technology in their products, however once they went to fashion over function, they became just another outdoor company that was more about their past laurels than striving to be the best.
To be fair, most of the outdoor companies have done exactly the same thing.
Making room for beginning companies to fill those voids left by the bigs...
Wearing The North Face Safien GTX for 3 years now, still no issues, very comfortable.
I have the one from this video, but haven't cold winter last year to wear it 😂
My only critiques. I used to work for TNF PT when I was in grad school. Futurelight is TNF proprietary and not Chinese. They own all the machinery required and it's manufactured quite differently from gore-tex or other membranes. It's most similar to Outdoor Research's AscentShell but is significantly more waterproof while being more breathable than gore-tex. Unless that changed since 2019... Also, these are light hiking boots. You don't need a steel d ring for gaiters you might use once hiking or backpacking. But yeah their quality on many things has definitely dropped, esp. when they started to do all the fashion collabs.
Just discovered your channel.
The scientific testing, video content and sarcasm combined got me subscribed.
It’s very Gamers Nexus like, testing products while spreading buyer’s awareness.
My first shoe channel.
many years ago I had a pair of insulated North Face winter hiking boots and they were the best warmest boots I ever had , and very comfortable. There was zero leather in them and they lasted a really long time . Too bad if the quality is going way down . I would like to see some older North Face boots cut open and see if they were good quality at one time.
@3:17 Thanks for giving credit 💪🇩🇪 🍻
Thanks for honest review
I'm wearing these for third year now, and the biggest problem is I can't find another pair to buy them again. They are the single most comfortable pair of hiking shoes I ever wore, period. Maybe they aren't the best by some of your standards, but I'd bring them along anywhere.
They spent more on the fictional marketing than on making the boot.
This is true to most things nowadays. "Shoes" are not a hard problem to solve in an advanced civilization like we are living in currently. But the problem is, once your company has developed a really good shoe and the market is saturated your company can't grow anymore and therefore will fail. That's why companies create new desires through "design", since we all strife to individualize ourselves and sell them as if its is something really valuable and good while it is just hot air, that nobody ACTUALLY needs.
The big brands forget Rose Anvil exists!
Hope this man have millions of millions subscriber to debunk the big company's that's not having the quality they claimed. Please don't stop doing this content.
Not all steel is magnetic. Depends on the phases of the steel and alloying elements. Austenitic steels are generally not magnetic for example
That is why he scratched it to see what it was.
@@GoatzombieBubba Literally IMMEDIATELY after too, I mean dude, c'mon...🤣
Well, damn. Looks like my most recent the North Face purchase will be my final one. Can't even go on a hike these days without getting scammed. Thanks for looking out for us.
So many products these days are Marketing > Quality.
Marketing Hype, not just marketing. Especially as we see really low effort photoshop and AI generated ads on stock photos.
North face is an outdoor brand that has lent more towards fashion over function for years now.
Man I just love this ... U call out North Face for Marketing jargon ! ... And then sales piths your "Bear Slayers" boots, ... Mic drop !
Great Job!
I imagine a conference room full of BS marketing, bean counters and wanna be designers sitting around a the table..."You know theres a chance Rose Anvil is going to cut this boot apart and bring our substandard short cuts to light, right?"
KEEP doing the needful!! Customer money is hard earned, life is too short to buy poorly made footwear!!!
Yo Weston, been a fan of the channel for years with a pair of ND1's in the cupboard.
As an engineer with a materials background though I wanted to point out that you didn't consider corrosion as a key factor for material choice in the D ring. If it had been a ferrous metal as you had hoped it would rust away as soon as it is exposed to even rain, let alone rivers or puddles, even a stainless steel would corrode in these conditions (see cybertruck pannel issues), the same can be said of copper and most other metals. Something stable like brass or aluminium is the only choice in this situation, so the aluminium makes a lot more sense than you give credit for. Just some food r thought for future critiques.
Great video regardless, love a bit of corporate shredding!
Stainless d-rings if it was on this boot would still be in one piece and not rusted through at the dump while the rest of this boot would be garbage compose.
@@mountainspider342 But exactly the same can be said for the aluminium D-ring, its a light, strong material that doesn't corrode and it'll be there long after the rest of the boots have fallen apart. While I agree with the overall read of the video on big companies making shit products, imo the D-ring criticism is not 100% accurate so it provides a good opportunity to learn more and clarify.
@@Chrizzy.t Good point
Aluminum corrodes as well. Don’t believe me, ask someone with a Cessna! Although to be fair, if they chose a decent aluminum alloy for that D (and it’s safe to assume they didn’t) I’d be fine with it. Personally I doubt it was even aluminum. Likely zinc.
Copper would be fine.
Some surface "patina"... sure, but it isn't bearing any significant tensile or shear load.
Killer video, killer Alpha Wolf shirt. Gotta love seeing some aussie metal getting repped!
“It’s Gortex Jerry, GORTEX!” LOL
You like saying "Goretex" dont you?😂
😂😂😂
Love this! Please keep exposing these “green washing” companies. Durability and natural materials is as green as it gets. Would love to see you deconstruct some high end boots such as Han Wag, Lowa, Crispi, Kennetrek, Zamberlain etc…
Would be interesting to see how European hiking boot brands compare to this - brands such as Altberg, Meindl, AKU, Lowa, Scarpa, etc.
They're not even in the same class. North Face was never really known for their boots, and when they started making them, they primarily made lightweight boots. European brands tend to be heaver and sturdier. I have a pair of Asolos that I've beat for about 15 years and I can still wear them. My dad had a pair of Asolos he bought in college and lasted for decades. My pair of Scarpa mountaineering boots will likely never wear out.
Every 20 years I buy a new pair of LOWA in Germany. What you can find on the US market is a joke.
@@TylerWardhaha I know they are worlds apart, which is my point really - we've seen what not to buy, how about what we should buy. I've had a couple of pairs of Salomon's and recently a pair of Keen Targhee III's and while they are very comfortable the durability of them is not great. The Keen's also seem to struggle with wet and muddy conditions that we have in the UK. This, and wanting something better than Dr Martens is what got me onto this channel and just looking at boots in general. I've replaced the Keen's with a pair of Iturri Patrol boots, full leather, new in box for £70. I also got a pair of Altberg Defenders and I'll rotate between them for hikes and dog walks. I'll probably get something from AKU as a summer boot as they have lots of good options.
@@JohnH-mo5mb It's not just the US market, it's also the UK market. Most high-street chains are full of mediocre or overpriced stuff. It amazes me how many of these companies brag about their green credentials, but all of their products are disposable. Almost none of them can be resoled.
@@shaunpugh3287 Quality wise I would say $250-300 is the sweet spot for European brand boots. The ASOLO tps520 of the powermatic 200, because of my experience with the brand, is what I personally would buy.
The stiff midsole, the flexible tongue, seemingly indestructible Vibram outsole, and pulley lacing system make wearing these boots for a decade something I’ve never regretted.
I actually retired my north face backpack yesterday after 17 years of service. Not because it is broken but because a new one was more practical. So they do make some great products.
Perhaps its nostalgia, but I remember that the quality was way higher even just a few years ago - I got a few pieces about 7 years ago and they're still going strong
I bought a hoodie a few weeks ago and I seldem wear it anymore since it started loosing color and cuffs went loose on the first wash
It's disappointing since it was my go to store I often work in the outdoors and depend on what I wear to keep me warm or cool, as well as reliably protect me from any other hazards
It's likely not nostalgia. Capitalism has shifted towards a consumerist planned obsolescence mindset more than ever. Things become unusable as soon as possible in order to have people buy again.
This channel changed the way I buy footwear. I swear whenever I see a shoe I’m interested I check to see if Anvil reviewed it first 😂
I stopped buy north farce stuff years ago, I found a dealer in china that was making copies of their stuff and the quality is very similar, but for the 80% savings it's by far worth it, I still have my first jacket I got off them back in 2011, I didn't wear it every year but it's still the best jacket I've ever owned, it kept me warm in the worst conditions I've ever been in the ONLY thing I can complain about is the zipper that joins the hood to the jacket gave up the first year, but other than that it almost looks new and I went on long 20+ mile snow hikes in Unaka/Iron mtn in TN and so happy with my counterfeit north face stuff. People can make fun of China stuff all they want but alot of US made stuff when you compare price and length of life it only makes sense to go with the cheaper item when it lasts just as long if not longer than the over priced good.
I never looked into north face but if I'd known it was a cali based bunch I'd not even wear something with their name on it, I will pluck the name off the stuff I have, I don't want some hippy name on me, that makes me want to dump some oil on the ground LOL.
Don't do videos on Boeing.
Very true 👍
My North Face ultralightweight, waterproof boots are absolutely perfect for the use-case I intended for them: playing disc golf in wet conditions.
They keep my feet dry, even if I stand in water 70mm deep. The grip is superb, and doesn't get clogged with mud.
The only downside is that the top hooks for the laces are a bit tight, and need careful use.
A $ 195 virtue signal.
And to thing you can do it on x for free
Propulsive vective technologies, Great Scott!!
I love my Salomon Quest 4 hiking boots! they may be determined to be garbage but they have kept my feet warm and well protected in mountains with snow and ice as well as being an absolute joy for my feet, knees and back after a long day of use.
Thanks a lot for the reviews. I have your channel bookmarked for when ever I'll be buying new boots :)
breathable waterproof?
Yes that can be accomplished nowadays. Water vapor, which is what comes out of your skin, is in much smaller form than droplets. You can block the droplets, and let small water molecules pass through. However its not perfect, not all the perspiration will go through and it will start to build up eventually especially if youre doing athletics. But its much better than what we had before
I work in geophysical exploration so we hike all day everyday when on contracts. I’ve tried Keen, karrimor (lasted like 2 days lol), Salamon and even hoka hiking boots (had foot problems at the time and they claimed to be good for the problem I had). My current boots are head and shoulders better than anything I’ve tried. If you do long distance hikes on rough terrain, not just dog walking on paths, I can’t recommend salweas enough. They’re the only boot that’s lasted me more than a year and they’re still going strong.
Hey everyone stay blessed happy mothers day 🎉
Having worked in the Outdoor-Mountaineering business for 25 years, I have long ago shunned away from purchasing clothing from the major brands. Its workwear nowadays, for price and longevity. That said, the one thing that still is ok with me is the way Gore regulates how any brand has to use the Goretex material in their boots and these mandatory guidelines are quite strict. (Whether Goretex is useful in boots is something completely different.)
North Face is a fashion brand now, they used to make top notch gear. I still have my Mountain Jacket from 96. However, nowadays about 99% of their gear is too poorly made for serious outdoor use.
I still have my North Face steep tech Scott Schmitt jacket from the early 90s. Thing is indestructible. My son wears it at retro ski day. Yep, I'm old as dirt.
Never thought I'd love a video about walking boots
When focus shifts from quality to DEI the result is hot 💩
how mentally ill r u
Seems to be a pattern nowadays...
They've been a fashion brand for years, I have a gilet of theirs and an ancient goretex lined jacket. I wouldn't wear any of their stuff in inclement weather though, I stick to specialist outdoor brands for that.
Spot-on review!
BS boots.
My then-girlfriend, later wife, and I each bought the other a North Face item. I got a down filled vest, she got a jacket. This was in the early 70s when we attended college at Western State in Gunnison, Colorado. We each still have them. These are the old brown label items made here in the US. Show some wear, but still in good shape.
I wore north face hedgehogs for walking my dogs and playing airsoft in basically a swamp in nortu wales and they were EXCELLENT.
About 3 years ago i got a new pair.
The goretex references had gone. Changed for their own new in house materials tested in the french alps by record holding climmers and Olympic athleties.
Took me 20 minutes on the field near me to get my feet SOAKED.
Took them back to the shop and was told this was "impossible" because they had been tested in the Alps. Must be a malfunction in this pair somewhere and gave me a new pair. Next day....same wet feet. Took em back and they got sent away for testing for 4 weeks!
Emded up with a refund and apology and an offer of a new pair with 40%. Didn't even bother.
The fastpack hedgehogs i bought in 2017 were my favourite lightweight hiking shoes ever. the generic outsoles were the only downside, but it still took 4 years of solid use to wear out. the rest of the shoe was almost as new. went to north face shop to buy some new ones and walked out empty handed because they were all dog shit. ironically the outsoles were the only thing that looked improved. was so sad :(
Way to tell it like it is! Thanks for the heads up!
Been like this since 2012
Even before, when they sold out in 2k it was downhill and it's WAY downhill now lol
Lowa Ultra here, never bought anything else, never regretted as well :D
As soon as north face became WOKE I stopped buying their stuff... And I will never go back. There are so many better brands.
I just came here from the half cab review to say: badass shirt, Weston! I have the same one! 🤘
North Face used to be my favorite brand. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on their products over the years. However, since they have become "woke," I will never buy anything from them again.
You're equating two totally separate things. Wokeness has absolutely nothing to do with them putting out shitty products. That's the fault of capitalism and being beholden to market share and stock holders. It's a company, their only goal is to make money. Whether that's by convincing idiots to buy their products because they are recycled or by convincing idiots to buy their products because they own the name of a company once respected by idiots, their only goal is to make money... They don't care about you and your opinions.
@ShaggyRodgers420 Mammut and Fjellreven are my go-to brands now.
Thank you so much for speaking truth to corporate power. Great content.
i quit buying them once they went woke. I just want a clothing brand that does not force any ideology in my face.
That's fine an all, but do you really think that's their ideology or maybe it's just a cynical marketing bit? They're basically saying to you, "we don't care that you won't buy as we've identified the consumers who will and they are worth more to our bottom line, bye". Personally, I won't buy them due to quality issues.
@@KM_Mountain I could not care any less about your comment
I have my most favorite boots ever. just some off-brand one's my mum bought me some years ago for my job.
not only are they comfortable, but also kept me super dry and warm, when an incredible winter hit germany, a few years ago.
stalked through kilometers of almost knee deep snow with them (with my jeans stuffed into them).
she has a hand for good clothing... I would have bought some crap in which I'd freeze my toes off, that's for sure. listen to your mums, boys ;-)
Yeah but you can take a DEI class for 20% off!
this video is the definition of create a problem and sell the solution
Um, how do you really feel? Thanks again for the videos. Bought pairs of Thursdays boots for my wife, daughter and me for Christmas and we all love them.
My favorite pair of hiking shoes are North Face, still in production. The sole is similar to this one. So they are doing something right.
Rose Anvil doin the lord's work😂
This is a very weird one for me.
Least week i put on my "work" cargo pants and noticed a North Face logo on them. I had these pants for years, never gave a crap. But that day ive seen alot of people wear that brand. So i thought to my self it must be a popular brand. You have have uploaded this video day or two after ive started to pay attention to the brand. It popped out today when ive thrown them in the wash yesterday.
Great equipment back in the 1980s-1990s when I was climbing. Their equipment was pricey, but the quality and reliability out in the field was top notch. The only problem back then was they 'improved' products by making them heavier! When VF took them over it was all downhill into just another outdoorsy mass-market consumer brand on the store shelf. They lost me pretty quickly as an option for gear, but the real disappointing point was when they discontinued the VE-25 tent.
I've had some Brasher boots for 26 years. Had them resoled twice and they've been fantastic. I paid £100 for them in 1998. That was expensive back then but so worth it.
The hollow snow shoe knob and the aluminium D ring for gators might be to save weight.
I know this is a small sample. But my wife and I had a pair each and they both barely lasted one summer of use. That was 10 years ago. I’ve never considered north face for anything since.
Milwaukee work boots are out - can’t wait for the review
Ive owned three brands of backback in the last 20 years. Berghaus lasted years, still going. Osprey lasted years, still going.
North Face didnt last six months when the material and stitching broke at the strap.
I wouldnt take their products to the North face of my garden.
Of course you put these features twice on the description. There are TWO boots after all!
Best hiking boots I ever owned were Meindl’s, all leather inside and out. When well maintained they are waterproof, not sweaty on your feet (unlike Goretex) and indestructible.
About two years ago I bought North Face trailing shoes. The GTX net fell apart after a month of moderate usage on both of the shoes. I guess a lesson I took from it was to avoid buying shoes from clothing brands.
I worked at a vf warehouse... they made a big deal about giving us recycling bins...they took pictures... there were big murals about Reduce reuse recycle in the cafeteria... housekeepers told me all the recycling goes in one big dumpster with all the other trash
Awesome Video!
I got a north face jacket. Got it from my grandpa because he doesn't wear it. Love the jacket, its a good autumn wear but I'd never buy from them, even before wearing this.
If you want hiking boots try Trespass they are not leather but they are very Rugged high quality and always Fitted with Vibram and they dont break the bank 😊
I'm no brand expert but I like outdoor gear and trekking with a tent in the mountains. I've always perceived 'the north face' as a "pop brand" - though I've probably only known them after the 2000's when they were apparently bought by VF corporation 1:13. My understanding has always been that TNF primarily makes products for city folks who need a new winter coat for going to the office or boots for walking your dog around the neighbourhood. Products for regular everyday stuff like that. I've never perceived TNF as a "serious" brand for outdoor trips. It's not that I would refuse to wear TNF gear, I just expect I wouldn't find anything for my needs.
But yeah, look at those boots in the video. To me they look more like the Nike MAG from 'back to the future' than a hiking boot. They look like something a soccer dad would buy in the fall from the local sports store for taking the kids to school, when his summer shoes got a little too cold and soaked. I mean LOOK AT THEM. Who in their right mind glance at these things and see quality boots for hiking in the outdoors? I would at least be very sceptical if those were introduced to me for that purpose.
So to me, you got a hot poop boot because you bought a hot poop boot. Nothing to be surprised by really?
Protect this man at all cost!