The North Face 推出 Offtrail Ultra 越野鞋与 Summit Series 竞赛套装，致敬 1990 年国际横穿南极探险队

The post The North Face Offtrail Ultra: Honoring a Legacy, Running Into the Future appeared first on iRunFar.

Almost 40 years ago, The North Face ventured into the unknown, supporting an expedition so audacious that even in our age of innovation, technology, and comfort — when it feels as if there are no blank spots left on the map — the feat hasn’t been repeated.

The year was 1990, and the International Trans-Antarctic Expedition was the first non-motorized crossing of the entire continent of Antarctica, traveling more than 6,000 kilometers (3,730 miles) along its proudest route, the “long axis.”

Today, the brand continues to bring this heritage of exploring the unknown into the modern day with its new The North Face Summit Series race kit.

Back in 1990, the International Trans-Antarctic Expedition asked if the continent should be tarnished by mineral extraction, or protected as a preserve of environmental purity and scientific discovery? In 2026, the brand continues to operate at the intersection of exploration, adventure, climate awareness, and environmental preservation.

The 1990 International Trans-Antarctic Expedition

The International Trans-Antarctic Expedition was a massive undertaking, and the deliberately assembled team of six explorers from the United States, France, the Soviet Union, the U.K., China, and Japan was intended to demonstrate international solidarity and cooperation through this brutal route. Each nation’s flag was emblazoned on the team’s iconic orange, turquoise, and purple The North Face kit.

Using The North Face’s most cutting-edge gear of the time, they faced wind, temperatures that dropped to -113 degrees Fahrenheit (-80.5 degrees Celsius), and storms that lasted for weeks. It took them over 220 days to complete the voyage using skis, sleds, and dog teams.

Embracing Their Heritage

The latest The North Face Summit Series race kit picks up the visual language of the 1990 Trans-Antarctic Expedition across a range of technical pieces, from The North Face Superior FUTURELIGHT Jacket and Pacesetter Shorts to the High Trail Shirt, Summit Run Vest 10, and, one of the most exciting new advancements in mountain running footwear, The North Face Offtrail Ultra trail running shoe. The papaya and canal blue colorway of the Offtrail Ultra is perhaps the clearest connection to the original International Trans-Antarctic Expedition gear, translating the distinctive orange and turquoise into a shoe designed for trail running exploration.

Modern-Day Exploration

On five continents and in all conditions, The North Face’s professional running team has taken inspiration from the International Trans-Antarctic Expedition to find its own form of exploration and expression.

Kaytlyn Gerbin is perhaps one of the most accomplished adventure runners in the world, holding fastest known times (FKTs) on some of the most iconic mountain routes in Washington state, and she recently attempted a traverse of New Zealand’s rugged Southern Alps in the Offtrail Ultra. She also used the shoe in Ecuador’s wild volcanic terrain during a 14-day expedition with The North Face teammate Tara Fraga, which included an FKT attempt on Mount Cotopaxi, running unencumbered over rock and snow, even using crampons in some situations.

Canadian Stephanie Case conducted a polar training camp in Arctic Norway wearing the Offtrail Ultra. Keeping with The North Face’s Antarctica legacy, Case is heading there this November to attempt to become the fastest person to cover 100 miles on foot on the continent. She is inspired by Antarctica’s malevolent moniker, the “womanless continent,” and finds extra motivation by training for it in The North Face Summit Series race kit.

The North Face Offtrail Ultra: A Mountain Shoe

The Offtrail Ultra is built from premium materials and exciting new technology, but it isn’t over-engineered or designed simply for straight-line speed, as many modern trail shoes are today. The North Face designed the Offtrail Ultra to be a solution for terrain beyond standard routes or race courses.

Longtime The North Face athlete Zach Miller describes the Offtrail Ultra as a shoe purposely designed “[without] plates, an extreme rocker, or a towering stack height. It’s just a clean, functional design built for real mountain movement.”

“Adventure running continues to evolve, with athletes pushing deeper into technical terrain and demanding footwear that can move as fast and as confidently as they do,” says Brett Rivers, Senior Global Merchandiser of Performance Footwear at The North Face.

Continues Rivers, “With the Offtrail Ultra, we worked in lock-step with our athletes to innovate a new dual-density midsole design made in one molding process, without needing adhesives to bond the materials together, to provide innovative cushioning built for the demands of mountain running. The result is a responsive and protective underfoot experience that is lighter and more agile in technical terrain.”

Built for Technical Terrain

The Offtrail Ultra joins The North Face Summit Series race kit and occupies a unique corner of the brand’s trail running lineup. Where the Summit Series VECTIV shoe models are built around racing and speed, the Offtrail Ultra is aimed more squarely at technical mountain running and the places where predictability disappears. Its 5-millimeter lugs, integrated gaiter, and protective upper all excel in technical, unpredictable, and often off-trail terrain.

The Offtrail Ultra’s DREAMBOUND dual-density midsole offers an energetic ride. In the midsole, the firmer bottom layer provides stability, durability, and protection, while the softer upper layer offers rebound and comfort. With the midsole and outsole combined, the shoe can handle both technical terrain and faster miles with ease.

The upper follows the same lightweight-but-protective concept. A seamless dual-wrap construction with a bonded internal frame provides lockdown throughout the midfoot, while TPU overlays add durability where the shoe is most likely to encounter abrasion.

From a rocky scramble to a runnable ridge, from loose scree into smooth singletrack, or from a steep climb into a fast descent, the Offtrail Ultra is designed to handle anything a day in the mountains entails, rather than asking the runner to choose between a shoe that feels capable on technical terrain and one that only feels good when it’s time to really run.

Rather than being built primarily around race-day speed at all costs or as a high-mileage workhorse, the Offtrail Ultra exists for when trail running blurs with exploration. We’re not always seeking the most obvious way forward; sometimes we’re looking for the most interesting way between Points A and B.

The North Face Summit Series Race Kit in Use

The North Face team has been using the newly released Summit Series race kit worldwide this summer. Team athletes Pau Capell of Spain and Stephanie Case, among other athletes, wore the gear at the UTMB Mont Blanc festival races. Case found it particularly useful on a 40k Bourg-Saint-Maurice to Beaufort section of the highly technical 154k TDS, saying: “The Offtrail Ultra’s 5-millimeter lugs — which I knew would be essential on the technical terrain I was about to face — allowed me to feel the ground, and move quickly and nimbly over rocks and uneven ground.” Case said. She finished in 12th place in 27:54.

The North Face team member Josh Wade wore The North Face Summit Series race kit’s Summit Run Vest 10 and High Trail Shirt when he lined up for UTMB.

Whether it’s the orange of the Offtrail Ultra or the bold blue color of Wade’s shirt contrasting against the Alps, the visual connection to the original International Trans-Antarctic Expedition continues in the modern interpretation. The latest The North Face Summit Series race kit also features the International Flag of Planet Earth, created by Swedish designer Oskar Pernefeldt in 2015. The flag serves as a visual homage to the original national flags on the International Trans-Antarctic Expedition jackets and is a modern expression of the expedition’s broader idea: that exploration brings people together.

Nearing the finish of the 2026 Tot Dret — the 130k (80 miles) Italian ultra with more than 12,000 meters (39,400 feet) of climbing — and leading the women’s race, The North Face athlete Stephanie Howe had a vital moment of connection between the legacy and future of The North Face, represented by the utility and color of her Summit Series Superior FUTURELIGHT Jacket. “At the final refugio, 500 meters below the race’s final summit, I paused to put on my jacket. It was partly to keep myself warm because I knew the sun was about to disappear behind the mountains, but it was partly psychological; it was a moment to put on a piece of gear that made me feel strong and capable,” Howe said.

The visual connection to the past gave Howe a moment of reflection on her way to victory at Tot Dret.

“I felt proud to wear these colors because they represent something meaningful,” she said.

Honoring Legacy, Looking to the Future

Nearly four decades ago, The North Face built gear for people heading into an environment where conditions were impossible to control. Today, the The North Face Summit Series race kit and Offtrail Ultra bring that same spirit into a faster, lighter form of mountain exploration — one where the terrain keeps changing and challenges the runner to adapt. The globe may not have many blank spots left, but there are still plenty of places to explore.

[Editor’s Note: This article is sponsored by The North Face. Thank you to The North Face for its sponsorship of iRunFar, which helps to make iRunFar happen and free for all to enjoy. Learn more about our sponsored articles.]

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