The North Face Altamesa 300. All pictures: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Having liked The North Face path sneakers over the previous few years, I used to be excited to check The North Face Altamesa 300 ($130). This was particularly the case after having fun with the shoe’s extra cushioned sibling, The North Face Altamesa 500 (evaluate), way more than anticipated. As a sleeker and lighter shoe, in idea, the Altamesa 300 appeared nearer to my splendid shoe.
In some ways, this can be a middle-ground shoe. Its precise weight is 10.3 ounces (293 grams) for a U.S. males’s dimension 9, and it has a reasonable 6-millimeter drop with full stack heights of 36 millimeters on the heel and 30 millimeters on the toe.
Whereas it’s proved to be an acceptable every day coach on smoother trails, it didn’t fairly reside as much as the lofty expectations I’d positioned on it when issues bought extra technical. In the end, the shoe simply doesn’t make the minimize when issues get steeper and rougher. However, given its worth level and skill to excel on sure kinds of terrain, it’s nicely price a glance. Learn on to search out out why you continue to may discover the shoe a great worth for its supposed use.
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The North Face Altamesa 300 Higher
A lateral view of The North Face Altamesa 300.
The North Face Altamesa 300 higher is each sturdy and cozy. The toe cap supplies additional safety towards rocks and will increase the higher’s longevity. Regardless of the lower cost level, the shoe is made with extremely high-quality and light-weight supplies. The seamless engineered mesh consists of 53% recycled supplies. This reduces its environmental impression with out compromising on the shoe’s breathability. The higher materials saved my toes cool and dry, even throughout prolonged put on.
The padded collar and heel cup present plush cushioning, minimizing the danger of chafing or discomfort and securing the heel for a cosy match. Whereas the shoe is designed with elevated area for the massive and pinky toes, I discovered the toebox to be noticeably narrower than that of the Altamesa 500. It wasn’t an issue for me, however notable should you’re somebody who desires extra space up entrance.
The laces didn’t like to remain tied, and I like to recommend double knotting them to maintain them in place. With TPU-reinforced lace guides, you possibly can tighten the laces confidently, however I nonetheless struggled to really feel safe in these sneakers. I didn’t discover the interior stability wings on the third eyelet notably efficient for midfoot lockdown. Throughout runs on technical trails, I skilled some instability, with my toes feeling a bit wobbly within the sneakers.
The North Face Altamesa 300 Midsole
A medial view of The North Face Altamesa 300.
The North Face Altamesa 300 midsole presents a compelling mix of options to ship consolation, stability, and sturdiness on the path. Opposite to its counterpart, the Altamesa 500, this shoe doesn’t incorporate The North Face’s Dream midsole foam. Nonetheless, it nonetheless performs. The heel boasts 25 millimeters of plush foam. The cushioning is certainly snug, and it gives fairly a little bit of rebound. Mixed with the slight rocker, I felt just like the shoe was responsive given its 36- and 30-millimeter stack heights on the heel and toe. The 6-millimeter drop is pretty middle-of-the-road for a path shoe.
The shoe has a dynamic stability zone on the forefoot and a bolstered inner heel counter for higher efficiency on technical trails, however I discovered that it didn’t fairly ship as anticipated. I skilled some instability throughout testing as I took the shoe on more and more technical trails. I’ll say that the broader footprint of the shoe gives a extra steady platform, albeit with a slight enhance in bulkiness.
The North Face Altamesa 300 Outsole
The outsole of The North Face Altamesa 300.
The North Face Altamesa 300 has the model’s Skycore rock guard on the forefoot. This expertise gives gentle and versatile safety from the bottom and creates a smoother trip. The rock guard, mixed with the 25 millimeters of froth plushness on the heel, supplies ample cushioning and safety towards rocks. I didn’t expertise any foot soreness or ache from missteps on stabby rocks.
The outsole is engineered to deal with the varied challenges of path terrain with confidence and grip. That includes the model’s Floor Ctrl rubber, it gives distinctive traction on quite a lot of surfaces, from rocky trails to muddy paths. The grippy 4-millimeter lugs are strategically positioned to optimize traction and supply stability and management with each step. I ran on many kinds of surfaces whereas testing this shoe, together with muddy and grassy trails, roads, bike paths, slickrock, and dusty and dry trails. The shoe punches above its worth level in its capacity to carry out on many various kinds of terrain. I used to be notably impressed with how little mud caught to the underside of the shoe, although, to be honest, I wasn’t in deep peanut butter mud — however it did an excellent job at shedding what I went by means of.
The North Face Altamesa 300 Total Impressions
A high view of The North Face Altamesa 300.
I gained’t sugarcoat it, I’ve blended emotions about The North Face Altamesa 300, which is shocking. I assumed this is able to be my new go-to every day coach. However, let me clarify. At $130, this shoe appears like a cut price. The North Face did an excellent job investing in sure necessary areas of this shoe to maintain the standard excessive and the value comparatively low. For me, the highlights of the shoe are the midsole cushion, the Floor Ctrl outsole rubber, and the general weight.
The massive disadvantage is how unstable the shoe felt on actually technical trails. I ended up strolling trails I usually run as a result of I used to be so fearful about twisting an ankle, which is an issue for path trainers. That stated, this shoe is nice for clean flowy trails, filth roads, gravel paths, and different non-technical surfaces. In these situations, its efficiency is phenomenal. I used to be notably impressed by the shoe’s high quality and the midsole’s responsive rebound, which enormously enhanced my total expertise.
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