The North Face Altamesa 500 Analysis – iRunFar

The North Face Altamesa 500 ($155) is the shoe I not at all knew I needed. Truly, after I first acquired it, I believed it was an extreme quantity of shoe. Its sister shoe, The North Face Altamesa 300, with its lower stack high, appeared further up my alley.

Consequently, after I first acquired it, I solely used the Altamesa 500 for climbing and strolling. Nonetheless as I spent further time throughout the shoe, I grew pretty eager on it. After which I started to run in it.

This earlier 12 months I’ve found myself routinely reaching for my footwear from The North Face. As soon as I’m not testing a pair of path footwear, I’m teaching in The North Face Vectiv Infinite 2 (analysis) or racing in The North Face Summit Assortment Vectiv Sky (analysis) footwear. I’ve been extraordinarily impressed by the lineup of footwear the mannequin has produced, so after I heard whisperings regarding the new Altamesa line, I wanted to verify them.

With a 6-millimeter drop and 30 millimeters of froth on the heel, this shoe is all about comfort. Nonetheless one in all many points I actually like about this shoe — which has an exact weight of 11.0 ounces (312 grams) for a U.S. males’s 9 — is how agile and regular it’s for a maximally cushioned shoe. The 4-millimeter lugs blended with the Dream foam midsole, which has great rebound, make this shoe a really perfect various for nearly any run — from technical trails to the freeway.

Retailer the Girls’s The North Face Altamesa 500Retailer the Males’s The North Face Altamesa 500

The North Face Altamesa 500 Increased

The North Face Altamesa 500 is constructed for comfort and stability, from the best of the shoe to the underside. The padded tongue envelops the foot in cushioned assist, and a sturdy toe cap shields in opposition to stubs and impacts. Stability overlays strategically positioned all by way of the upper current added assist and development the place needed most. The padded heel cup and collar are cozy, though I seen that whereas this felt good, the heel of the shoe was barely a lot much less secure and looser than desired on troublesome trails. Nonetheless, the midfoot stays securely locked, and the shoe provides a great deal of stability, significantly on technical terrain.

Internally, the shoe incorporates wings strategically positioned on the midfoot. These inside wings current a comfy match and enhance lockdown assist. Furthermore, the Ghillie lacing system provides a secure and customised match, allowing wearers to manage the stress for optimum comfort and effectivity. The shoe has a barely roomier toebox than one other decisions from the mannequin. I found that my pinky toe appreciated the broader platform, nonetheless I did suppose the shoe was a bit longer than completely different fashions. Considering how intensive the underside of the shoe is, I was shocked at how comfortably cosy and secure my midfoot felt.

The North Face has taken steps in the direction of sustainability by crafting the seamless, lofted, engineered mesh larger with 62% recycled provides, which reduces its environmental impression. The material has good breathability and flexibility, providing most comfort and freedom of movement.

The North Face Altamesa 500 Midsole

The midsole of The North Face Altamesa 500 is engineered to ship distinctive effectivity. A predominant aspect of its design is the dynamic stability zone positioned on the forefoot. The broader forefoot platform is designed to spice up stability on the trail, providing confidence and reassurance with every step. I consider this operate works successfully on largely clear or barely technical terrain, nonetheless I found the larger forefoot blended with the marginally swimmy heel precipitated me to decelerate and be a bit further cautious when working down fairly technical trails.

The midsole’s cushioning made me love this shoe, even though initially I didn’t suppose I’d. It’s fabricated from ultralight Dream midsole foam, which is known for its super-high rebound properties. This foam supplies a responsive and energized actually really feel, propelling wearers forward with each stride whereas sustaining lightweight agility. I’d legitimately actually really feel the rebound affect, though it was further pronounced after I ran on more durable, smoother surfaces barely than on trails. It’s the precise deal. The shoe has 30 millimeters of midsole on the heel to optimize cushioning and luxurious. This generous cushioning absorbs impression and minimizes fatigue, allowing wearers to take care of prolonged distances merely and providing necessary security in opposition to laborious landings and hard terrain.

With a 6-millimeter drop, the shoe strikes a steadiness between stability and agility, promoting a pure foot strike and fluid movement on the trail. This common offset enhances versatility, making the shoe acceptable for quite a few working varieties and preferences.

The North Face Altamesa 500 Outsole

If you haven’t seen thus far, The North Face Altamesa 500 incorporates stability and luxurious into all sides of the shoe design, and the outsole isn’t any exception.

Constructed with Flooring Ctrl rubber, the outsole is optimized for durability and grip, offering confidence-inspiring traction on quite a few path surfaces. The outsole grips successfully on completely completely different surfaces and choices regular, straightforward, single-axis, 4-millimeter lugs. Whereas I largely ran on dry trails, roads, and paths, so I can’t say for positive, it seems the common spacing between the lugs would forestall mud and particles buildup. I found they did an outstanding job of sustaining stability all through transitions. The micro-grip experience embedded inside the center and base lugs improve traction, notably on gravel and unfastened terrain, providing confidence and administration with each stride.

The North Face notes the shoe’s versatility, recommending it primarily for endurance path working whereas acknowledging its functionality to enterprise into the hybrid shoe zone. Its grippy outsole and durable improvement make it acceptable for delicate freeway working, catering to adventurers in search of effectivity all through numerous landscapes. I did benefit from engaged on the roads with this shoe, and the rebound and modest lugs made it actually really feel like a surprisingly fast path shoe.

Whole Impressions

At $155, The North Face Altamesa 500 seems like a reduction that punches strategy above its worth stage. I’m genuinely shocked by how rather a lot I benefit from engaged on this shoe, as normally, I’m not a fan of extraordinarily cushioned footwear.

Transitioning from testing the Brooks Caldera 7 (analysis) to this shoe, I was astounded by the stark distinction. Very similar to the Caldera 7, the Altamesa 500 is visually thick. Nonetheless no matter its cumbersome look, the shoe feels pretty the opposite in observe.

It maintains a inconceivable actually really feel even all through sprint intervals and is far from cumbersome. The froth’s rebound is noticeable and welcomed, significantly on prolonged runs. No matter its very important cushioning, the shoe stays fairly agile as compared with completely different maximally cushioned footwear.

The shoe does match a bit longer than completely different fashions from The North Face. The laces aren’t one thing to jot down down home about and I did have an issue with them coming untied a lot of situations, nonetheless that’s what the trusty double knot is for.

Retailer the Girls’s The North Face Altamesa 500Retailer the Males’s The North Face Altamesa 500

Title for Suggestions

• Have you ever ever had a possibility to run throughout the The North Face Altamesa 500?
• Do you’ll have a favorite maximally cushioned shoe which will merely take care of roads and trails?

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