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The Running Event 2025; The North Face Altamesa 500 and 300 & Off Trail Ûltra Introductions
Dec 4, 2025
The Running Event 2025; The North Face Altamesa 500 and 300 & Off Trail Ûltra Introductions
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0:00
Okay, we're with Brett Rivers at the
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North Face senior manager performance
0:04
footwear and he's going to show us
0:06
something that was just announced and
0:08
some future
0:09
goodies.
0:10
Excited to excited to reveal what we're
0:12
going to show, Sam. This is the new
0:15
Ultima 500 V2. It comes out in January
0:19
for $170.
0:21
We really lightened up the shoe overall
0:23
while really enhancing the underfoot
0:26
experience with the Altamea 500. So, you
0:28
have a new even lighter, higher
0:30
breathable upper, a new nitrogen TPU
0:33
midsole, really high rebound, but really
0:35
soft, plush feeling under foot. Um,
0:38
those two aspects really combined to
0:39
help us reduce the weight. So, the
0:41
weight of the shoe is over 20 g lighter
0:43
than the V1.
0:44
And about how much does it weigh?
0:46
Uh, 277 g roughly for a men's 9.
0:50
Excellent.
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Um, we revamped the outsole as well.
0:53
We're still maintaining those 4mimeter
0:55
lugs, but we have a higher traction,
0:57
higher durability, surface control comp
0:59
surface control compound that we're
1:02
rolling out on all trail running styles
1:04
in spring 26 moving forward. Um, so
1:06
really enhancing that traction.
1:08
It's quiet. We've been running it here
1:09
in in San Antonio. It's very quiet.
1:12
Yeah,
1:12
for a big shoe, you know, with all that
1:13
rubber.
1:14
I've run probably a thousand miles in
1:16
this in in this shoe now across various
1:19
prototypes. Super fun to run in. Um, and
1:22
the it's a product that really speaks
1:23
for itself
1:24
and it's light.
1:25
It's lightweight.
1:26
I think it's a great value at 170. Um,
1:28
you know, 170 USD post tariff pricing.
1:31
Um, but yeah, something we're really
1:33
excited about. And then,
1:34
okay, what's that?
1:36
Sibling, the Ala 300 is also getting
1:38
updated. You have 5 millimeter less
1:41
stack here.
1:42
You still have a very similar upper,
1:43
that dual warp lenoe upper. Um, both
1:46
styles receive our new our our race
1:48
lace.
1:49
Yeah. uh coming over from the Veective
1:51
line, it stays tied incredibly well.
1:54
And then this style features a new super
1:56
high rebound EVA. And you were
1:58
commenting how light this one feels as
2:00
well.
2:00
Yeah, very light.
2:01
Um again, great value at $150. Comes out
2:04
in January 2026. 267 g.
2:08
Wow.
2:09
So,
2:09
and these aren't shoes where we're
2:11
trying to cut every gram out of it. I
2:13
mean, there just inherently with these
2:14
updates,
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there's a lot of outsole here.
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4 mm lugs, similar outsole. Okay. 4 mm
2:19
lugs. Um, again, great traction on a
2:22
variety of terrain.
2:23
Awesome. You got one more, I think.
2:25
Well, in fall 26,
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two more.
2:27
The Ultima Gore 500 Goreex comes out.
2:31
So, that features Gortex invisible fit
2:34
construction. Our athletes really wanted
2:36
something that was going to be a little
2:37
warmer, more protective for winter
2:39
training, winter running.
2:41
Um, you have a a a pocket to stash that
2:44
lace in that race lace. Um, Gator
2:46
compatibility. So, a lot of small
2:48
details on this style. Um, and again
2:50
with that Gortex invisible fit
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construction, it really keeps the open
2:53
fit of that Ultima um, uh, fit as well.
2:56
And the price here,
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uh, 190. This will come out in August of
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2026.
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And then finally, the shoe
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really excited to talk to you about.
3:06
I'll pick this up, too. Go ahead.
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This is the new Offtrail Ultra. Uh this
3:11
is the the the new style within our offt
3:14
trail franchise which is really about
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adventure running, mountain running uh
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true, you know, mountain multisport, but
3:20
we really approached it through how do
3:22
we build uh offtrail style that really
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enhances the runability within this
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franchise. The offtra TR came out in
3:28
fall 24 and it's really burly footwear,
3:31
super durable, um but it's it's a little
3:33
more heavy and a little stiffer. Here we
3:36
really focused on the weight and on the
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underfoot uh performance of this style.
3:40
So it features a new dual density
3:43
dreambound
3:44
compound.
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So molded, co- molded, no glue, no
3:49
adhesives, nothing to stiffen it up
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where we don't want nothing to
3:52
delaminate um in technical terrain. So
3:55
that that outer foam is firmer. It's
3:58
giving you support, durability um and
4:01
some underfoot protection. Uh, and then
4:03
the yellow foam is that softer foam,
4:05
high rebound nitrogen TPU foam.
4:08
What's exciting here is also the time we
4:11
spent on the gator. And so this new
4:13
Screen Guard Gator, maximum stretch,
4:15
maximum recovery.
4:17
It may just seal actually.
4:19
Exactly. Yeah. We want it to be easy to
4:21
get off and on, which it is. Um, but
4:23
also really do what it's designed to do,
4:24
which is keep that debris out.
4:26
And then, um, got the laces, the foam,
4:29
the midsole, and the outsole. The
4:31
outsole is 5 mm lugs of our new surface
4:34
control compound.
4:35
It features a scrambling zone at the
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toe. Our athletes are inherently
4:39
scrambling or doing some I'd say a
4:41
little more climbing adjacent moves uh
4:43
in this footwear as well in the
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mountains. So something that just
4:46
accentuates that while not taking away
4:48
from the runnability of the style. And
4:50
it also has hashmark guides for where
4:52
you could put snow spikes in if you want
4:54
to put spikes in to make this a little
4:56
more of a winter appropriate shoe. No
4:57
rock plate in this style. enough stack
4:59
that it's going to keep the foot
5:01
protected, but not so much stack that
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you're going to really lose that
5:06
connection with the ground as well. And
5:07
on more technical footwear, that's
5:09
really what we were trying to achieve.
5:11
So,
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wow, that is cool.
5:13
This will come out in um
5:15
in August of 2026 for $190 in the US.
5:19
Wow. Thank you.
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Some some cool cutouts, a pair that Zach
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Miller was training for Hard Rock in.
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Um, so yeah, it's been a really fun
5:28
project to work on.
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Super. Thanks, Brett. Exciting. Let's
5:31
Wow. Appreciate
5:32
it.