First of The North Face can get ribbed a bit online for becoming too big or forgetting their roots but if they do anything right I think it is their shoe line. They show new approaches to functional footwear can be combined with quite good looking designs, good fit and attention to detail.
The fit is great, I would say these are a normal/average width. Although I have narrow feet and these are a bit on the wide side for me, these are very comfortable and I only ever get minor blisters when I have to trek 6+ hours with soaking wet feet (yeah, see below for that).
Cushion is there but not overly squishy, just right, and the grip of the outer sole works really well for me. Previously I had trekked a lot with trail runners without a rock plate and this would leave my feet bruised after longer day treks (40~50Km). The TPU plate in the forefoot really helps with this, my feet feel well protected.
The upper of the shoe has a very simple design. There are not a lot of lines and stitches usually points of failure or blisters which I think looks good and performs well.
On Goretex trekking twice a week during the rainy season in Japan my experience has been that when there is sustained rain my socks will start to feel wet after two hours. Then they will be soaked and sogging in 2,5 hours. I've had this happen quite consistently while hiking in continuous rain. The rain I'm talking about varies from normal sustained to intense sustained rain, sometimes was a bit less, sometimes a bit more. But my shoes never stayed dry for more than 2~2,5 hours.
I think there might still be cases where GTX mids could be good. In mild snow trails where you are not constantly subjected to lots of snow or water the GTX Mids were warmer and stayed dry enough (but I have limited snow experience).
I wish they would make these in a non GTX version, one that might dry out or drain quicker while walking. This would make for a better option in all but full winter season for me.
Other than that a very solid but light-weight mid shoe that inspires confidence. Good buy.
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I have worn North Face Mid boots for a number of years. This version replaced a three year old pair that were well worn. Out of the box they fit perfect and required no break in for me. Strong support with comfort Excellent Product
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