The North Face Japan Drops GORE-TEX Sock Sneakers
Winter-ready trail shoes, complete with Vibram soles.
The North Face‘s Japanese branch receives plenty of covetable gear that rarely — if ever — makes its way to the West, ranging from PURPLE LABEL items to customizable coaches jackets. The latest special release is an unconventional set of laceless shoes, dubbed the “Velocity Knit Mid GORE-TEX Invisible Fit”
Taking cues from the popular The North Face Japan Ultra Velocity runner, the Velocity Knit runners retain the original design’s grippy outsole, but swap the conventional upper for a weather-fighting upper, woven from breathable GORE-TEX. The waterproof textile is executed in either black or grey mélange, complete with elastic ankle opening and pull tab for easy access. High- and low-cut versions are available, all set atop a sturdy Vibram XS-Trek outsole, with XTRAFOAM hidden inside for all-day comfort.
Japanese The North Face retailers and the Goldwin web store will receive the sleek shoes shortly, with no plans to bring the shoes overseas for now.
Elsewhere in Japan, HYKE rejoined The North Face for a lookbook commemorating the pair’s final collaboration.
