UNDERCOVER & The North Face's Off-Road Shoe Has Military-Grade Strength
The North Face and UNDERCOVER’s Summit Offtrail TR sneaker is bulletproof. Well, almost.
The upper forefoot panel of the experimental-looking off-road running sneaker is crafted from Matryx fabric, a high-performance textile made using Kevlar.
Yes, the hi-tech fiber, which can be 10 times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis, is built into this shoe. In other words, the Summit Offtrail TR wraps your feet in the same material used for bulletproof vests.
This may seem like an excessively strong fabric to use on a sneaker, however, this is a shoe built to traverse the roughest terrain.
The outdoor model is designed for runners to explore beyond the constraints of predetermined trails and go off-road on the mountains — unstable ground where the massive 7mm lugs on the Summit Offtrail TR’s sole will come in handy.
Currently, the newly unveiled slip-on shoe is only available in a yellow and black color combination. However, with the release of The North Face and UNDERCOVER’s collaborative collection on October 30, there will be a more minimal and easily wearable variation on the market.
The Japanese high-end streetwear brand turned the shoe all-black with small hits of white branding spelling out SOUKUU, the name of this collaboration.
Alongside these sneakers, the third SOUKUU collection from The North Face and UNDERCOVER includes more dark-colored technical wear with straightforward branding: an insulated jacket, utility pants, a balaclava… all the forms of hi-tech gear The North Face is famous for.
That UNDERCOVER would want to put its spin on TNF’s signature outdoor clothing is inevitable, streetwear collaborations regularly put inventive spins on the American brand’s puffer jackets and advanced track sets. However, the inclusion of the Summit Offtrail TR sneaker is indicative of a bigger trend that’s currently bubbling away.
Running shoes of the techiest ilk, known as super shoes in the marathon industry, are increasingly being tapped by fashion brands for collaborations.
For the most part, these collaborations focus on typical road running shoes, however, UNDERCOVER has taken things one step further with a top-of-the-range off-road shoe.
