Not all collaborations from The North Face make sense (ahem, Gucci) but when they team up with some of the world's best climbers to find out what they want from an approach shoe, we're all ears.
While climbing shoes look like rubber ballet slippers and won't do you much good on the trail, approach shoes let climbers hike in, tackle scrambles and even do some easy climbing – but they're usually pretty technical, and not something you'd wear around town.
That seems to be the missing piece, for climbers like Daniel Woods, Shawn Raboutou, Jimmy Webb, and Giuliano Cameroni who helped form the Mellow Climbing collective, a collaborative project between climbers and filmmakers.
Together, the climbers and The North Face launch The Clyffe today, described as "a revolutionary blend of a climbing shoe and the everyday sneaker" that lets you hike in on easy approaches in style, and means you can go straight from the bouldering wall to the bar without changing shoes a second time.
Featuring a classic low-profile sneaker silhouette, The Clyffe boasts suede/synthetic uppers breathable mesh tongues that both incorporate some recycled content and Vibram Megagrip soles with 3 mm lugs to handle rough trails.
Prioritizing all-day comfort, The Clyffe shoe will be available to purchase in men's sizing starting from today on thenorthface.com for $140/£135. It's available in two colorways: black and cavern grey/new taupe green.
