The North Face Altamesa 500 v2 Multi Tester Review: Fun, Poised and Ready for Anything! 5 Comparisons

Its midsole is a cutting-edge nitrogen TPU supercritical foam shifting from a nitro EVA. The outsole continues with multi floor and goal 4mm lugs of what TNF says is an improved moist grip and abrasion resistant Floor Management rubber. The specs for an all goal longer path run shoe are all there. 

Neither of us examined v1 however our contributor Nico in Austria, a high extremely runner did (RTR Assessment). and it was his path shoe of the 12 months so new foam and lighter weight for certain had us keen to place it by way of its paces.

Dom and I examined and certainly true however there was extra by way of trip really feel and geometry and extra versatility than we each anticipated. Please learn on for all the main points and 4 comparisons.

Professionals:

Large 23g weight drop in comparison with v1: SamGentle for its broad on the bottom platform, stack top, and substantial outsole: Sam, DomEnergetic, softer, fast rebound nitro TPU midsole: Sam, DomEasy and quiet on agency surfaces (even pavement): Sam, DomVery versatile:  Sam, DomHuge forefoot with uneven toebox: Dom

Cons:

Outsized, comfortable heel is a handful on technical terrain:  DomForefoot could also be too extensive for narrow-footed runners:  Dom/Sam

Stats

Approx. Weight: males’s  10.1 oz / 286g US9 (v1 approx. 10.9 oz (309 g)) 

  Pattern Weights: 

     males’s  9.88 oz / 280 g (US M8.5), 10.4 oz / 294 g (US M10)

Stack Top:  36mm heel /  30mm forefoot (40/34 with 4mm sockliner)

Platform Width:  95mm heel /  80mm midfoot  / 120mm forefoot 

Anticipated launch Jan. 2026

First Impressions, Match and Higher

Dom:  I didn’t run within the authentic Altamesa 500, so I had little concept what to anticipate with the Altamesa 500 v2, and was very pleasantly shocked.  That is actually a wonderful shoe that may do just about something.  It may go brief or lengthy, street or path.

Dom:  The variable-weave mesh higher of the Altamesa 500 V2 is unobtrusively wonderful.  Breathability appears good, and the material feels sturdy and mustn’t soak up water.  

The forefoot is pleasantly extensive throughout the metatarsals, and – this can be my creativeness – the toebox is extra uneven than different TNF sneakers that I’ve examined.  I hate the sensation of sneakers that push my huge toe inward, and I don’t get that in any respect right here.  So loads of toe room, and no points in any respect with foot retention.  The heel is likewise well-supported and cozy.

Dom:  On the foot, the Altamesa 500 v2 is highly-cushioned, but feels mild and nimble, helped by the numerous forefoot rocker that gives easy ahead roll and springy toe off.  

Dom:  On street the Altamesa is well-mannered and neutral-feeling: you might simply mistake this for a street coach.  

Dom:  On path, the shoe is even higher.  The heel is wider and better than I personally like, however will not be extreme for toe-strikers, and shall be appreciated by heel-strikers and heavier runners.  Whereas this isn’t a stability shoe, the extensive heel and torsional stiffness will please runners who like slightly help.

Sam: I completely agree with Dom’s take above on the nice  and efficient, any floor trip. 

There isn’t a mistaking in match and development that the higher is a real path higher and never a form of path form of gravel higher but its comparatively skinny mesh additionally permits it to really feel and match like a properly supportive street shoe means as nicely.  

I get a really strong heel maintain, and as a heel striker more often than not, I respect the strong shorter than most, considerably pliable heel counter that’s bolstered by an exterior overlay.

The midfoot maintain whereas on the roomy aspect is impeccable with the lace up through ridged laces and a frivolously padded gusset tongue very strong and cozy.

My pattern is my typical US8.5/EU42 and suits completely true to measurement with a notably roomy toe field nicely supported by considerably pliable toe bumper overlays that present welcome top of the toes.

 I’ve medium to slim ft and the room upfront approaches Topo or intermediate width Altra. 

 

Midsole & Platform

Dom:  The “Dream Foam” midsole (a brand new nitro TPU formulation) is impressively mild for the 40- mm of stack.  The texture is bouncy and cushioned, with out feeling mushy or unstable.  There’s sufficient beneath the forefoot to supply loads of safety without having a plate, and floor really feel is respectable, notably for a shoe this measurement.  Whereas not clearly a race shoe, I may simply think about sporting this shoe for lengthy ultradistance occasions.

Dom:  I did discover the Altamesa 500 v2 to be a little bit of a handful in technical terrain.  When hopping from rock to rock, that huge comfortable heel felt outsized and cumbersome, and I didn’t really feel assured in nailing every step exactly.  However I can’t consider a comparably high-stack shoe that will fare a lot better.

Sam: Ah what a nicely chosen fashionable supercritical foam can do!  I’m utterly finished with EVA midsoles: duller, much less reactive using and heavier. Thankfully, as right here, most 2025 path (and street) shoe midsoles are going supercritical.

The nitro TPU foam which seems compression molded has the softer bouncier really feel of TPU foams however with out the usually unstable sort of unfastened bounce of expanded beads TPU foams (akin to Salomon’s optiFOAM2 within the Aero Sense GRVL and Pulsar 4). Right here we now have an lively softer rebounding really feel that by no means feels uncontrolled pushing to the edges with that beads like really feel.

To offer the smooth enjoyable but steady trip in what’s an any trails shoe, the platform is notably broad at 95mm heel /  80mm midfoot  / 120mm forefoot, the outsole is clearly within the combine, the entrance and rear rockers efficient and the load notably mild in my US8.5/EU 42 pattern at 9.88 oz / 280 g. 

Upfront, the yellow panels are a really very barely firmer/extra inflexible materials (really with a special cloth like texture than the midsole and I feel present some entrance stability. They aren’t the inflexible plastic plating of say the Enduris 4 and in my opinion are more practical as they don’t intervene with floor really feel and agility as a lot as plating does. This strategy improves the Altamesa’s tempo vary and trip on extra technical terrain and at slower paces permitting the froth to shine in its return whereas retaining the entrance of the shoe monitoring regular.

It’s the mixture of those midsole and platform parts that make the Altamesa such an efficient path shoe and surprisingly additionally for me street shoe for days the place some further traction is fascinating and the combination is street and trails.

Outsole

Dom:  The outsole is an up to date formulation of TNF’s in-house “Floor CTRL” rubber, with 4 mm lugs.  It rolls very easily and quietly on-road and grips nicely on path.  Within the moist, grip wasn’t fairly as assured because the market-leading compounds, however is greater than enough for many functions. 

Sam: The Floor CTRL outsole is alleged to be improved with higher moist grip and abrasion resistance. I’ve not but been on moist rock however have run it on moist pavement, really very slippery roundish pebbles embedded in concrete alongside the Riverwalk in San Antonio at The Operating Occasion and it clearly outperformed the street sneakers I additionally ran there.

I’d point out once more that the outsole performs very nicely with the general geometry offering mandatory stability and response for the softish midsole foam whereas additionally reinforcing the geometry of the very efficient entrance and rear rockers. The entrance grooves to the midsole present sufficient flex to assist what’s a giant stack shoe decently agile though at hand flexing it’s a largely inflexible shoe,

Confirming the above the Altamesa is, in contrast to most path sneakers with 4mm lugs the Altamesa’s outsole is notably quiet and never over over current in really feel on agency surfaces, even on street.

Experience

Dom:  The Altamesa 500 V2 is strictly what a contemporary path shoe ought to really feel like: cushioned, bouncy, easy-going and refined.  It rolls so properly on-road that you just would possibly mistake it for a street coach.  And on path it feels strong and composed.  The tradeoff of the excessive stack and smooth foam is that it will probably really feel like an excessive amount of shoe in technical terrain, however this can go well with the wants of 90% of runners on 90% of terrain.  

Sam: I agree phrase for phrase with Dom’s analysis of the trip with one exception that as slower than Dom on extra technical trails the make up right here is strictly what I search for! On smoother terrain and street I used to be struck throughout each run how mild (in weight and trip really feel) they felt,with pleasant smooth but nicely contained and directed vitality but at all times additionally with a strong substantial really feel underfoot.

Conclusions and Suggestions

Dom:  The refined, well-balanced Altamesa 500 v2 blew me away.  For such a highly-cushioned shoe, the load is impressively mild – and with out feeling like TNF stripped the whole lot away with a view to obtain this aim.  The A500 continues to be a really snug shoe, with a pleasant extensive forefoot and uneven toebox.  Foot retention is superb.  The trip is bouncy and energetic, clean on each street and path, and the shoe feels far more nimble than you’d anticipate for its measurement.  My solely actual critique is that the A500 is only a bit an excessive amount of shoe (notably within the heel) to maneuver confidently in technical terrain.

Dom: For my part, TNF completely nailed it with this shoe.  The Altamesa 500 v2 feels just like the product of a veteran design workforce who know precisely what they’re doing.  This shoe does the whole lot nicely: it’s snug, clean on-road, succesful on path, and has sufficient cushion to take you so far as you wish to go.  There’s no flashy carbon-plated tech, and it actually received’t please minimalists.  There are sneakers which are higher on technical terrain; there are sneakers which have higher floor really feel; sneakers with much more cushion.  However working shoe design is a recreation of trade-offs, and also you’ll be hard-pressed to discover a shoe that’s as enjoyable and versatile because the Altamesa 500 v2. 

Total: 9.5/10:  (Observe: not a mean of particular person scores)

A winner.  That is as near a one-shoe-to-please-them-all that I can consider. 

Experience: 9/10.  Very nice.  Strong on-road and off.  Solely struggles in technical terrain.

Match: 9.5/10.  Nice foot retention and luxury.  Wonderful form for my wider ft.

Worth: 8.5/10.  Competitively-priced, however not a standout.

Type: 9/10.  Nothing flashy, however a handsome shoe to my eyes.

Traction: 8/10.  Strong, not leading edge.

Rock Safety:  9/10.  About pretty much as good as you’re going to get with no plate.

😊😊😊😊😊  – All the grins at this time.  Bravo, TNF!

Sam: Alongside the strains of Dom above the Altamesa 500 v2 is refined, very versatile and was enjoyable to run in all places I took them so far: straightforward trails, gravel and pavement. Poised and prepared for something is how I’d describe them! The supplies are completely fashionable, the load low, the higher safe and cozy whereas not overdoing it. I’m happy TNF didn’t attempt to “jam” plating in it as they’ve in a number of sneakers in prior years counting on foam, geometry and outsole to maneuver the shoe alongside.

The worth at $170 is strong for the fashionable development, mild weight and particularly versatility.

I’ve no actual negatives for the Altamesa 500 v2, and I often discover no less than one thing!

Sam’s Rating:  9.34 😊😊😊😊

Experience (30%): 9.5 Match (30%): 9.4 Worth (10%): 9.4 Type (5%) 9 Traction (15%): 9 Rock Safety (10%): 9.1

And once more agreeing with Dom, the shoe given the sum of the components and their integration exceeds the weighted rating above.

5 Comparisons

Hoka Challenger 8 (RTR evaluate)

Dom: Hoka’s Challenger line has meandered slightly over time, however is at the moment nominally a “gravel” shoe.  Model 8 has the next drop (8+ mm) than earlier iterations, which is greater than the Altamesa 500 v2 (6 mm).  Stack top and lug depth are comparable, however the Altamesa presents slightly extra cushion beneath the forefoot.  Weights are very shut.  Challenger 8 forefoot is wider than Challenger 7, however continues to be common width.  The Altamesa is wider, and has a extra uneven toebox than the C8.  Altamesa midsole (nitro TPU) is extra enjoyable than the EVA midsole used within the C8.  C8 has extra heel rocker than Altamesa.  Personally, I’d decide the Altamesa. However if you happen to desire high-drop sneakers, and/or have a slim forefoot, then C8 would possibly go well with you higher.

Mount to Coast H1 (RTR evaluate)

Dom: The star of the H1 is its CircleCell foam, which is mild, bouncy, and sturdy.  By way of stack heights, Altamesa is increased at 40 / 36 mm, in comparison with H1 at 35 / 29 mm. The H1 is considerably lighter at 256 g / 9.0 oz than the Altramesa 500 at 294 g / 10.4 oz (in US M10).  The H1 is a very enjoyable and likeable shoe on street, however the outsole – with shallow 2 mm lugs – limits its off-road functionality.  The H1 looks like a street shoe that may do some off-roading.  The Altamesa, although not well-suited to gnarly terrain, is far more succesful.  It looks like a path shoe that can also be snug on the street.    Each have a roomy forefoot, however the toebox of the H1 is extra symmetric, and I personally desire the form of the Altamesa.  In the event you run predominantly on the street, H1 is a more sensible choice.  In the event you run predominantly trails, go for the Altamesa 500 v2.  Each are wonderful sneakers.

Sam: Agreeing with Dom’s take. On clean terrain and street the H1 is quicker, extra agile, extra responsive and firmer in really feel. If deeper grip will not be important to your path terrain and for shorter distances it’s a high high decide.

Norda 001A (RTR Assessment)

Sam: About 0.5 oz on a decrease stack top and narrower platform, the Norda is a superbly crafted and looking out shoe and much dearer. Its 100% Arnitel foam midsole will not be fairly as smooth because the Altamesa’s however clearly extra reactive. Its MegaGrip outsole is confirmed and grippy. The Norda geometry on the rear of the shoe lacks the sleek TNF’s rocker whereas its entrance is extra agile in really feel. The Altamesa shines brighter on clean terrain and roads of every type because of its geometry and extra cushion whereas the Norda leans extra technical trails and for me additionally informal use. 

Dom: These sneakers are nearly an identical in weight, however the Norda 001A is far more at residence in tough terrain as a result of its decrease stack top (official specs say 26/21 mm, however that’s would not embrace outsole or foot mattress, so seemingly about 35/30 total), firmer midsole, and Vibram outsole rubber.  As with every Norda comparability, the excessive worth of their sneakers is difficult to disregard.  However Norda sturdiness is known, notably with the 001A, whereas the Altamesa 500 V2 is but to be decided.  Each are surprisingly good on street, however Altamesa has a strong lead there.  Go for Altamesa 500 if you happen to like a highly-cushioned really feel, Norda for a firmer, extra steady trip.

Kailas Fuga EX 330 (RTR Assessment)

Sam: The  EX330 is about 0.6 oz heavier on the identical stack top and a barely narrower platform. Its supercritical EVA midsole is equally smooth however not fairly as reactive. Its nearly full Megagrip outsole (contributing to weight and really feel on arduous surfaces) has extra aggressive lugs and is for certain any tech terrain succesful, seemingly extra so than TNF. It has a equally wonderful thinner higher that’s extremely breathable and really safe with a contact much less toe field room than the Altamesa’s. It was my favourite tech terrain shoe of 2025. The Altamesa whereas not fairly as tech terrain succesful is a significantly extra versatile shoe.

La Sportiva Prodigio Max (RTR Assessment)

The Max is barely decrease stack top at 37/31 and 18g heavier at equal sizes (at all times measurement up half a measurement in la Sportiva even of their new broader suits). The Max suits snugger and decrease within the entrance toe field with very safe midfoot to heel maintain. The Max has a really energetic related eTPU core because the Altamesa does for its complete midsole with a light-weight stabilizing outer EVA service foam. Its traction is confirmed and very good. Each are high selections as all rounders with the Sportiva leaning extra technical trails however can also be nice on clean and street surfaces.

Index to all RTR opinions: HERE

The Altamesa 500 v2 will launch January 2026

Dom’s 2026 Path Run Previews from The Operating Occasion with 23 Manufacturers and 45 Footwear HERE

2026 Path Operating IntroductionsYT Playlist (31 Movies)

All RTR opinions: HERE

Newest Evaluations-Chronological Order HERE

Tester Profiles

Dom 51, trains and competes primarily on trails in Southern California.  In 2017 he was 14th at Western States 100 and in 2018 completed fiftieth at UTMB and thirty second on the 2018 Los Angeles marathon in a time of two:46. In 2019, his solely notable end was on the multi-day Dragon’s Again race within the UK.  In 2022 Dom completed 4th within the Angeles Crest 100 and was tenth in his age group at UTMB. In 2025 Dom received the Ray Miller 50 Mile in California.

Sam is the Editor and Founding father of Highway Path Run. He’s in his 60’s with 2025 Sam’s 54th 12 months of working roads and trails. He has a a long time outdated 2:28 marathon PR. Lately he runs halves within the simply sub 1:43 vary.  if he will get very, very fortunate. Sam trains 30-40 miles per week largely at reasonable paces on the roads and trails of New Hampshire and Park Metropolis, Utah be it on the run, climbing or on nordic skis. He’s 5’9” tall and weighs about 160 lbs, if he isn’t having fun with too many nice New England IPA’s.

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