Looking for a great all around hiking and travel shoe? Want one with flexibility and ready for any outdoor condition? Consider The North Face Ultra Fastpack II GoreTex with Boa quick lacing system. I recently got a pair and find them a great travel shoe option, and now I’ve been bringing my pair on all recent travels.
I chose the gray and orange color which for me is a good blend of a smart casual, smart traveller color, with a dash of sportiness in it.
The Boa lacing system means it’s easy to wear and remove. Great for occasions when you need to remove shoes often. Like when visiting a place like Chiang Mai and others with lots of temples. I was cautious about this lacing system, but one sales guy at The North Face said it’s made of steel (I thought it was nylon!) and so it won’t break under normal use. Plus, there’s a 2-year warranty and Boa or TNF would fix it in case of any breakage. Okay, that warranty was good enough assuurance for me.
The shoe has a GoreTex lining, so you can confidently stay dry in wet conditions. If you’re in a country that rains a lot, and you’re like me that you don’t want your socks to get moist, then you’ll want this. I’m often in Jakarta and it would rain off and on, and I would walk from my hotel to the nearby malls for dinner. A shoe with good grip and is waterproof is therefore a great choice.
I recently brought the shoes to Chiang Mai, Thailand. When we went to the elephant reserve and had to do a bit of outdoor walking, I was happy to have my TNF shoes. You’ll definitely stay dry in these, but just don’t jump in the water with them.
The new Ortholite sole is the most comfortable from TNF that I’ve had recently. I have to say that I’ve been a long time Merrell user for mountain hiking, even though I’m a big TNF fan and almost all my non-shoe hiking and coldwear gear are from The North Face. But this new TNF Ultra Fastpack II is more comfortable than previous TNF shoes I’ve owned, and immediately felt comfortable without needing any breaking-in. And long walks didn’t cause my feet to feel sore, which for me was the strong point for Merrells.
Visiting temples when traveling, just to appreciate the culture could be inconvenient with all the taking off and putting back on of shoes. Okay if it’s only one or two temples. But when in Japan or Thailand or India, you will want to enter many places in a single day!
To be open about it, I’ve skipped going inside temples at times just to avoid taking off my shoes. I like the feel of shoes hugging my feet securely (all my Cole Haans have shoe laces!), so I don’t like just slip on shoes. Here the Boa lacing system is very commendable. Also, for the cyclists out there, if you don’t use cleats, then this shoe is ideal as it goes on fast, cinches securely, won’t have dangling laces you need to tuck away, and will keep you dry even when the ride turns rainy.
If you’re considering this shoe but are unsure about a few things, I hope this article has cleared up some questions for you. Let me know if this has helped or if you would like more info.
Happy journeying.
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