I ran every day on vacation in The North Face Altamesa 500 v2 — it’s my new favorite trail-running shoe

The North Face Altamesa 500 v2 arrived on my doorstep unexpectedly the week before I was due to travel to north Portugal for a family vacation, and the timing could not have been better, because they were the only running shoes I took on holiday and proved perfect for the task.

I knew I was going to be near some trails on the trip, but didn’t know what the terrain was going to be like, so I needed a versatile trail shoe that could also handle road runs and be comfortable for walking and traveling.

The Altamesa 500 v2 ticked all those boxes superbly well, and they’re certainly among the best trail-running shoes for those sticking mostly to tamer terrain, like myself.

Latest Videos From

Watch full video here:

They’re now my go-to trail shoes, and are actually comfortable enough to use for runs done exclusively on the road as well. Just be wary of running in deep mud or narrow, rocky tracks, where the wide design, shallow lugs and high stack of the Altamesa 500 v2 aren’t ideal.

The North Face Altamesa 500 v2 review: price and availability

The TNF Altamesa 500 v2 launched in spring 2026 and costs $170 in the U.S. and £135 in the U.K., and though it isn’t cheap, it’s a more affordable alternative to the plated Vectiv Enduris 4 and Summit Vectiv Pro 3 shoes in the TNF line-up.

Some notable road-to-trail rivals are cheaper, however, such as the Hoka Challenger 8 and the New Balance Hierro v9, which are both $155.

The North Face Altamesa 500 v2 review: design and fit

The Altamesa 500 v2 is currently available in five colors in each of the men’s and women’s shoe, and fit me well in my normal running shoe size, with a lot of room around the toes to give them room to swell on very long trail runs.

It’s listed as having a stacked height of 36mm at the heel and 30mm at the forefoot for a 6mm drop, but this might not include the insole, because it looks and feels like a higher-stack shoe than that.

Despite being so well cushioned, the Altamesa 500 v2 only weighs 10.2oz, which is surprisingly light for a trail-running shoe with a thick outsole.

Upper

The Altamesa 500 v2 has a hardy mesh upper that breathes well in the forefoot and has a reinforced toe cap to protect your feet from stray rocks and roots.

There’s a pull tab on the back of the shoe and some padding around the collar, but not so much that it felt too hot during my runs in the sun.

It’s not as structured and protective as some trail uppers, but I found it comfortable throughout my runs and it held my foot securely when running downhill or on uneven ground.

Midsole

The midsole in the Altamesa 500 v2 is made from TNF’s Dream foam, which is a springy nitrogen-infused TPU material.

It’s a soft and comfortable foam but rebounds quickly so it doesn’t feel too unstable on trails, and combined with the rocker shape of the midsole it delivers a fun, bouncy ride that shines on flatter trails.

There’s no plate in the midsole of the Altamesa 500 v2, either to protect the feet from rocks or deliver a more propulsive ride. For that you can look at the Vectiv shoes from TNF.

Outsole

The Surface CTRL rubber outsole on the shoe has 4mm lugs that are mostly chevron-shaped and quite broad.

It’s shoe designed to grip on harder terrain and be comfortable for road runs alongside trails, so it doesn’t have the deeper lugs required to bite into deep mud.

The North Face Altamesa 500 v2 review: running performance

I ran around 35 miles in five days in the Altamesa 500 v2 while on vacation, mostly on hard-packed dirt trails but with several longer stints on rocky ground, and one run done entirely on the road.

Throughout my runs it proved to be exceptionally comfortable thanks to the Dream midsole, and as someone who’s not used to doing a lot of hilly running, the Altamesa 500 v2 protected my legs well on the downhills in particular.

It’s not just a comfortable foam either. You get a lot of energy return from the Dream midsole, and when you’re on flatter, runnable terrain the rocker and springy foam deliver a very enjoyable ride at slow and steady paces.

Despite being a big shoe, the Altamesa 500 v2 isn’t too heavy either, and when I attempted to speed up a couple of climbs it didn’t feel too cumbersome.

However, when I was running on narrow, rocky trails where my landing spots were smaller and often involved the edge of rocks, the large, wide design of the shoe was a drawback. It’s not very agile or as stable as a firmer shoe, and I had to be careful when descending in particular.

It’s not built to be a shoe that will handle technical mountain trails, and though you can pick your way through short, tricky sections well enough in the Altamesa 500 v2, it’s best kept on milder terrain where you get the most from the bouncy midsole.

The grip was mostly good for me in dry conditions, though when running on large, flatter rocks it doesn’t cling to them as securely as sneakers with a Vibram MegaGrip outsole in my experience.

Should you buy the The North Face Altamesa 500 v2?

The North Face Altamesa 500 v2 are not the cheapest running shoes out there (although they are actually good value in the U.K.), but if you’re all about comfort and mix up your runs between roads and light trails, I think they’re the top option on the market I’ve tested.

If you want a more versatile trail-shoe that can handle more technical tracks but is still comfortable, I was impressed by the Kiprun Kipsummit Max when I tested it, while the Hoka Speedgoat 7 offers a firmer and more agile ride that’s better suited to narrow, technical trails than the Altamesa 500 v2.

The Hoka Challenger 8 and New Balance Hierro v9 are two other strong road-to-trail options with highly cushioned designs. Both are good, but I prefer the springier ride feel of the Dream foam in the Altamesa 500 v2, so have it as my top road-to-trail pick right now.