I took them out of the box, I took the card supports out, followed by the rolled tissue at the toes and stuck them on my feet. A good fit, so Iwent straight out the door to see what the Assailant Mids, just in for test from The North Face, were like on the trail.
I like mids, they keep the crap out of your socks and it is nice to have dry feet at camp sometimes.
These are a nice looking suede/fabric affair with a protective toe rand, the padded tongue is wisely gusseted to the top and there’s reasonably aggressive Vibram outsole.
The upper is lined with “Hydroseal”, TNF’s own brand waterproof membrane, and I’ll be watching it closely to how it lasts as well as how it performs.
Performance in general on this quickie was good, I re-tied the laces after some initial stretch and my feet settled in very well. The sole flex and ankle movement is good, no restriction here at all and the grip was reliable in all but the muddiest sections, very good on rock and the short mossy grass on the steep descent from the Lang Craigs.
I like the feel of these, they remind me of my Montrail Mids, and I’m pleased to report that the toe isn’t as narrow as I remember TNF shoes to be.
These are going to be out a fair bit through Spring I think, more later.
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