The North Face Ultra 105 GTX XCR Shoe - Men's - 2009 BCS

If you liked the TNF 103 GTX XCR, you'll more than likely LOVE this shoe. I bypassed the 104 GTX XCR, as I did not like the lacing so wide on the shoe. Evidently, I was not the only one, as TNF returns to a very similar style with the 105. I do find the 105 to be a little less stiff and more flexible than the 103, which in my opinion is a very good thing. I think part of the secret is the heel cushioning TNF uses in this shoe. X-2 cushioning is superb. I did not realize it had an incorporated air pocket, which helps soften the ride, but is still firm. My 103s lasted two years, which for me is amazing. The kicker. I have a wide toe box, and wear a 13 2E in road running shoes. Hard to find in a trail shoe. I did find a size 14, while just slightly too long, addressed the width I needed. Still in the 90s here in Tennessee, but can't wait to put them to the test soon. Next month should be raining and cooler, and off we go....All-in-all, a GREAT shoe thus far.

I have had 3 pair of these shoes, the quality has gone down hill. I will not buy another pair, going to try out the Solomons.

If you want a pair of shoes that'll fall apart from the sides in a year...w/o water protection...crappola

--- Word of warning on the 103 design ---
I've owned both the TNF 103 and 104. The 103 (design is very very similar to this 105 as stated by Jim) was plagued with issues of durability:
The leather on the sides of the shoe by the base of your toes (i.e. where the rubber toe cap meets leather as pictured) would tear after about 6 months of use. This happened to my shoes (mainly city walking use) as well as those of 2 friends with the same.
Time will tell if they fixed this in the 105.
The 104 had no such issues.

Otherwise, both shoes are amazing. The 104 wider style I found to be more comfortable. My feet are kept dry through rainy days in the PNW hiking around. Comfortable as sneakers which you can take hiking and out into the rain.

Amazing shoes - used them for 5 out of 7 pairs for my Walk across the USA (www.kivawalk.com)

I've been using these shoes for about one month now and I am happy with them. The fit was good and the added Gortex protection works well for minor wetness.

Comfortable to walk/Hike in for regular trails and work well over rocky terrain that's not to steep.

Have worn for only a few days and thus far are great. I have wide feet and as soon as I slipped them on they were comfortable. Have already worn in the snow and ice and they have superb traction. Sizing is spot on and they fit as you would assume, so order normally.

If Tonka Truck made sneakers this is what they'd look like. Really cool looking and pretty darn stiff. The stiffness has narrowed my usage so far but they are beginning to loosen up. Very stout sneeks.

I bought my first pair of Ultra's back in Seattle at TNF store at least 10 years ago. Have bought a pair every year since. Seems they have missed on this set up. I bought these shoes last year, basically the same design and they worked OK, this year, not so much. The little nobs on the bottom outside of the sole came off in two places on each foot, the small rubber toe cap on each foot has peeled back. All this after one 30 mile backpacking trip.

Backcountry as great as they are has replaced them with another pair, lets hope this pair was a fluke.

Great pair of shoes, just not this pair...

This is my third pair of these shoes. I am a contractor and I wear them for work every day. The gore tex liner keeps the feet dry in the morning dew or when its raining. They hold up pretty well. I get about a year out of each pair it seems. The Gore tex does make the shoe warmer than w/out so in the summer months it is a bit less comfortable than a shoe without. I've been happy enough since my first pair to keep buying them so that says a lot....

The shoes are great and comfortable but the first time I wore them for something other than walking around I had a portion of the sole start to detach. It doesn't bother me much as long as it doesn't come off more than it already has. These are a little warm for Arkansas summers also but I look forward to getting more use out of them when it starts raining more in the fall.

The very reason I got the shoes was that they looked great. After I started using them, I found out that the shoes are very lightweight, and comfortable. One probably needs to buy 1/2 size higher than usual. Each of my new shoe is better than the earlier one. This one being my latest buy, is also my best shoe. I do not know about its durability or strength, but hope that it will last for a couple of years.

Yes this appears to be almost identical to the 103's that were out a couple years back. I owned a pair of the 103's and absolutely loved them except for 1 detail, the tread design. It had plenty of grip when new but is very shallow and once it wore a bit was sketchy in wet conditions. I have looked at the 105's more than once and will probably buy them even though the tread design is the same as previous 103's The Ultra 104's had a better tread design but did not hold up as well to the abuse that I put shoes through.

The quality in North Face footwear has diminished over they years. I have bought their footwear for years and they aren't cheap! Sadly, you no longer get what you pay for with these shoes. The rubber is starting to rip up on me by the soles and on my last pair the bottom of the sole was starting to come apart. Very poorly built sneaker as compared to years ago. I have owned a pair of Salomon Gore-Tex and they were MUCH better built and comfortable. Buyer beware, the shoes are pretty but has serious quality issues!

This is my 2nd pair. I wore the first ones almost every day for 3 years. Great fit for my high arches plus they look cool. I did replace the insole with a higher quality pair that made the comfort even greater.

I have had these for a month now and used in snow and rain from Colorado to Kentucky. Since I travel for a living I need one athletic shoe in my bag that can go from gym to trail in Anchorage or other cool climates. I like the warmth and wind resistance the gore liner provides in addition to keeping the piggies dry. They are much lighter and breath better than my Montrail XCR's that my dog chewed. Very flexible shoe for the cooler months. Soft enough for the treadmill or asphalt and perfect for the trail. Great looking too! Not sure how they will hold up? M

It arrived before date estimated. It was in good condition. I loved everything!

Love these shoes for light hiking/outdoor use in sloppy conditions. Love the ankle and heel support. Would recommend these shoes to anyone. My sister is in podiatry school and I have convinced her on them! I have a bad ankle, so the support is what keeps me coming back. Also, I can stand in puddles and have never had a leak. I wear these shoes until they fall apart...and it takes forever to wear them out!!

Everything about this shoe is amazing. They're comfortable, they're supportive, the stitching holds up like a champ and there never was a drop of water coming through and the soles grip like monkeys. The biggest problem and annoyance is the fact that the soles aren't glued on well. The rubber peels off of the bedding. I fixed the problem with some ShoeGlue which works fine but I've had to re-glue my shoes multiple times. My friend had a pair of TNF boots that did the same thing.

it is a really good shoe. The goretex really works. It's stable. However, it is not very comfortable for my left foot. The upper side of shoe makes pressure on the top of my foot.

comfortable, lightweight and great design. True to fit!