The North Face  Altamesa 500 V2 Trail-Running Shoes - Men's

Great overall trail shoe. The cushioning and energy return are really noteworthy. Traction is also wonderful. The forefoot is wide though so its not quite as agile for me with more narrow feet, I get some slipping unless I really crank the laces down. Very comfortable and capable over all!

This is a fantastic upgrade over version one. Needed more grip, lighter weight, and better durability -- checks all the boxes. Able to handle road to trail as advertised, but so far no problem on the mountain single track switchbacks, packed snow, root systems, and likely everything except challenging ridgelines (too much snow still to test them there). Used mostly for fast packing/hiking and some running.

Just got these and have only tested them on the living room floor, so YMMV. A review I saw somewhere said this was a big shoe. That is correct, but the fit on the foot seems to be reasonably true to size. I wear a size 11.5 or 12W in a Moab, and a 12 in this shoe fits well, but the overall shoe dimensions are quite a bit bigger than a Moab, mostly owing to the sole design I think. I have a wide foot and these are comfortable and I prefer the larger sole for stability & traction. New condition seems like pretty good construction. Made in Vietnam. It has some rocker to it which I like. My intended uses are walking, hiking and fishing - little to no running. For comparison, with a primitive gauge (A scale), the lugs on a Vibram sole on a Moab run about 65 durometer, the sole of a Hoka sandal/flip flop doesn't register on my gauge so it is probably 8 or less, and the North Face sole lugs on the Altamesa 500 V2 run about 65. However, even though the Vibram & North Face have similar hardness lugs, the part of the sole between the lugs is different, with the North Face being softer (also perhaps thinner) so it will likely allow the lugs to conform to uneven surfaces a little more (a pro for me, but may be a con for you depending on how you want to use them). I suspect these will make a good hike in to kayak to fish shoe. Not sure how well they will grip slippery stream bottom rocks yet, but I want a shoe that gets me there over land primarily, take them off if they are an issue in the kayak, & I'll carry a staff for the smaller amount of time I might unintentionally spend on freshwater slippery rocks or saltwater coral. If the durability holds up, they should be great for various applications.