Sixty years of gear built for the coldest side of the mountain - and, somewhere along the way, for the sidewalk too.
The North Face wordmark and Half Dome logo. Founded San Francisco, 1966. Now headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
The North Face designs, makes, and sells outdoor apparel, footwear, and equipment - from technical shells tested on 8,000-meter peaks to fleece jackets and puffers that have quietly become everyday wear.
The company began in 1966 as a small retail store in the North Beach area of San Francisco, opened by Doug Tompkins and Susie Tompkins to serve climbers and backpackers. Two years later it passed to Kenneth "Hap" Klopp, who moved it toward designing and manufacturing its own mountaineering apparel and equipment. Its first product was the Sierra Parka, and its logo has always nodded to Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. The name itself refers to the north face of a mountain - typically the coldest, iciest, and most technically demanding side to climb.
Today it operates across performance outdoor and lifestyle segments, selling insulated jackets like the Nuptse and Denali, Summit Series expedition kit, Futurelight waterproof-breathable shells, footwear, backpacks, and tents. Since 2000 it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of VF Corporation, and it is now VF's largest brand by revenue.
"Never Stop Exploring" - a tagline the brand uses to filter products, athletes, and grants, not just to print on hangtags.The North Face brand philosophy
Climbers, hikers, skiers, and trail runners who need equipment that holds up in the field - alongside a very large mainstream and streetwear audience that wears the brand as everyday apparel. The main Instagram account alone has roughly 6 million followers, and the brand sells across the Americas, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Staying warm, dry, and mobile in hostile conditions. The North Face builds insulation, waterproofing, and load-carrying systems for environments where gear failure has real consequences - then translates that engineering into products people trust for the commute and the campsite alike.
Where rivals lean on a single identity, The North Face bridges hard-core performance and mass-market lifestyle. Expedition credibility from the Summit Series and athlete program feeds a much larger everyday business, and VF Corporation's scale gives it distribution reach few outdoor pure-plays can match.
A category leader in performance outdoor apparel, footwear, and equipment. It competes with Patagonia, Arc'teryx, Columbia Sportswear, Salomon, and Mammut - a top-five cohort that together holds a large share of the global outdoor apparel market.
Revenue rose roughly 17% in fiscal 2024 and edged up about 1% to ~$3.7 billion in fiscal 2025, with an 18% jump in the Asia Pacific region. E-commerce is now core: the brand's flagship online store generated an estimated $767 million in 2025.
Nuptse, Denali, and ThermoBall - down and synthetic-insulated jackets that run from base camp to city street.
Since 1968The top expedition tier of apparel and equipment, engineered and tested for high-altitude mountaineering.
Since ~1990Waterproof-breathable outerwear built on a nanospun membrane technology introduced in 2019.
Since 2019Hiking boots, trail-running shoes, and lifestyle sneakers for the trail and everyday wear.
Expanded 2000sDaypacks, expedition packs, tents, and sleeping bags for hiking, climbing, and camping.
Since 1966Performance base layers, fleece, and technical apparel for year-round outdoor activity.
Since 1980sA consumer brand selling through three channels: wholesale distribution, branded retail stores, and a growing direct-to-consumer e-commerce business at thenorthface.com. Revenue is driven by seasonal apparel, footwear, and equipment across performance and lifestyle lines, supported by VF Corporation's global supply chain and retail infrastructure.
Six decades of materials science and field testing - insulation, waterproof-breathable membranes, and load-carrying systems - proven by an athlete and expedition program that puts gear on the world's most demanding peaks before it reaches shelves.
Doug and Susie Tompkins open The North Face as a retail store in North Beach, selling climbing and backpacking gear.
Kenneth "Hap" Klopp acquires the company, which begins designing and manufacturing its own mountaineering apparel and equipment.
The brand introduces its top expedition tier of gear engineered for the most demanding environments.
VF buys The North Face, giving it global scale in supply chain, retail, and distribution.
A grant program begins connecting more people - especially underserved communities - with the outdoors.
The North Face launches its nanospun waterproof-breathable membrane as a flagship materials innovation.
The brand and VF Foundation launch a global impact platform to help the next generation get outdoors.
The brand reports roughly $3.7 billion in fiscal 2025 revenue, led by strong Asia Pacific growth.
Co-founder Doug Tompkins later spent much of his fortune buying more than 2.2 million acres in South America for conservation.On the founder's second act
Explore the brand's own channel for athlete films, expedition footage, and product demos.
The North Face has been a wholly owned subsidiary of VF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) since 2000. It is VF's largest brand by revenue.
It refers to the north face of a mountain - usually the coldest, iciest, and most technically difficult side to climb. The logo is a stylized nod to Half Dome in Yosemite.
It was founded in 1966 in San Francisco by Doug Tompkins and Susie Tompkins as a retail store for climbing and backpacking gear.
Insulated jackets like the Nuptse and Denali, Summit Series expedition gear, Futurelight shells, hiking footwear, backpacks, and tents.
The brand generated roughly $3.7 billion in revenue in fiscal 2025 and is a global category leader in performance outdoor apparel, footwear, and equipment.