Photo: The North Face
A climbing-shoe pattern with the laces deleted — a mainline slip-on, and the interest is the format, not the scarcity.
Verdict
| What it is | The North Face Clyffe Slip-On (NF0A8DB2), Desert Stone/TNF Blue — a slip-on on a climbing-inspired pattern: nubuck upper, gore tongue, scratch-rubber rand, Vibram Megagrip sole |
| Price | $140 — The North Face US store, checked Tue Nov 10, 2026 |
| Availability | In stock at the maker's US store at check, unisex sizes 3.5–14; also listed in TNF Black |
| The angle | The approach shoe's hardware, kept; its closure, deleted |
| Verdict | A climbing shoe's toe, a slip-on's manners. |
What it is
Nothing about this shoe is rare — it sits in the maker's own store, in a full size run, at $140. What is strange is its pattern. The Clyffe is a slip-on wearing a climbing shoe's hardware: a scratch-rubber rand wraps the toe, a climbing zone sits beneath it for smearing and edging, and the sole is non-marking Vibram Megagrip on 3mm lugs. Then the laces — the one part every approach shoe keeps — are gone.
In their place, a soft nubuck upper over a gore stretch tongue: the foot slides in, the elastic holds it. The midsole is single-density molded EVA, low-profile in the climbing manner; about 351g a shoe. Desert Stone/TNF Blue is the featured colourway — the only other is TNF Black. The North Face Mexico's framing translates cleanly: inspired by climbing, designed to explore the city.
Why it matters
A slip-on is usually where outdoor brands put their leftovers — the camp shoe, the airport shoe. The Clyffe instead asks what an approach shoe is once you remove the trailhead. Keep the rand, because toes meet kerbs the way they meet rock. Keep the sticky sole, because wet pavement is its own friction problem. Delete the closure, because the city's obstacles are doors, not summits. It will not out-climb anything, and it isn't pretending to — format thinking from a mainline brand, priced plainly.
Specs
| Brand | The North Face |
| Model | Clyffe Slip-On — style NF0A8DB2 |
| Colourway | Desert Stone/TNF Blue (also TNF Black) |
| Upper | Nubuck leather over a gore stretch tongue (per maker) |
| Toe | Scratch-rubber rand; climbing zone beneath (per maker) |
| Midsole | Single-density molded EVA, low-profile (per maker) |
| Outsole | Vibram® Megagrip, non-marking, 3mm lugs (per maker) |
| Weight | Approx. 351g per shoe (maker's figure) |
| Sizes | Unisex 3.5–14 (US listing) |
What to check before buying
- The fit is the closure. With no laces, the gore gusset does all the holding. If your heel lifts in slip-ons, it will lift in these — the size choice is the fit choice.
- It is a city shoe wearing climbing hardware. The rand and Megagrip sole are real, but the pattern is a sneaker fit. Buy it for streets and light trails, not graded rock.
- Mainline means no games. Stocked at the maker's own store at $140, full size run at check — no proxy, no resale premium, no reason to pay over the sticker.
Price record
| Price | $140 |
| Source | The North Face's US store (thenorthface.com), checked Tue Nov 10, 2026 — in stock at check |
| Featured | Site-first, Tue Nov 10, 2026 — the Instagram post follows as part of a combined carousel |
Want one?
- In the shop: browse current stock — one-off pieces, and they turn over fast.
- Hunting one? Join the Want List — tell us the maker and the budget; pieces like this surface in our trawl most weeks.
- This one: at the source — See it at The North Face. Not our listing. See Disclosure.
Related picks
- MoonStar 810s TRASDENGLOW — the trainer that glows back, at ¥9,900
- Saucony ProGrid Omni 9 — the 2010 stability brief, unsoftened, at $155
- Barbour × Paraboot Chambord Derby — a dress pattern, built like a work boot, at $760
Spotted, not sold by us — this shoe lives at The North Face's own store. Prices are a snapshot from when we spotted it. Disclosure
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Shop the pick
The North Face Clyffe Slip-On — Desert Stone/TNF Blue
$140 — The North Face US store, checked Tue Nov 10, 2026
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