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The North Face Jasper Canyon GTX

rated 3 of 5 stars

The Jasper Canyon GTX has been discontinued. If you're looking for something new, check out the best hiking boots for 2024.

photo: The North Face Jasper Canyon GTX hiking boot

After less than 2 months of minimal use the sole started pulling away from the boot. I sent North Face pictures, description etc. and they said I would need to "mail them in to be looked at." I asked if they would cover the shipping to send them back as with less than 2 months use it is clearly a manufacturing issue and they said "no."

I contacted a few others at North Face, said they "might" cover shipping after seeing them, but wouldn't guarenttee it. I was astonished that even with providing photos etc. they would do this. I know people who have bought from Teva and Keen and have had their shoes replaced, no questions asked with a simple picture.

Poor manufacturing, I will never buy another North Face footwear product after this experience- thy don't last and the customer service sucks. Even the dealer that I bought them from wouldn't ship them back for me. It's cheaper just to buy some shoe goo and fix them myself. Shame shame, North Face.

On a side note, they were super comfy right off the start. But that doesn't help if the sole doesn't stay on :).

Use: short day hikes

I purchased these and have had them for 2+ years now. I have logged about 140 miles with 30 pounds or more on my back. The water resistance is good to great.  Lots of sloshing through the mud with dry feet while all my buddies were wearing soggy trail shoes that would "dry out faster than the other."  

I will say though that the tongue of the boot sticks out a little making it perfect for debris and dirt and rain to get into your boot. I always wore these with a pair of low cut lightweight gaiters.  Yet another reason my feet stayed dry. 

They are a tad warm. I hike a lot in the summer. I stop and rotate my 3 pairs of socks every 2 hours to keep my feet happy on week long trips so this too is not much of an issue. The construction of the boot has withstood a week on the PCT and a week on the AT and some easy time on the Florida trail where it is very hot and I would not trade them for a breathier boot. 

Unlike the other reviewers I thought the toe box to be a little narrow. On my first trip of 65 miles I lost my two little toe nails, but my feet were ill prepared for 12 mile days at the time so I don't blame the boot for that. I have them better broken in and have stretched them in the toe box to eliminate this problem. 

The heal area and arch are excellent. I do recommend a pair of Superfeet insoles for any serious hiker though.

The ankle support on very rocky and craggy terrain is excellent. Hard telling how many times my old sport injured ankles and knees would have been retweaked without these babies.  One tip, as with all Goretex products, don't make the mistake of spraying with silicone or other waterproofing sprays. This makes the GTX a non breathable membrane. 

All in all very pleased.  I would also avoid buying online. Try the boot you are looking at in an REI and then shop and compare prices. 

Price Paid: $110

As with other North Face products, I'd give their idea people 5 stars and their construction and quality control 1.5 at best.

The Jasper Canyon is a good lightweight yet supportive boot with excellent fit (roomy toe box, the heel can be snugged up nicely, moderate arch support), good traction and good water repellency (in my experience there's no such thing as waterproof Gore-tex).

As for quality, it has weak stitching, bad gluing and the fabric tongue gusset tends to wad up in uncomfortable lumps. They could save money by deleting the silly little logo in the window and spend it on stronger thread and double stitching more seams. The sole on my pair wasn't glued all the way to the edge in places. The lace hooks don't line up (not really a durability issue but it looks cheap).

In short, I could get a boot that lasts longer from Wal-mart for $30. They're designed for scrambling around all sorts of rough terrain but a walk in the park might wreck 'em.

Materials: leather, nylon
Use: hiking
Break-in Period: 1/2 day
Weight: unknown
Price Paid: $128

These are some of the most comfortable boots I have worn. I have worn the boots on multi-day scout trips with my son and for everyday use. The Gore-Tex waterproof lining keeps your feet dry and the arch support is terrific, molding to the shape of your foot. The boot was "broken in" after the first few times I had them on my feet.

While I would always recommend breaking in hiking boots before a long hike, it is true that no break in period is required with these boots (the time required is at least much shorter than most).

The thick leather uppers provide for very good ankle support. It would be difficult if not impossible to twist your ankle in rough terrain. I also like the look of the boot - it is different from the standard "big piece of leather wrapped around your foot" style of most hiking boots.

I've owned the boots for several months now, and have put quite a few miles on them. They continue to maintain their comfort, and they are very durable. I am usually tough on my gear, and I have managed to put a few scuffs on the toes, but they are not very noticeable.

If there are any cons, the boots are slightly on the heavier side, but I believe their durability and support make up for the few ounces of extra weight you'll carry. I would highly recommend them!

Break-in Period: None required
Price Paid: $120

Very good product I bought in 2007. For those who bought this and have disintegration problem, I just want to say, please don't buy "old" products/boots, the material of those old boots will disintegrate gradually if you don't use it often. So, just buy new products/boots, the newest styles etc. (You can imagine those old boots will be sitting and disintegrating quietly in the stores of those outdoor shops.)

I have been using the JC GTX for 4 years, it is still in good condition, except some stitches on the right side of my right-side boot has torn (about 1.5cm). I brought it to a local shop for repairing, and I repaired it with 30 HK dollars only, and then I sealed it with some seam sealer, then I used it to trek the Mount Kailash in Tibet (3 days trek).  hahaaa..

My JC GTX has gone through some snow mountains in China, including Yunnan, and Szechuan Province, rocks and streams, etc, some other easy mountains as well, and the Annapurna base camp in Nepal (10 days trek). 

Now, my JC GTX is old, but it seems it is still very healthy to go on...  but, I don't recommend to buy a new pair of this model, as i mentioned the reason above.

Price Paid: 11xx HKD

Bought these boots as a replacement for Berghaus GTX fabrics which lasted me 10 years. I do some good mileage as I train leaders for the Duke of Edinburgh Award and spent about 9 months telling my classes how good they were, comfortable and reliable. They are smart enough to get away with wearing with jeans and not looking chunky but giving good support and very easy to wear all day.

Then they failed me. After about a year they developed seriously cracked leather and a hole between the Nubuck and the sole unit... a major leak. not only that on closer inspection to sole unit was actually disintegrating and on one decent Welsh walk simply started breaking apart.

I was very disappointed as every other TNF product I have has exceeded expectations. TNF were quick to take them back but have not yet said whether they will replace or refund.

Only good if you don't mind buying a new pair of boots every year.

Materials: Nubuck and Gore-Tex
Use: 2-3 day hikes
Break-in Period: 1-2 days
Weight: 60kg
Price Paid: £80

All in all this is the best hiking boot I have owned. I don't pay a lot for anything and the value for this boot was unmatched. I found it on Ebay for 100 bucks. My prior boots were Merrel and Lowa. Both prior brands were good but seemed to wear prematurely. I log about 300 miles/year on the trail.

Right out of the box they were comfortable. The stitching and gluing is surprisingly clean and smooth for a product made in China. They are lightweight and very good in wet conditions. I have worked a good chunk of The Florida Trail which has a lot of standing water and of course a ton of rain. A couple of nice gaiters and you're set. Feel like running/trail shoes with the advantages of a watertight, breathable boot. Very pleased so far.

Materials: nubuck and GTX
Use: 4-6 day hikes with a 35-45lb pack
Break-in Period: 1 week
Weight: light
Price Paid: $100

Comfortable, but very poor quality.

Pros

  • Comfortable design

Cons

  • Sole tears apart from the shoe
  • Cracked on the right side of the right shoe

As my third pair of TNF shoe, I'm no longer buying them; with all three the sole separates from the shoe, and in this particular model, the outer lining got cracked on one side. I didn't even bothered to try and fix them. The only thing I rescued from them is the inner sole, as it is really good, and actually put it in another pair of shoes.

After this pair, I went to Clarks Osomo Mid GTX and they are 100 times better.

Summary: no more TNF shoes for me

 

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: CL$100000 ~ US$200

I bought these boots about eighteen months ago, and have always been very comfortable and waterproof. However, I noticed that the soles were coming away from the main body of the boot. I took them back to the place of purchase and they said that they would send them back to North Face in Belgium to be 'Looked At'.

As I use them most weekends, I decided to take them to the local boot repairer and cut my losses. He said they weren't worth repairing as they were disintegrating!! Dreadful quality and workmanship for such an expensive pair of boots. Waiting to see what North Face in Belgium do. I'm not impressed.

Materials: Gore-tex/ Nubuck
Use: Short day hikes at weekends
Break-in Period: None really
Price Paid: £100

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Specs

Men's
Price Historic Range: $67.98-$134.95
Reviewers Paid: $100.00-$128.00
Women's
Price Historic Range: $52.23-$134.95

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