Another Win For Steve Lesnard and The North Face -The Vectiv System

Thanks to the team at The North Face, and Steve Lesnard, The North Face CMO and Global VP of Product Creation, mastering the trail will be safer and more comfortable this year. What’s different about the hiking experience? The public now has access to the Vectiv System shoe line, including the Outside Gear of the Year 2021 award winner — The North Face Vectiv Exploris Mid Futurelight. The Vectiv System has been featured in Forbes and The Pill Magazine articles.

According to Steve Lesnard, “Vectiv is designed to maximize energy on all types of terrain, it powers you forward, allowing runners to run comfortably longer by reducing the impact on their bodies.” 

While Lesnard is the driving force behind the new line, North Face athletes tested the new hiking gear throughout 2020, resulting in more than a dozen broken records. Two years evaluating user feedback and performance proved that Futurelight fabric and the nano-spinning technology used to create it, deliver stability and comfort across all types of terrain.

The North Face senior product director of footwear Michael Thompson says the key design feature of the Vectiv shoe line is the footplate. Thompson says the three-layer construction empowers hiking to control their territory. Firstly, “The plate gives you lateral and forward-backward control and creates propulsion at the end of the stride.” Secondly, “The middle layer of cushioning can be adjusted for different levels of rebound and cushioning, depending on your needs.” And, finally the outsole, ” has new surface control technology with a combination of lug patterns and compounds designed for the trail.”

Steve Lesnard commented, “From my experiences, the best way to bring ideas to life requires three components. First, define the actual idea and paint a clear picture of the problem that you are trying to solve. Second, know the consumer that you are targeting, and third, be clear about the benefit that the product or service will deliver to the consumer. I call this process the what phase—what idea, consumer, and product benefit.”

Athlete comments demonstrate Steve Lesnard’s commitment to this process. The Vectiv shoe line eliminates all the pain points — sweaty feet, the inability to hike in all weather and varied trail conditions without changing shoes, and iffy ankle support trekking switchbacks and rugged terrain.

Speaking about The North Face Vectiv Exploris Mid Futurelight experience, one North Face athlete said, “turning an ankle seems like an impossibility — that’s how stable this boot is.” Another said the new boot was great for hiking and training. He went on to explain that, “The durability is something that fascinates me. You can run comfortably on the roads and feel light and fast and then when you get into the mountains and much more technical terrain, you have a shoe you feel comfortable in picking your way through boulder fields.”Customers have enjoyed wearing Futurelight gear since 2019 when The North Face introduced Futurelight technology. Along with gloves, shell pants, and top-of-the-line jackets, customers rave about the tents. And, now the Vectiv line promises less physical stress on the body and enhanced performance.