The North Face x Engineered Garments Should've Been Crazy

A The North Face and Engineered Garments collaboration should've blown everyone's socks off, simultaneously. Just think about the hype born of a single patchworked Arc'teryx jacket — a complete collection of mismatched puffers, parkas, and fleeces would've been the new hotness. Instead, we got a nice shoe. Not complaining, just saying. For The North Face Japan — which, yes, is a wholly separate entity from the VF Corp-owned TNF — Engineered Garments remixed the Vectiv Forward running sneaker into something quite suave. The Vective Forward Engineered Garments (also called the Vective Forward Easy) is a beautifully beefy runner fitted with a removable lace cap that allows it to be worn as a sort of slip-on. Cool idea, cool execution, cool silhouette that looks even cooler in a single monochrome shade. But it ain't the TNF x EG collaboration we all know could've come to be. It's a pretty crazy collab, for one, because EG already dabbles in outdoorsy trail-y gear — its UNIQLO collabs are famous for their fleece — and you don't often see TNF link with established labels like this. It does recall the glory days of TNF HYKE, by far the coolest TNF collaboration ever designed. As such, I'm left wanting more. Just think about how good it'd have been for EG to apply its archetypal mismatched design lingo to TNF staples. You already have the perfect shapes, just add the visual flair. At least the door is open to something down the road, right? Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit our SHOPPER page and subscribe to the newsletter for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty. Jake Silbert is Highsnobiety's Director of News. An award-winning writer, Jake has nearly a decade of experience overseeing fashion publications, leading editorial teams, and publishing in print media. Jake previously lived in Japan, following a multi-year obsession with Japanese fashion, food, and design, before moving back to America to begin a career as a writer and editor. At Highsnobiety, Jake explores subjects that range from Tory Burch's rebranding to the humble beauty of brown clothes to the last collaborative Louis Vuitton collection ideated by NIGO and the late Virgil Abloh, for which he conducted one of Abloh's final interviews. Jake is perhaps best known for tackling divisive subjects, such as Supreme's waning relevance, that incite discussion among even people who only read the article's headline (believe it or not). Previously, Jake pitched, wrote, and edited content for a handful of burgeoning digital publications, even drafting think pieces for social media simply for the sake of spreading the good word about good clothing. That's what it all comes back to for Jake: good clothing. Jake lives in New York City where he's perpetually hunting for the best bagel and collecting .mp3s like a boomer. Loves: chunky walking sneakers, washed-out clothing, Simpsons podcasts, Dark Souls speedruns. Hates: overripe apples, sweaty summer humidity.