THE NORTH FACE: Despite the fact that North Face has helped explorers reach the heights of the highest of mountains, The North Face retailer began on a beach.  In fact, it was San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, at an altitude of only 150 feet above sea level. It happened in 1966 when two hiking enthusiasts resolved to follow their passions and founded a small mountaineering retail store.

The shop became known as The North Face.  They are a retailer known for the high-performance climbing and backpacking equipment.  In 1968, they moved to the other side of the San Francisco Bay to the Berkeley area and began designing and manufacturing its own brand of technical mountaineering apparel and equipment.

Throughout the 1960s, The North Face brand had a following amongst avid outdoor athletes and began sponsoring expeditions to some of the most far-flung, still largely untouched corners of the globe. This launched a proud tradition that continues in full force today and constantly reinforces The North Face mantra, Never Stop Exploring™.

For 40 years North Face, named for the coldest most unforgiving side of the mountain has been in business. The North Face delivers an extensive line of performance apparel, equipment, and footwear.

The North Face will maintain an unwavering commitment to pushing the limits of design, so that you can push your limits outdoors. Never Stop Exploring.