The North Face Taps Into the Archive of Artist Yves Klein to Create a Collection for UTMB

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With the UTMB approaching, The North Face has revealed a collection of footwear and apparel done in partnership with the Yves Klein Archive for the popular ultramarathon.

This collaboration, The North Face explained, will tap into the archive of the late Yves Klein, using the artist’s signature blue — dubbed International Klein Blue — “as a symbol of important storytelling.” This hue will adorn each piece from the collection, which the outdoor brand stated “has been specifically designed to meet the needs of trail runners at UTMB, with a focus on the mandatory kit for the event.”

The highlight of the collection is the Summit Series Vectiv Pro 2.0 trail running shoe. The race-ready style features seamless engineered uppers made with 92 percent recycled material that are reinforced with high-tenacity yarns. Also, the shoe includes the brand’s lightweight and high-rebound Dream foam midsoles, which are infused with nitrogen.

Aside from the footwear, the collection’s apparel selections include the Summit Superior FutureLight jacket, the FutureLight pants and the new 180g Altimetro LT midlayer top with the brand’s Stretch Dotknit moisture-wicking innovation.

The North Face collaboration with the Yves Klein Archive arrives Aug. 20 via Thenorthface.com and in select stores.

Although this is the latest headline to come from The North Face, the outdoor brand has made several as of late. For instance, The North Face named Caroline Brown as its global brand president in June. Brown, who served as an independent director on the VF Corp. board from February 2024 to May 2024, succeeded Nicole Otto, who became The North Face’s global brand president in June 2022.

About the Author

Peter Verry is the Senior News and Features Editor for Athletic and Outdoor at Footwear News. He oversees coverage of the two fast-paced and ultracompetitive markets, which includes conducting in-depth interviews with industry leaders and writing stories on sneakers and outdoor shoes. He is a lifelong sneaker addict (and shares his newest purchases via @peterverry on Instagram) and spends most of his free time on a trail. He holds an M.A. in journalism from Hofstra University and can be reached at peter.verry@footwearnews.com.