A History of Exploration
The North Face at 50
On October 26, 2016, we turn 50. To some, we’ve been part of your lives for decades. For others, we’ve only just met. To all, new and old, novice and expert, we believe we are more than a collection of fabrics and zippers. We are a global movement that celebrates, encourages and enables exploration. We know it is more than putting one foot in front of the other. Exploration transforms the soul. It is social, creative and intellectual. It happens on the rock or the street. We exist to inspire you to explore.
To understand who we are today, first look to our past. Doug Tompkins believed that to feed your soul, you must embrace the wild. So he co-founded The North Face to prepare both those taking their “first halting steps toward a new enjoyment of the outdoors… [and] to others, of more experience, The North Face will perhaps present the logical culmination of years of searching for the finest in alpine equipment.”
From our infancy as a single store front, to our rise as a global year-round brand, we’ve remained focused on practicality and the spirit of adventure with a single mission in mind — get outside and never stop exploring. We’re an out of bounds brand. We have no foul lines or end zones. Whether through gear, expeditions or access, we have enabled generations of explorers to connect with the outdoors. The passion for exploring and dedication to preservation that our leaders poured into a small thriving business remains the bedrock of our company’s culture today.
After all these years, we still call the Bay Area of California our home. We’re in the center of everything that we love — we can hike in Marin, climb in Yosemite, ski in Tahoe, and run by the Pacific Ocean — all within minutes to a few hours of our headquarters. We are also at the center of technological innovation and have been the privy witness to decades of societal change. This environment and these experiences become part of all that we create and stand for.
To ensure we continue to have places to explore, we believe it is our fundamental responsibility to preserve the outdoors. From investing in conservation to making our products and processes sustainable, we are committed to the highest level of environmental and social duty. We cannot do this alone. We partner with hundreds of organizations whose vision matches our own, motivating explorers to become stewards of our natural world. We also need the help of the rising generation. If a child falls in love with the outdoors today, nature has gained a guardian for decades.
As we look forward, we will stay focused on our ultimate promise: to equip you to push your limits and feed your soul. Our commitment for the next 50 years and beyond is to inspire people to live a life of exploration.
Never Stop Exploring,
Todd Spaletto, President, The North Face
