Customer Reviews The North Face Litewave Explore WP

I love this light hiker! Just got them today so haven't really tried them on the trail yet, but wore them around the house and love the way they feel on my feet, not to mention the style. Look very durable too. Got the black & green ones and am thinking about getting the other color now. Very comfortable, not tight anywhere. I have a narrow heel but slight bunion issues in my forefoot, so need comfort there but also support. I wear either an 8 or 8.5, got these in a size 8 (from past North Face hiker experience) and they fit perfectly with thin socks, which is how I plan to wear them. The insole isn't removable and doesn't have quite enough support for my high arches, so I added my orthotics on top and they fit fine. So glad I took a chance on these!

I've already worn these in two downpours and they are absolutely waterproof. Although I do hike and will eventually hit a trail in these, I use them mainly as urban commuting shoes: I walk about 2 miles to and from work. They are light yet very supportive. I really appreciate the relatively firm sole, especially since my last few NF shoes have been squishier than I prefer. I'm consistently an 8.5 in NF; I have a wide foot and these fit perfectly, even though the toe box is more square and shallow than on my 3 other NF hiking shoes. I always remove the insole (yes, they are removable) and replace with custom orthotics. My biggest complaint is the shoelaces--they absolutely will not stay put with normal tying. They're barely long enough to double-knot, and because they're so bulky it's not a good look. I tried replacing them with my favorite black sport laces and boy was that ugly. The bright green laces are what make these shoes attractive; otherwise they look clunky, especially because of the squarish toe box. Also, I know they're not made to be worn on metal, but there's plenty to be found on city streets and train/subway stairs. They are super slippery on wet metal and indoor surfaces.

These shoes are amazingly comfortable!!! And very light weight which is what I was looking for in a waterproof sneaker. Have not worn them in the rain yet to test out but an hoping they will keep my feet dry. I normally wear a 9 in a sneaker and the 9 fit perfectly.

Love this shoe! I just completed 75 miles of the Ausangate Circuit in Peru wearing these shoes. Wore them twice before the big trek, so almost no breaking in, and they gave me no troubles at all! I constantly have issues with blisters or pain on the top of my foot when doing big hikes or runs, but had none with these! Already bought my second pair for backup. Love them. Note, for hikes and running I always up a half size. For normal shoes I wear a size 6, for these (and all hiking/running shoes) I go to a size 6.5.

It is very comfortable, but a little tight where the toes meet the foot (and I have a narrow foot).

I do not like the front rocking motion and they have zero arch support that I need with falling arches.

Style is better than the average hiking shoe. The support was just ok and they seemed to me totally flat rather than the slight rise from toe to heel that I needed.