A Look at the Trademark Portfolio of The North Face

By Josh Gerben, Esq.

Published: July 30, 2024
Modified: March 31, 2026 Published: July 30, 2024 | Modified: March 31, 2026

The North Face is an American company specializing in outdoor recreation products. The company produces footwear, outdoor clothing, and related equipment.

The inspiration for the company’s logo comes from the Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. The company’s website indicates that the name “The North Face” originated from the fact that the northern face of a mountain in the is typically the most challenging for mountain climbers.

Since the 2000s, The North Face has been regarded as a streetwear style symbol label. VF Corporation bought it in 2000. Let’s look into the company’s history, bankruptcy survival, and trademarks.

The North Face company history

Outdoor enthusiasts, Douglas and Susie Tompkins founded The North Face as a retail store in 1968. The company retailed premium grade climbing and backpacking equipment. In 1969, the company created the first solution for carrying bulky gear – the Ruthsack.

After venturing into wholesale and manufacturing, the company continued growing and expanding. In the early ‘70s, the company added outwear to its product portfolio.

The North Face invested heavily in product design and development, making it one of the most formidable companies. In 1975, the company introduced a geodesic dome tent that became the industry’s reference point for outdoor equipment.

The industry adopted the design as the standard for lightweight, high-performance tents used in polar and high-altitude expeditions. Other outdoor enthusiasts also adopted the tent, making it the standard for general camping and backpacking.

In the same year The North Face introduced the geodesic tent, the company also introduced sleeping bags with a shingled construction of synthetic insulation. These sleeping bags also became an industry standard.

In the early ‘80s, The North Face continued its streak of innovative product design and consistent development, launching its “extreme skiwear” line.

The company added its product portfolio again in 1988, launching the Expedition System. The latter featured a line of severe cold weather clothing with integrated components that could make the clothing usable in different combinations.

The North Face claimed that world-class mountain climbers had used the Expedition System multiple times in various configurations. By the late ‘80s, The North Face was the only manufacturer and distributor of a comprehensive line of high-performance, premium-grade apparel and equipment for backpacking, skiing, and mountaineering in the U.S.

By the late ‘90s, the company had expanded beyond climbers and outdoor enthusiasts, focusing on street couture to grow its market presence.

Surviving bankruptcy

Despite having a robust product line, internal decision-making within The North Face was constantly questioned. During the company’s growth phase in the ‘80s, the company tried to manufacture all of its products.

This decision led to large capital investment in an inventory of finished goods, obsolete materials, and late delivery of high-demand products. To combat these issues, the company began to open outlet stores in the late ‘80s, in an effort to sell the lower-priced products and remove obsolete materials from its inventory.

This decision damaged the company’s high-end or expensive product reputation since customers did not understand why they were making lower-priced, perceivably lower-quality goods. These outlet stores did not perform well, leading to their closure.

These unfortunate decisions led to a sharp decline in the company’s financial health. As a result, Odyssey Holding, Inc. (OHI) acquired the company in May 1988. At the time, The North Face was known as North Face Corporation.

William N. Simon became The North Face’s president. Simon previously headed OHI, which owned about 30 companies in the brand-name and apparel industry. Then, in 1993, the apparel company recruited a new executive staff in an effort to mix up the company’s operations and restore its financial health.

The new management team initiated significant changes, including hiring new and experienced operating managers and executives, as well as shifting the company’s focus to sales and gross margins.

They also expanded contracted sources of goods and materials, closed discount outlets, and discontinued unprofitable product lines. As a result of these changes, the company began to see an improvement in sales and profits. However, the parent company, OHI, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1993.

That same year, the company was purchased for $62 million at a public auction. The buyers included J.H. Whitney & Co., William S. McFarlane, and Cason. TNF Holdings changed its name to The North Face, Inc. on June 8, 1994, with Cason taking the helm as the company’s CEO.

The North Face trademarks

The North Face has sought or obtained federal trademark registration for about 148 trademarks. They include “ICEPICK,” “HIMALAYAN,” and “EXPEDITION SYSTEM.”

A federal trademark registration was obtained for “ICEPICK” on August 17, 2010. The company uses the trademark for its footwear.

In October 2020, The North Face obtained federal trademark registration for “HIMALAYAN,” and uses the trademark for its one-piece snow suits, mittens, snow bibs, and jackets.

Last updated on March 31, 2026. This list includes all pending trademark applications and active federal trademark registrations that are owned by The North Face.

Please note: Gerben IP does not represent The North Face. This page is provided for informational purposes and reflects information available in public USPTO records.

wdt_ID	wdt_created_by	wdt_created_at	wdt_last_edited_by	wdt_last_edited_at	Trademark	Serial Number	Registration Number
1						99733600	pending
2					THE NORTH FACE	99733589	pending
3					ALTAMESA	99697958	pending
4					SKYWALL	99691030	pending
5					NEVER JUST A HIKE	99608441	pending
7					THE NORTH FACE A5 SERIES	99478114	pending
8					TNF A5 SERIES	99478110	pending
9					GOOD TO GROW	99425443	pending
10					DREAMBOUND	99256299	pending
11					SCREEGUARD	99256294	pending
12					ALTAMESA	99148576	pending
13					CLYFFE	99148589	pending
14					EXPLORE CAMP	99069252	8047285
15					SHELLISTA	99069274	8107065
16					FASTPACK	99069260	pending
17					CLYFFE	99069272	pending
18					VERTO	99069265	8107064
19						99035040	pending
20					HIGH KINETICS	98917328	pending
21					DURABLISS	98917325	pending
22					HKE	98917329	pending
23					NEVER STOP STUDIOS	98873293	pending
24					NEVER STOP EXPLORING STUDIOS	98873280	pending
25					MTN MIX	98873250	pending
26					ELEVATION	85553403	5586408
27					GLENCLYFFE	98129390	7591435
28						90565436	7559481
29					BASE CAMP	87865304	6709161
30					BASE CAMP	87865252	6709160
31					CIRCALOFT	97819447	pending
32					GOLD KAZOO	97276514	7644877
33					GREEN KAZOO	97267187	7644873
34					FUSEFORM	86325200	5433672
35						97436432	pending
36					SUMMER BASE CAMP	90026306	7770176
37					THE NORTH FACE SUMMER BASE CAMP	90026277	7516398
38					THE NORTH FACE	98129529	7860393
39					OPTIFIT	85664949	4455942
40						98692501	8036731
41						98692432	8036729
42					SUMMER BASE CAMP	98689132	pending
43					WAWONA	98687884	8046009
44					BORN TO EXPLORE	98448813	7463609
47					EXPEDITION SYSTEM	97640450	pending
48					XPLR PASS TRAIL DAYS	97296168	pending
49					ATHLETE TESTED. EXPEDITION PROVEN.	87412117	5373516
50					ULTRANEERING	98637021	pending
51					THE NORTH FACE	72427008	983624
54						98580980	pending
55						98580917	pending

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Josh Gerben, Esq.

Josh Gerben, Esq. is a nationally recognized trademark attorney and the founder of Gerben IP. Since launching the firm in 2008, he has overseen the registration of over 10,000 trademarks and handled over 1,500 trademark disputes. Josh's practice focuses on building and defending global trademark portfolios for clients. These clients include entrepreneurs, private equity-backed businesses, athletes, celebrities, and public companies. Frequently quoted by major media outlets like CNBC, CNN, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, Josh is widely regarded as a leading authority in trademark law.