The North Face’s latest performance hints at a bigger shift underway

The North Face's parent company, VF Corp., has reported its latest quarterly results, suggesting the well-known outdoor brand is not only driving growth but is increasingly doing so through a more premium product strategy.

During the third quarter of fiscal 2026, The North Face delivered high-single-digit growth during the peak holiday period, with all major product categories growing year over year. Performance apparel and footwear delivered double-digit gains again.

Crucially, VF highlighted growing momentum at the upper end of the range.

Expanded Summit Series collections, the recently launched Advanced Mountain Kit 2.0 and a wider push into elevated materials were cited as key contributors to improved brand mix.

The company also pointed to demand for premium lifestyle pieces, noting that a leather jacket priced at around $1,100 sold out in less than 24 hours, underscoring appetite for higher-priced The North Face products.

VF described this product elevation as a deliberate strategy, positioning The North Face as a brand that blends technical performance with premium design, rather than relying solely on volume-driven outerwear staples.

Altra’s momentum continues to build

Beyond The North Face, VF’s running-focused brand Altra continues to stand out as one of the group’s most consistent growth stories.

Altra recorded its fourth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth, driven by strong demand across both trail and road running shoe franchises.

VF specifically highlighted continued traction in core performance models, including newer releases such as FWD Via 2 and the latest iteration of the Timp trail running shoe.

VF now expects Altra to exceed $250 million in revenue during fiscal 2026, a milestone that underlines the brand’s growing importance within the wider portfolio.

While Altra remains smaller than VF’s largest brands, executives repeatedly framed it as a long-term growth engine, particularly as interest in performance running and trail footwear continues to expand globally.

Other brands and a steadier overall picture

Elsewhere in the portfolio, Timberland delivered another quarter of growth, marking its fifth consecutive quarter of year-on-year improvement.

VF said performance was driven by continued demand for the brand’s core 6-inch Premium Boot alongside growing momentum in boat shoes and expanded lifestyle footwear.

Vans remains in a transition phase, with revenue still declining year-on-year, but VF said trends broadly matched expectations.

At a group level, VF reported a return to overall revenue growth during the quarter, alongside improved operating margins and continued debt reduction following the recent sale of the Dickies brand.

Read about VF Corp's latest earnings report here.