Who Owns The North Face?

The North Face was founded in 1966 by Douglas Tompkins and his then-wife Susie Tompkins Buell in San Francisco, California. The company began as a small retail store at 308 Columbus Avenue in the North Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, selling high-quality climbing and backpacking equipment. The name was inspired by the north face of a mountain, which is typically the coldest, most challenging, and most technically demanding face to climb, reflecting the founders' ambition to equip serious outdoor athletes with the best available gear.

Douglas Tompkins was himself an accomplished climber and outdoor adventurer who had participated in the first ascent of Mount Fitz Roy in Patagonia in 1968. His personal connection to the outdoor world gave The North Face an authenticity that resonated with the climbing and mountaineering community. The brand quickly established relationships with professional climbers and expedition teams, sponsoring ascents of major peaks and using the resulting technical feedback to improve its products.

In 1968, Tompkins sold The North Face to Kenneth "Hap" Klopp, who would lead the company for the next two decades and transform it from a small specialty retailer into a nationally recognized brand. Under Klopp's leadership, The North Face expanded its product line from equipment into apparel, introducing technical outerwear that combined performance with durability. The brand's sleeping bags, tents, and Gore-Tex jackets became industry standards for serious outdoor enthusiasts.

The North Face filed for bankruptcy protection in 1977 following financial difficulties, but emerged from the process and continued to grow. The brand was acquired by Odyssey Partners in 1988 and subsequently by W.L. Gore and Associates before being sold to VF Corporation in 2000. Throughout these ownership changes, The North Face maintained its reputation for technical performance and its connection to the outdoor community.

Under VF Corporation's ownership from 2000 onward, The North Face expanded dramatically in scale, distribution, and geographic reach. The brand grew from a specialty outdoor company into a mainstream lifestyle brand, with its products appearing in urban streetwear contexts as well as on mountain expeditions. Revenue grew from approximately $238 million at the time of acquisition to over $3.6 billion by fiscal year 2023. The brand expanded into new product categories including trail running footwear, urban lifestyle apparel, and sustainable product lines using recycled materials.

VF Corporation's broader financial difficulties, which became acute in 2022 and 2023 following the debt-financed acquisition of Supreme (subsequently sold in 2020 at a loss) and declining performance at Vans, created pressure on The North Face to carry a disproportionate share of VF's revenue and profit burden. The brand's performance remained relatively resilient compared to VF's other brands, though it also experienced some revenue softness in fiscal 2024 and 2025 as consumer spending on premium outdoor apparel moderated following the post-pandemic outdoor recreation boom.