What is gorpcore? Start with the pants, not the shell

On 20 September 2024, GQ's global style director, Noah Johnson, announced that gorpcore was dead. In the same column he gave readers the bargaining line: not giving up my Gramiccis. The shelves kept them.

Start with the pants. The Straight Fit Gramicci Pants and the Salomon XT-Wings 2 cost CAD 300 together, while Descente's three down jackets ask CAD 795 to 1,295. Pants first, then shoes, then one jacket: the gorpcore shelf has all three.

Quick facts

• The count: on within, Gramicci 46 pieces, Hoka 20 pairs and Arc'teryx 5 hats, read 9 October 2026.
• The guides' labels: six for sale, 79 pieces, 66 of them Gramicci or Hoka.
• Gramicci pants: 15 of them, CAD 115 to 215.
• Descente down: 3 jackets, CAD 795 to 1,295, all marked down.
• Hoka: a median pair at CAD 275, none marked down.
• Due West markdowns: 47 of 81 outdoor pieces marked down.

For the legs, a pant from Yosemite

Gramicci started in 1982 in a garage in Ventura, California, when Mike Graham made climbing shorts for the Stonemasters in Yosemite. None of them was Italian. The diamond shaped gusset came from kung fu trousers for 180 degrees of movement, paired with a nylon belt you adjust with one hand.

At Due West, 431 Queen Street West in Toronto, start with Gramicci's brown Original Gramicci Pants at CAD 140. Of the 46 Gramicci pieces, 15 are pants. The olive Hemp Canvas Double Knee Pants run CAD 215.

Wear them with a grey sweatshirt and black trail shoes (even if you only climbed the subway stairs). The Loose Tapered Pants drop to CAD 115 from CAD 155, while the Nylon Packable G-Shorts ask CAD 69. Field Mag calls it a Japanese designed label today, rooted in California stone.

For the feet, the shoes from Annecy

Salomon dates to 1947 in Annecy, France, when François Salomon made ski edges in a small workshop with his wife and son. Hoka followed there in 2009, when two former Salomon employees wanted a shoe for faster downhill running. The name means to fly.

Inside parlor23, 12 of the 20 Hoka pairs are Mafates. The Mafate Speed 4 Lite "Satisfy Bone" asks CAD 400, while the Mafate THREE2 "Nicole McLaughlin" runs CAD 275. The shop has one Salomon XT-Wings 2 at CAD 160.

At Due West, Altra's orange and clay Olympus 6 drops to CAD 155 from CAD 210. Heel and toe sit level. That zero drop platform keeps your foot flat, offering trail stability on wet city pavement.

For the weather, one good jacket

Bob Gore invented Gore-Tex in 1969 by yanking a heated rod of PTFE; the stretched material is about 70% air. The expanded membrane blocks liquid rain while letting water vapour escape through microscopic pores. Descente started in Osaka in 1935, and Eric Heiden won five Olympic gold medals in 1980 wearing its suit.

At Due West, Descente's white Mizusawa Down Shuttle Parka drops from CAD 1,500 to CAD 795. That is 47% off. The black Y-3 GORE-TEX Padded Hooded Jacket sits at CAD 579 there, down from CAD 1,095.

Arc'teryx, nicknamed dead bird, built its reputation on technical Gore-Tex mountain shells. Five hats. At the resale shop, the label holds only headwear from CAD 80 to 150; for a shell, read Arc'teryx resale.

The pants go out every day, and the shell waits for rain.

For the collector, the second name on the label

Wikipedia lists The North Face with Supreme among the trend's major collaborations, and the resale shop holds 10 of those pieces. The orange Supreme Nuptse, lightly used, asks CAD 800, against CAD 300 for The North Face's own 1996 Retro Nuptse 700 Fill. At 800 against 300, the Supreme name makes it 2.67 times the price, more than double.

Hoka's collaborations stay at full price. The 5 Satisfy and 2 WTAPS pairs carry no markdowns on the boutique shelves. At WDLT117, White Mountaineering's Mixed Short Pant drops to CAD 379 from CAD 1,295; at 71% off, the shop's terms make it final sale.

Field Mag notes that and wander rides the line of techwear. Its Jun Oson Original Sierra Cup is CAD 39 at Due West, down from CAD 60. That is a camping cup.

Before you buy

Due West marked down 47 of its 81 outdoor pieces. The shop accepts returns within 30 days if unused, and ships to the continental US for CAD 45, duties unpaid. International shipping to Western Europe, Asia and Australia costs CAD 99.

At parlor23, 12 of the 20 Hoka pairs come in one size only. Every shoe is final sale. Check designer shoe sizing before buying, while the resale shop also keeps sales final and delivers abroad in 7 to 10 business days.

Orders inside Canada pay no import duty. Every piece can be picked up at the shop or delivered: see shipping and pickup.

Common questions

What brands are considered gorpcore?

Wikipedia lists The North Face, Patagonia and Arc'teryx, while Field Mag adds Salomon, ROA, Merrell, Gramicci, Snow Peak and and wander. Of the labels the guides name, six were on the shelves on 9 October 2026. They had no Patagonia, Merrell, Columbia, Teva, Keen, Snow Peak, Goldwin, Klättermusen, ROA, Mammut, Fjällräven or Marmot.

Is gorpcore still a thing?

Yes: Vogue named it one of fashion's most influential aesthetics on 27 November 2025, 14 months after GQ called it dead on 20 September 2024. Salomon passed $2 billion in annual revenue in 2025, driven largely by footwear. On 9 October 2026 the shelves held 46 Gramicci pieces and 20 Hoka pairs, including models from 2025.

What are the best gorpcore shoes?

The Salomon XT-6, Hoka's Mafate and Altra's zero drop Olympus are the three shoes to know. Fashion took up the XT-6 in 2023, while parlor23 holds 12 Mafates, including the THREE2 at CAD 275. Altra's Olympus 6 sits at CAD 155 at Due West, down from CAD 210.

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