How The North Face Nuptse Puffy Jacket Went from Everest to the Street

The North Face didn’t invent the puffy jacket. That honor goes to Eddie Bauer, who patented the first goose down jacket after almost dying of hypothermia on a winter fishing trip in 1935. He wanted something as warm as a heavy wool coat, but lighter and more breathable. So he stuffed goose feathers into a quilted jacket and called it the Skyliner. The rest is history. Eddie Bauer may have invented the puffy, but The North Face made it cool with the Nuptse. This oversized, bulky puffy has been a fashion staple for the last 30 years, worn by rappers and suburban kids alike. It has become an icon of streetwear, though The North Face designed it specifically for the mountains.

The 1992 Nuptse: A Technical Jacket Built for the Mountains

Originally released in 1992, and named after a daunting peak in the Himalayas, the Nuptse was built as a technical jacket designed with input from TNF’s global expedition team. Just like Eddie Bauer, those mountaineers in the ’90s wanted a jacket with excellent warmth-to-weight ratio that could also handle the rigors of climbing.

“We had been making down jackets since the early ’70s, but the Nuptse was a revolutionary step towards lightweight warmth for the most extreme outdoor conditions,” says TNF’s chief design officer Ebru Ercon, citing a unique baffle design that allowed for more loft and prevented the down insulation from migrating out of place and inadvertently creating cold spots. The torso was cut short so climbers could easily access their harness below the jacket. An overlay on the shoulder of the jacket added durability where a pack would sit—another functional design choice that gave the Nuptse its now iconic black color blocking on the shoulders.

From Everest to the Streets: How the Nuptse Became a Style Icon

All of these thoughtful, tactical details that made the Nuptse an ideal expedition layer helped it stand out against other puffies of the ’90s. It just looked…badass. Influential personalities of the ’90s hip hop scene (we just called it “rap” back then) adopted the oversized puffy, wearing it in music videos, photo shoots, and through the streets of New York City. Why? Partly because the Nuptse was warm, but mostly because the jacket looked great with jeans and a pair of Timberland boots.

I spent most of my high school career lusting over this oversized pillow of a jacket precisely because some of my favorite hip hop artists wore it. I lived in Georgia, where it rarely gets below 30 degrees, and the toughest adventure I had in mind was cutting across my neighbor’s farm to get to my best friend’s house. But still, the Notorious B.I.G. wore one. So did Redman. I had to have a Nuptse.

“What differentiated the Nuptse from many other mainstream puffies on the market back then is that it was designed to be an on-mountain, expedition-proven product, ready to withstand the harshest climates on the planet,” Ercon says. And yet…“The Nuptse became a signature piece for some of the world’s biggest artists in the ‘90s.”

The Drake Effect—and the Nuptse’s Lasting Appeal

Rappers and suburban white kids wearing hardcore technical jackets designed for Everest to the mall might be the literal definition of irony. And the Nuptse was just getting started. In 2011, Drake wore a leopard print version of the Nuptse—a collab design with Supreme—in his video, “The Motto,” and the jacket’s popularity with gen-pop hit a fever pitch.

“In the early 2000s, we were still selling the Nuptse primarily in the outdoor specialty space, but after the Drake video, the jacket continued to garner momentum with a growing fan base,” Ercon says. “That’s when it became a true streetwear/lifestyle staple product.”

And the Nuptse’s popularity continues. The jacket hasn’t changed much since its original debut back in ’92. The latest version, the ’96 Retro, looks almost identical to the jacket I wanted so badly when I was a teenager in the mid-90s, but it features higher-performing shell fabrics, more recycled materials, and better DWR treatments. But it still looks good with some jeans and Timberland boots—and yes, suburban kids still want to wear it to the mall. I recently got a Nuptse vest to test for this article— two-toned blue with the black color blocking on the shoulders, just like the one I wanted when I was a teenager. Now I just have to wait for my 16-year-old daughter, who has been wearing it nonstop, to give it back.

Why The North Face’s Technical Gear Keeps Crossing Over

The Nuptse isn’t TNF’s only technical jacket to successfully cross-over into the mainstream. The brand’s Denali fleece has been a staple at frat parties since I was matriculating, and the Mountain Jacket, a waterproof, technical winter shell, also enjoyed its adoption in streetwear culture in the ’90s. The Notorious B.I.G. even called out The North Face in one of his songs. I can’t repeat the lyrics here, but you can google it.

The demands of expeditions still drive The North Face’s development today, but the brand continues to court streetwear enthusiasts through regular collaborations with brands like Supreme and the creation of layers that just look great, whether you’re a mountaineer at Everest basecamp or a teenager hanging out in the parking lot of Taco Bell.

Here are four TNF puffies that have crossover appeal, including my favorite puffy of all time.

The North Face Nuptse 96 Retro

Let’s start with the puffy that created the crossover craze. This jacket still has plenty of technical chops—it boasts 700-fill down in those signature baffles that keep all of the feathers lofty and in place. The DWR-finished outer does a good job of keeping you dry in a light snow, and I really like the hood that packs into the collar. I’ll be honest though—I don’t love the boxy look of this jacket as much as I did as a teenager. (Maybe because I also have a boxier cut these days?) Now, I want a longer hem on my  jackets. TNF makes better technical puffies (see below), but the Nuptse continues to woo teenagers and streetwear aficionados.

The North Face Kalik Down Hoodie

Consider this a less ostentatious version of the Nuptse. Like the Nuptse, it’s packed with 700-fill down insulation inside a water repellent fabric with oversized baffles. But it has a less boxy silhouette, and a longer hem. An abrasion-resistant Cordura overlay covers the shoulders, hood and upper sleeves for extra durability, and an extra layer of synthetic down in the yoke, upper sleeves, and draft flap improve heat retention. It’s a really warm jacket, and I could see putting this on over my kit at basecamp, but the general vibe of the Kalik screams “city life.”

The North Face Terra Peak Hoodie

There’s something distinctly modern about the Terra Peak. While the Nuptse and Kalik lean into the retro vibes, the Terra Peak is very “now” with its solid color options, horizontal baffles and synthetic insulation. The jacket performs, too—its Thermoball insulation is warm even when it gets wet, and the shell does a great job of blocking the wind on mountain summits. I like the stretchy gussets and cuffs, which enhance mobility, and the brushed lining on the collar, which feels cozy when you zip it up against the chill. It’s also significantly cheaper than the other options on this list.

The North Face Summit Series Breithorn Hoodie

The Breithorn is my favorite TNF puffy, and it’s not even a close contest. Mostly, I love this jacket because it’s a legitimate tool for technical adventures in the cold, but I also appreciate that it looks damn good in an après ski situation. Made with mostly recycled content, the Breithorn features 800-fill ProDown, a natural goose down insulation that’s given a hydrophobic finish so it dries faster after getting wet. The outer fabric is water resistant, and the jacket comes with a hood that’s helmet compatible.

I’ve worn the Breithorn on winter adventures for the last two years and I’m always impressed with the warmth it delivers, whether I’m carrying my skis on my shoulder to drop in on a questionable sidecountry line or standing in a parking lot after dark drinking a beer. And just like the Nuptse back in the ‘90s, the Breithorn delivers on its promise of superior warmth-to-weight ratio. This jacket weighs just 14.67 ounces—less than a can of beer if you need a comparison. And maybe it’s the glossy exterior or the slim, athletic cut, but I also think it looks great with a pair of jeans and Timberland boots. Long live The North Face crossover puffy.