Norda - 001

I love my Norda runners. They can handle literally anything. They have models with gortex and carbide spikes if that’s something you fancy. I have the basic 001 and they work great in the winter. They take a while to soften up (100-200km), but then last literally forever. They do recommend a half size up and it fits perfectly length wise. Probably not for those with extra narrow feet. But regular to wide and they’re awesome

My Norda 001 show no wear at 150 miles of running on rocks in the Southwest. You can say they were expensive but looking at them next to my Speedgoats it's obvious they will last for three of those, making them a bargain. Also, I got them on archive sale, so there's that.

I love the 5s and bought many pairs. I'm not heavy and barely got 300 miles on them in Southern California on our harder dirt and rock trails. I bit the bullet and bought some Norda 001s this year and the wear difference is astounding. Where the SG5s are already showing a lot of stress at 150-200 miles the Nordas look brand new. It's not hyperbole to say I may get 2.5-3x an SG5 out of one pair of the Nordas which evens out the price.

Toe box/forefoot is roomy. I have a large bunion that fit fine after dyneema break in. They look like they'll last forever. Comparing my 001s to SG5s at the same mileage is startling. The foam on the 001a is tempting for longer days but I have a lot of miles left on the originals.

Yeah, they claim 7.5oz/214g for a US M8.5 which is very good but not as impressive when you get to "real world" sizes. And then there's the outsole-sponsored athletes and professional reviewers claim the lug pattern and compound are great for dry stuff but not intended for wet or sloppy conditions. So this begs the question-why use a more expensive compound with LESS durability if there is no meaningful gain in traction/grip on all conditions? They could just use standard Megagrip Litebase with a better outsole design and cover more bases while potentially making the shoe more affordable. I use my 001RZs regularly and I think it's one of the best and most durable trainers on the market. But this 005 is already struggling to show any meaningful advantages compared to the latest crop of performance trail shoes (Prodigio Pro and Deviate Nitro Elite Trail). And things are going to get a lot more crowded in this sector when the Kjerag 2 comes along (which is even lighter and now equipped with a higher stack supercritical TPU midsole and should be at least as durable with a proven outsole). Not to mention all these shoes are 70-120$ cheaper than the 005.

I don't mind their marketing. It's different than typical active wear marketing and I applaud trying to differentiate your brand by doing something different...

To each their own. I have bought Nordas both at full price and discounted... even at full price, with the mileage I get out of them they end up being cheaper on a $/km basis than all other trail shoes I've tried.

I am 6'3 200 lbs and have put over 1300km on technical trails, gravel, dirt, ankle deep mud, ice and snow on my first pair of Norda 001... and this was a "deffective" pair! 001s are now my goto shoes and I sprinkle a few runs in 002 too. The fit is particular so I strongly recommend trying them on before buying them. On a side note, I am curious to hear why you want to drop weight? In my opinion, trying to cut weight while training for more volume and longer races is a dangerous game and the risk of underfueling is greater than the potential benefits or losing a few pounds.

Switched to Norda 001 2 years ago and have never looked by... simply added a sprinkling of 002, but the 001 are what I wear 90% of the time when I'm out running on trails OR even on snowy streets during the winter.

Although the Salomon Sense Ride 4 has a special.place in my heart for being the shoe I used for my first 50k, the Norda 001 is by far my favorite shoe ever and the one I now go to 95% of the time...

Norda’s (001), but I despise their marketing.

I enjoy the 001’s, but I only buy them on sale. Let’s be real though, they’re purely a shoe brand, so don’t bother with their clothing/accessories. It’s marketed towards hypebeasts in tech/gorp fashion culture.

Ugh. I’m on my third run (first long run) with the 001’s and I thought I was in love with these shoes until I could feel the sole of the shoe squish like a wet sponge underfoot. Water drainage on my Topos (all of them) were fantastic.

There’s a thin line to (literally) walk on this. Your most stable shoe is going to be low/zero drop and low cushion, but obviously everyone can’t run in those style of shoes so getting the right balance just takes some experimenting. I will say, after years of running in Altras and Topos, I wanted something with a bit more cushion and I’m very impressed with the Norda 001s. I’ve talked to a few people who ran in higher drop/cushion shoes and are really happy with the Norda’s. They say the shoes are more stable without sacrificing the comfort of a higher drop, cushier shoe.

The price of Nordas are negligible when you account for the durability. It’s easily 2x the amount of miles you can use them compared to other shoes and the grip is far superior in my opinion.

Norda 005's are door to trail, the available colourway is quite susceptible to dirt but they are great all around. I am partial to the Norda 001 in Vermillion but they can be a bit sticky and heavy on road. And if your casual wear is closer to neutral colours, then this won't do. Some adidas Terrex shoes can also serve here, depending on what colourway you like.

The G+ spiked version is a overkill for road running, unless it's a consistently thick ice road (unlikely, but Canada is huge so idk). The 001/001a would be better. I recommend looking at trail shoe options, even the "road-to-trail" options that are popping up.

My other two finalists were Norda 001 and Inov8 Trailtalon. I ordered all three shoes, and ran a few circles around my house. My initial favorite was the Topos. The Nordas I wasn't sold on the upper, and was nervous about the ankle rub reviews. The Trailtalons, to me, didn't feel like as wide of a toebox as advertised, and the outer sole felt very narrow. Then I had a professional gait analysis and I brought all three shoes for her to watch me run in. I put on the Topos first, she watched me run, and she said "that's the shoe for you - we don't even need to try the other two." I had a list of requirements, and studying up on about 17 brands and \~50 models of trail shoes, I couldn't find one pair that checked all my boxes. I filled four pages in my journal on my studies, and scrubbed [runrepeat.com](http://runrepeat.com) until I decided that what I wanted didn't exist. So I settled on giving up the rock plate. FWIW, I did also buy a pair of Topo Traverse - which adds a rock plate and has a lower stack than the MTN Racer - but I haven't ran in them yet. Plan to use them on a mountain hiking trip in a couple weeks. Also, Topo changed up the shape of the heel cup from the MTN Racer 3 to 4. I haven't tried the 4s yet, but with a new pair of 3s on the shelf, I'm good for the 2025 fall season.

White Gum Norda 001 look and feel fantastic in a museum, restaurant, trail. They clean up very well with the Dyneema upper

White Gum Norda 001 look and feel fantastic in a museum, restaurant, trail. They clean up very well with the Dyneema upper

I was at the Renegade x Norda 005 release party last night in LA and I’m going for the demo run tomorrow. Tried them on in the store while talking with one of their team members from Montreal…they’re gorgeous in person and many (including the owner of Renegade) were talking about having them as daily wear. They’re raffling off the Norda bag for anyone who buys the shoes in the shop this weekend. Will be interesting to see how they feel on the Griffith Park 8 mile trail loop tomorrow…I’ll report back! Disclaimer: I’ve been wearing the 001s in white as my daily for 2 years and absolutely love them. I also have the 001s in gravel and don’t prefer them in technical terrain as the heel cup rides higher than most other shoes and I was getting contact against my ankle bone on steep descents…even with a heel lock lacing) I absolutely have gotten my moneys worth out of the 001s as my daily’s for two years…I wear them in the office, around town, and are my road shoes when I travel light and want to run while traveling. I’ve got a 100m and two 100ks left this year and currently am in Speedland’s for my big efforts in the mountains…would take a lot to pull me away from them as I’m a big fan of the BOA system coming over from the Altra Mont Blanc BOA a couple years ago. But to answer your question, it’s more than just the brand…though no carbon plate, they use the highest quality foam for 100% of the shoes where other brands have a mix of different types of foam (if I understand my research correctly)

Norda 001 in white gum….honestly, phenomenal all-around shoe. I live in Los Angeles and they have been my daily for 2 years. They transition seamlessly from morning run to morning coffee to sightseeing to an upscale lunch to the beach to mountains to hiking to running. I’ve worn them on dates with my wife, traveling to the Congo, traveling to Alaska, to visiting many national parks. And they clean up very well. Couldn’t recommend more highly.

I love traveling light and I’ve had a pair of white Norda 001s that I’ve traveled to Congo, Rome, Cabo San Lucas, Alaska, and a ton of beach cities in…they are my daily’s at work, clean up really well, and I’m wearing them right now at my son’s baseball practice. The sweet spot is you *like* wearing them and they perform at the level you need for a race. That is subjective to every one but when you can find it one that checks both boxes, you’ll realize it’s a great idea