A Guide’s Review of the Norda 001
Nearly indestructible uppers with tried and true rubber mean the Canadian designed Norda 001 shoe. Throw in a distinctly Canadian outsole and a plethora of distinct colorways and you have a contender for the best premium trail shoe around.
Overview
- Material: bio-based Dyneema, Vibram SLE midsole, Vibram Litebase + Megagrip
- Weight: 268 grams for size US 8.5 (claimed)
- Size Tested: 11
- Drop: 5mm
- Stack Height: Heel Stack: 26 mm / Toe Stack: 21 mm
- Country of Origin: Vietnam
What are the Norda 001 shoes?
The Norda 001 are the world’s first bio-Dyneema based trail running shoes. They are designed to tackle any type of terrain you can throw at them with an upper that can take as much abuse as the outsole. We found them to be breathable, durable and light while providing enough cushioning to keep going for the long haul and not so too much stack height that can make you feel like you’re wearing stilts.
Who is Norda?
Lifelong friends Willa and Nick Martire, veterans of the shoe industry, had a mutual dream of creating the ultimate technical trail-running shoe. When the world all but stopped during Covid, Willa and Nick had the time to enlist their equally stubborn, passionate and talented friends, Louis Martin Tremblay and Gerard Cleal, to join Norda as partners, bringing their own shoe expertise and refusal to compromise. Together, the four of them started creating the first Norda prototypes between Montreal and the Eastern Townships.
What in the world is Bio-based Dyneema?
The upper of the Norda 001 is made with seamlessly woven bio-based Dyneema. Previously known as Cuben Fiber, Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) is “constructed from a thin sheet of ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE, “Dyneema”) laminated between two sheets of polyester.” Wikipedia. It is 15 times stronger by weight than steel, is abrasion resistant and lightly water resistant. The material feels nearly indestructible on foot. It has become the material-du-jour for ultra light backpacks and Norda is the first company to use bio-based Dyneema in shoes.
The Upper
The main feature of the Norda 001 is its seamless Dyneema upper. The upper is rugged and can take rock scuffs all day long, no questions asked. It is also lightly water resistant. Puddle splashes are not a problem. I’ve even walked in some creeks to test them out. After a dozen steps the water starts to ingress but it’s an easy price to pay as the shoe breathes quite well. I’ve worn them in temps in the mid 30’s in the alps and not had sweaty feet at all by the end of the day. Water resistant and not hot? Count me in.
Holding your foot into the shoe is the Norda Lock System. An lightweight gusseted sock system to hold your fit in place to provide stability as you move through the mountains. It does a good job holding the foot in place even without using the extra lace lock, something I use quite often on other shoes. There is no sock liner like some shoes and in fact wears more like a regular shoe. The liner does not help keep small rocks out, for that you’ll need to tie them very tightly or perhaps pick up a pair of Dirty Girl Gaiters.
The 001 features a laminated toe box. It’s soft to the touch and relatively flexible. If you are looking for a hard toe protector this is not it. Kick a rock and you’ll know. I managed to put a small hole in the left shoe but patched it with a touch of super glue and have kept rolling with no noticeable change since July.
The Achilles Heel?
The heel of the Norda 001 is not padded at all. Some reviewers have complained that the heel didn’t offer enough support and I did not find this to be the case. My heel rarely slipped to where I felt it was a detriment. In fact, I never laced the shoes using the extra eyelet which is something I do with most shoes.
The only annoyance I found was that my favorite no-show Injinji would constantly get pulled down with these shoes. I am definitely better off wearing ankle height socks with the 001.
Midsole
Midsole Cushioning is provided by a collaboration between Norda and famed Italian outsole maker, Vibram. The SLE midsole with a heel stack of 26mm and a toe stack height of 21mm provides great cushioning despite lacking a rock plate. Hit something sharp hard enough and you’ll know it but that is a very rare instance.
Outsole
The outsole of the Norda 001 is an exclusive design by Vibram in collaboration with Norda.It incorporates Litebase, Vibrams tech to reduce the thickness of the outsole material for weight while maintaining durability. Megagrip is Vibrams rubber compound for trail running shoes.
The 5mm lugs do a great job of providing grip on all forms of trail. Dry rock, loam and mud all handled well. The tread design between the lugs forms a pattern based on a topographic map of the Great Canadian Shield. Not only does this provide for one heck of a cool looking outsole but it also provides extra great grip as the lugs wear down.
I found the outsole to be more durable than other models of shoes with similarly equipped Megagrip. This is likely due to the high concentration of lugs on the 001 distributing pressure more evenly amongst themselves. I did notice wear accelerating when worn on rockier trails or with a heavier guiding pack.
Dyneema Laces? Dyneema Laces!
Norda set out to make the most durable shoes on the market so there’s no way they were going to stop at the laces. The laces on the 001 are made with Dyneema just like the upper. They feel like you could hit them with a skil saw and you’d dent the blade. I have yet to try this so don’t quote me on it. There are purportedly 4X the strength of regular laces and to top it off, they are 100% recycled.
The Fit and Flex
The Norda 001 has a mid-wide fit. They do not fit as wide as an Altra but are slightly wider than a Salomon. Having worn mostly Italian shoes the past few years I was not used to the mid-wide fit and found it a little unusual at first. I thought I was going to slide around on off camber terrain but my feet held stable. Wearers with exceptionally low volume feet may find they need to use the extra eyelet for a heel lock but I never found it necessary.
I did notice that by the end of a long season of summer guiding I didn’t have excessive calluses on the outside of my large and small toes. There was never rubbing or pinch pain.
For most of the testing period I wore the shoes with a Superfeet Blue insole. The 001 comes with custom designed eTPU insoles. They were comfortable when wearing around town but never saw trail time so I cannot really speak on them.
The Norda 001 has a fairly soft flex. Coming from mostly wearing approach shoes to the 001 it took my feet a little while to get used to the softer flex. I am 215 pounds and therefore a fair amount heavier than the typical trail runner or fast packer and this likely affected the way the shoes felt.
Overview
These shoes are built to last. After 350 km I see literally no wear on the Dyneema upper nor on the inside of the shoe. Sure, there is a small hole in the toe but this has remained exactly the same since the first impact months ago. They remain water resistant and my go to shoe for training now that I am back in Squamish this Autumn.
The outsoles show a decent amount of wear, but due to my weight and extra use on rock, this is to be expected. I am definitely above the intended wearer weight of most people using Litebase and Megagrip outsoles, and I imagine that if I mostly wore these shoes in the PNW or were lighter, they would last a very long time.
The Norda 001 has an unconventional look as they are an unconventional shoe. The pair I tested were a collaboration with Ray Zahab, a world-record-holding explorer, ultrarunner and endurance athlete from Canada. He was also lead advisor and product tester of the 001. If the Ray Zahab model isn’t your color of choice, there is a cornucopia of colorways and collaborations to choose from and surely one of them will match whatever trail outfit you have. Who knows, you may need two pairs?
Overall I’ve been very happy with the Norda 001 as a trail shoe and wonder if they can be resoled as I find it hard to believe I will ever wear out the upper.
Who are the Norda 001 for?
The runner or fastpacker that is already familiar with Vibram Litebase and Megagrip outsoles but is looking for a shoe with uppers that will last longer than the outsole. Light water resistance and a comfortable fit built for long days in the mountains.
If you are interested in picking up a pair of the Norda 001, head on over to Norda and pick up a pair.
>>>Disclaimer<<<
Black Sheep Adventure sports was provided with a free pair of the Norda 001 to review. This in no way affected our opinion nor the review.
