Norda 005 Trail Running Shoe Review

Review by Erin Trail

Norda claims that their new 005 trail shoe is the lightest, fastest super shoe ever created for trail runners.  I was sent a pair to test to see if they live up to the hype.

Before we get into how the shoes run, I think it’s important to highlight the thoughtful construction and design of the Norda 005 trail shoes. Norda states that the 005 “went through a year of testing” when developing their newest and most cutting edge running shoe.  

This shoe is STACKED with features (from the Norda 005 description):

• Upper – The open-mesh Bio-Dyneema® upper made from recycled materials is incredibly durable and lightweight. The weave pattern allows for maximum breathability and rapid water evacuation.
• Laces – The laces are 4 mm instead of 5 mm to reduce weight. They are made of Dyneema®, which gives them greater abrasion resistance, greater stretch, and are 4 times stronger than a standard lace.
• 005 Fit-Lock System – The 005 features a proprietary Fit-Lock System, designed for race day. The heel collar is designed with pads to increase foot lockdown, comfort, and reduce debris entry. The tongue is a smooth, perforated micro-suede that molds to the foot and allows heat to escape during high-intensity runs. This lockdown system is complemented by new internal foot fixation technology that engages via the laces and ensures unwavering stability.
• Footbed – Two footbeds. A molded Arnitel® TPEE footbed is already housed inside the 005 for training miles. An additional footbed is included for race days when further weight reduction is required.
• Midsole – The 005 features a completely pure Arnitel® (TPEE) midsole. This allows the 005 to be incredibly light and responsive while remaining highly durable. While most super shoes are designed for a single race, the 005 is designed with durability in mind.
• Tongue – The tongue material is a smooth micro-suede that molds to the foot and has perforations to reduce heat.
• Heel Collar – Cushions in the collar for a more snug fit and to limit the introduction of debris.
• Sole – An all-new, full-length, one-piece Norda sole featuring Vibram® Megagrip Elite rubber—an industry first. This compound is created for race day and is the grippiest and lightest formulation Vibram® has ever created. The increased grip of Megagrip Elite allows for varying lug heights, making transitions between technical trails and dirt roads easier.

While feeling like a maximalist shoe, the stack is actually fairly conservative:

• Heel: 28.5 mm
• Forefoot: 21.5 mm

Detailed Review

Given the hype and technology around the Norda 005 trail shoes, I wanted to do some varied runs while also directly comparing them to other shoes in my personal collection.  I did a super hard hill repeat run (on a steep sandy road) and several loops of my local singletrack (a good combination of hard packed dirt, sand, sandstone, cobble, gravel).  I have so many shoes to test but also really want to get into the weeds with testing, I had several testing days where I would run my singletrack loop (2.5 miles) multiple times, changing into a different pair of shoes each loop.  Day 1: La Sportiva Prodigio Pro, Norda 005, and Rossignol Vezor.  And because the Nordas reminded me of my beloved Hokas, I did a second day with my Hoka Speedgoat 6, then Norda 005, then Hoka Tecton x3.

Fit and Feel

The Norda 005 trail shoes are easily the lightest running shoe of my vast fleet of trail shoes.  The difference is noticeable in your hand, but also on your feet. You can actually feel the lightness as you run, which helps with more efficient turnover and enables runners to pick their feet up more, thus reducing tripping. 

The open-mesh Bio-Dyneema® upper breathes wonderfully. I didn’t really notice how they breathed until I put on my pair of Hoka Tecton x3s and felt that my feet were sweltering by comparison.  Point for the Norda 005s. 

Being a light shoe, the finishes are durable while being minimal.  The tongue and ankle collar are very thin and flexible, which makes it hard to put the shoe on quickly. As a triathlete, getting your running shoes on quickly is incredibly important, as that time goes towards your overall finish time. I found that I had to untie and loosen the laces, then fumble the shoes on, and then retighten and tie the laces. I can get most of my other running shoes on without undoing the laces, so this is annoying and also a (race relevant) time suck. If I were racing with these, I’d probably put on elastic laces, making the lightweight Dyneema® laces irrelevant. 

The fit is most similar to a Hoka, with a wider toebox and boxy looking upper.   The heel collar is different from most shoes that I’ve owned.  There is a small amount of padding beneath the anklebone, which helps to lock your heel in place.  I have narrow heels and didn’t notice any heel movement while running.

This is the only running shoe with the newest Vibram® Megagrip Elite sole.  The material is light, grippy, and durable. Upon first sight, it’s obvious that this sole is different from what’s on other shoes.  The base of the sole is incredibly thin, which contributes to the overall lightness of the shoe. The lugs are widely spaced but do not compromise on grip.  I had excellent traction on steep sandy hardpack roads and on dust coated sandstone. 

As for running, the Norda 005s are in the top grouping of “favorite shoes”. They are just fun to run in, while also offering advanced performance technology. On my second looped shoe testing day, I initially wore the Hoka Speedgoat 6 and then put on the Norda 005.  Immediately, the Nordas were noticeably different, largely due to the weight difference. My women’s size 9.5 shoe Norda 005 weighs 211 grams (7.44 oz), versus my women’s size 9 Hoka Speedgoat 6 at 255 grams (8.99 ounces). One wouldn’t think 44 grams (1.55 oz) difference would be all that noticeable, but it felt VERY different.  My feet were easier to lift off the ground and I felt that my overall effort felt lighter. 

The lightness and responsiveness of the Norda 005 is attributed to the Arnitel® (TPEE) midsole and the Vibram® Megagrip Elite. As I did my test runs, the shoes felt light and responsive while also feeling cushioned and supportive. Compared to the Hoka Speedgoat 6, the shoes felt more responsive and had a better feel underfoot. My trail has a lot of cobble and uneven surfaces, and I felt that I had good control over my footing while in the Norda 005s

 

After I finished my lap in the Norda 005s, I put on my Hoka Tecton x3s, pitting one supershoe against another. The Hoka Tecton’s rely upon a carbon plate and Vibram® Megagrip with Litebase to make these shoes light and responsive.  The overall feel between the two shoes was fairly similar in terms of grip and responsiveness. The only difference that I could detect between the two for run-feel is that the Hoka Tecton x3s felt stiffer (due to the carbon plate) and the Norda 005s felt more cushioned.  For me, the deciding factor between the two shoes is how my body responds to carbon plated shoes.  I do find that the stiffness from carbon can create some post-run aches and pains (I don’t run in carbon shoes very often) but the Hoka Tecton x3s were significantly easier to put on during race simulations. With the Norda 005s costing $325 USD and the Hoka Tecton x3s costing $275, I think it would come down to personal preference, with carbon plated stiffness being the main differentiator. 

Closing Thoughts

The Norda 005s are the newest trail supershoe that’s a little different from the rest. The differentiators for me is the lightness of the shoe, due to innovative construction and technology, and the shoe’s ability to feel both responsive and cushioned. The main drawback is how clunky it is to get the shoe on quickly. At $325, this shoe is an investment, but for those who are running long and/or racing, these shoes are worth the price is the runner wants a cushioned, responsive, and light ride.

Erin Trail

Erin Trail’s hobby is collecting hobbies. She’s a 5th Generation Coloradan and grew up exploring the outdoors on family camping trips and hikes.  Her first backpacking trip was at eight years old to Grizzly Reservoir – she proudly carried all of her own gear those 3 miles from the main parking lot to the Reservoir.

Erin is an adult-onset athlete who started as a Masters Swimmer and then developed into a triathlete.  She completed 5 Ironman races and nearly 20 x 70.3 distance Ironman races, including the World Championship in Lahti, Finland, in 2023.  Somewhere along her triathlon journey, she picked up a deep love of cycling.

Cycling encouraged her to see landscapes in a new way, learn new skills and to develop self reliance; now she often goes and does Type 2 rides just to see if she can do it.  She’s got all the bikes: gravel, mountain, fat bike, time trial and road.

She is even known to combine her love of camping and cycling and go off on solo 24 hour overnight bikepacking trips in the mountains of Colorado. In addition to bikes, she teaches yoga, lifts weights, skis, SUPs and has recently purchased a campervan.

Erin is a former Montana park ranger with a degree in environmental engineering.  She loves getting into technical details while putting her gear (and herself) through the paces. She shares her home in Colorado with her husband, Will, and her 3 cats (Zipper, Brewtus, and Simcoe).

2025 brings some exciting things.  Erin has qualified to be on Team USA for USA Triathlon and will be competing in a World Championship off-road triathlon in Pontevedra, Spain in June. To prepare for this event, she’s got several mountain bike races and training weekends planned in the months leading up to the big day.  Additionally, she’s racing Ironman Boise 70.3 in July.  Once her race schedule closes out in July, she’ll be moving to more adventure based activities (bikepacking, vanlife, and mountain bike festivals).

When not adventuring, she can be found on a sunny patio somewhere, drinking beers with her husband.