norda 008 Recovery Slide

Review by Erin Trail

The norda 008 is a premium recovery slide, intended to pamper and support your feet when you’re not running.

With 18 years of endurance sports, I am no stranger to recovery slides.  What makes the norda 008 stand out is it’s construction.  These slides are built to function and also last.  These aren’t disposable shoes that will squish out or wear down after a few seasons; I anticipate these slides be useful for a very long time.

Detailed Review

The outsole is a norda® custom-designed Vibram® ECOSTEP soleplate made with recycled materials for responsible, premium traction and durability.  The midsole and foot bed is made from a dense foam, specifically engineered for arch support and comfort.

One of my main pet peeves with another well known brand of recovery sandals is how they are straight up dangerous when they get wet – they turn into slip and slides when wet and become a safety hazard.

I am the type of person that wears their recovery sandals nearly everywhere. To the pool to swim (and then in the post-swim shower), running errands, and around the house. I also wear them immediately after runs or bike rides.  The combination of the Vibram® ECOSTEP soleplate and the cushy but NOT slippery midsole make these an ideal recovery sandal for all of my usual sandal wearing activities.  I was super impressed with them during my swim test, wearing them onto the pool deck, then after my swim (with very wet feet) and into the locker room shower.  I had stable, secure footing the entire time.  This may not seem like much, but the last thing I need to to slip and break something because my sandals became dangerous when they got wet.

The upper foot strap is has a firm but also soft feel to it.  Sometimes, the upper strap for slides or flip flops is really stiff.  So stiff that they’re uncomfortable or they give you blisters.  The upper straps of the norda 008 is maybe a bit of a Goldilocks “just right” feel.  There’s just enough give to the material where they don’t rub you the wrong way or dig into your feet, but they will also bend and move with you a bit.

Sizing is a little tricky.  I wear a women’s 9.5 in the norda 005 running shoe. The website indicates that you should size UP a half size from your normal size, but the size 10 was WAY too big on me.  These shoes are in unisex sizes and are only in whole sizes, which adds to the puzzle.  I ended up getting a M8/W9 shoe.  My foot fits great in the footbed, with just a little room aft and rear to allow for the cupping of the midsole.  The upper, being unisex, is a smidge too big for my narrow female feet, so my feet were sliding around and my toes had a tendency to float forward and over the shoe when walking without socks on.  My workaround was to place some silicone foot pads (the ones designed to stick in the heel cup of a shoe).  The silicone foot pads take up that extra space (while not taking up sweat) and allow for a perfect fit.  A bit of a bummer to stick $2 pads on a premium sandal, so maybe in the future, norda can create a smaller volume, women’s model to make the fit a little better for narrow feet.

Closing Thoughts

The norda 008 Recovery Slide is the whole package: comfort, construction, durability, and reliable grip.  At $145, they are an investment. But with Vibram soles and a well constructed mid and upper, these sandals will last you many seasons of wear.

The norda 008 Recovery Slide is available in unisex sizing ranging from M5/W6 to M14/W15 and in six colorways.

Erin Trail

Trail Boss of Stoke

Erin Trail on her mountain bike at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race

Erin Trail on her running at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race