Trail-Running Shoes Buying Guide

Athlete-inspired and built for days when you want to feel speedy on the trails, the men's Arc'teryx Sylan trail-running shoes are for runners who are looking to push the pace on technical terrain.
Imported.
View all Arc'teryx Men's Trail-Running ShoesBest Use | Trail Running |
---|---|
Trail-Running Shoe Type | Rugged-Trail |
Running Shoe Cushioning | Moderate Cushion |
Heel-to-Toe Drop (mm) | 6 |
Heel Stack Height (mm) | 28.6 |
Forefoot Stack Height (mm) | 22.6 |
Footwear Height | Ankle |
Footwear Closure | Lace-up |
Upper | Matryx Micro |
Midsole | InFuse EVA |
Outsole | Vibram Megagrip rubber |
Rock Plate | Yes |
Weight (Pair) | 1 lb. 4.6 oz. |
Gender | Men's |
6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 26.5 Mondo | 27.5 Mondo | 28.5 Mondo | 29.5 Mondo | |
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U.S. Men's | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13 | 14 | 8.5 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.5 |
U.S. Women's | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.5 | ||||||
UK | 6 | 6.5 | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.5 | 9 | 9.5 | 10 | 10.5 | 11 | 11.5 | 12 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
EU | 39.33 | 40 | 40.6 | 41 | 42 | 42.6 | 43.3 | 44 | 44.6 | 45.3 | 46 | 46.6 | 47.3 | 48 | 49.3 | 42 | 43.3 | 44.6 | 45 |
Mondo | 24.5 | 25 | 25.5 | 26 | 26.5 | 27 | 27.5 | 28 | 28.5 | 29 | 29.5 | 30 | 30.5 | 31 | 32 | 26.5 | 27.5 | 28.5 | 29.5 |
Foot Length (in.) | 9.6 | 9.84 | 10.04 | 10.24 | 10.47 | 10.63 | 10.83 | 11.02 | 11.22 | 11.42 | 11.61 | 11.81 | 12.01 | 12.20 | 10.47 | 10.83 | 11.22 | 11.61 |
Calculate your own foot measurements, then select your product size. Use a ruler or tape measurer to measure your foot from the heel to the tip of your longest toe. Find the closest measurement that is equal to or greater than the length of your foot.
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I recently used my Sylan Shoe on the Lindeman Lake trail and Grouse Grind trail, and I'm thoroughly impressed. The fit is true to size with a snug feel, providing excellent support. I particularly like the sock-like fit, especially around the collar and tongue area. The shoe is incredibly light, making it a pleasure to wear during hikes. It performed perfectly for its intended use, handling the trails with ease. Overall, this is a fantastic choice for both hiking enthusiasts and beginners like me.
Best shoe I ever had but the upper quality it is not for mountain running. In the pictures you can see the results after only 36 hrs of running tor des glaciers, I had to change the shoes
Hello Machi, thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with your Sylan Shoes. Our After-Sales team would be happy to take a closer look at any possible manufacturing defect. Please complete our Product Service Request form here: https://arcteryx.com/es/en/help/product-service/service-request
Living in San Francisco, I’m incredibly lucky to have access to such a diverse mix of terrain — from the coastal trails of Marin to the steep urban climbs of the city and the rolling dirt paths of the Presidio. Because of this, Arc'teryx Sylan has easily become my go-to trail running shoe — it thrives in that road-to-trail crossover space that so many Bay Area runners need. What I love most about the Sylan is how effortlessly it transitions from pavement to technical trail. The midsole has enough responsiveness and cushion to handle the miles getting to the trailhead, but the second you hit dirt — especially anything loose, rocky, or steep — the Vibram Megagrip outsole and secure fit take over. It feels like having two shoes in one without sacrificing performance on either surface. Compared to other popular trail shoes — it’s lighter and more nimble than a HOKA Speedgoat, with a more dialed-in and precision fit for technical trails. Versus a Salomon Ultra Glide or S/Lab, I find the Sylan more forgiving underfoot without feeling overly soft — the ride strikes a perfect balance between responsiveness and protection. I love that it has a good bounce to it, making me feel agile in my runs. Arc'teryx absolutely nailed the design for mountain-minded runners who need versatility. Living and running in San Francisco means I’m constantly shifting from road to trail, flat to vert, and everything in between — and the Sylan is built exactly for that. It’s become my daily trail trainer and long-run shoe of choice for everything from Marin Headlands adventures to quick city trail loops. Its built for the versatile runner.
Some time ago. Five or 7 years ago, I visited a brother I hadn't seen in a long time. not to go into more details. My brother invited me to walk a national park in his town. beautiful wonderful parke. Before leaving he offered me some sports shoes from a brand that I didn't know, until that day I wore them. arcteryx. It was the best walk and exercise I had ever had in my entire life. When wearing these sports shoes. Oh no God! comfortable, soft, safe adjustable, it was an unbeatable adventure I felt the best, it was my best hike!! Arcteryx my best Adventure. I recommend them.
I bought these shoes a couple weeks ago and have ran 130kms so far in a wide variety of terrain, distance and steepness in the sea to sky area. For the first time ever, I enjoy running downhill- fast! From wet roots and rocks to loose and dry dust and gravel, to snow and mud, these are superb when RUNNING. These shoes are stable when landing on the forefoot (in-front of the rocker) however, feel less stable when heel striking while jogging or hiking. The only time I felt instability and had ankle rolls was when rock scrambling >S3.2 grade, when hiking in loose and, when heel striking on long runs. Overall, shoe does as described. Amazing for "running" less so for anything slower. Will definitely be getting a second set of the gtx version for wet runs. Never felt like such a hero on the down.
Bought a month ago to replace my LD3's (want to get a new pair but they're never in stock in seems). Overall build quality is nice, rocker feels good on the trails, very light and the ankle liner is a nice touch. I don't know if its the upper mesh, but i cant seem to get a good lockdown on the foot. I've got wide feet and while the shoe fits to size and surprisingly accommodating in the midfoot, it feels as though my foot is floating/sliding around more than it should be. Because of this, I cant get a solid lockdown in the heel, particularly on the right shoe it feels larger (maybe a defect??). Overall its a good shoe, but with the lack of lockdown, descents on technical terrain is too risky. Pricey shoe for not being able to use it for its intended purpose. I'll have to wait for LD3's to be available again...one day.
The Sylan’s have good mid & rear foothold, an ample toe box, a cushy/bouncy midsole, and a phenomenal outsole. They’re fun & responsive at speed. The rocker and stack are too much for my pref in mixed use alpine. IDK, will likely keep ‘em for uses like Imogene Pass (race day); however, for nearly everything else, will stick with the LD3’s - a surprisingly diverse and nimble alpine trail shoe for my wife & i.
This shoe design must be highly polarizing. My daily wear shoes are the Norvan LD 2 and LD 3. I tried a pair of Sylans and the extreme curvature of the sole makes normal walking very awkward. This is a very use case specific design. Definitely avoid these if you want a versatile shoe. They were light and had good cushion. For long distance trail running they would probably be ideal for some runners.
Hello there, thank you for your feedback on the Sylan Shoes. The rocker geometry is specifically designed to enhance propulsion during running, allowing for maximum speed and efficiency on the trails. While this design excels in long-distance trail running, we understand it might feel different or less versatile for everyday walking. We’re glad to hear you appreciated the lightweight feel and cushioning. We hope this helps clarify the shoe’s intended use, and we appreciate the time you took to leave a review.
If you want your normal fit I recommend ordering a half size smaller than what you usually buy for Arctery'x shoes. These are great shoes except for the rocker. I think shoes with increased rocker is a good idea, but Arctery'x overdid it. These shoes have so much thickness under the middle of the foot that they are uncomfortable. Unless you have very high arches I do not recommend these shoes.
I’ve run a variety of distances and trails in these shoes. For even carriage roads and mostly dry conditions these were fun fast shoes. However, the stack height coupled with the fully knit uppers allowed for lots of side to side movement. Technical terrain, mud, or really any uneven banked surface makes these feel unstable and for me led to rolled ankles.
Hello there, thank you for sharing your experience with your Sylan shoes. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed their performance on even carriage roads and in dry conditions. We appreciate your feedback on the stack height and knit uppers, and we're sorry to hear about the instability on technical terrain. Your insights are valuable, and we'll take them into consideration as we continue to improve our designs.