Arc'teryx  Norvan LD 4 GTX Trail-Running Shoes - Women's

Unfortunately the size I was sent does not fit so I'm not really able to review - bummer because it seems like a great shoe and looks great on (though unsurprisingly, the white will show scuffs and marks within minutes). Runs a bit large.

I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review. I have been exited to try the Norvan line since it was released but was torn buying yet another hike/trail run shoe so this was an amazing opportunity for me. The Norvan LD 4 has a nice toebox. I often run wide and these were fairly comfortable right out of the box and after a few wears they were great. I love that they have a full lace and a garage it really allows to fine tune the fit and keep the laces locked in. I took on Old rag and these had enough protection from rocks while alowing for good flexibility while scrambling. They handled a 10 mile hike like a charm. I have also worn them during several of my work shifts at about 10 miles a day with no issue. Although white is a hard color to keep clean these were easily wiped down and still look pretty great!

The sizing definitely runs long. I am normally a US women's 8.5-9 and had to size down to an 8. I have a wide forefoot, high arch, and narrow heel. Given this, I find the toe box to be a bit narrow, putting pressure on my little toes and my heel feels a little loose. I replaced the insole with a Superfeet running insole which helped my arch and improved the heel slip. As far as feel, these are a little stiff, feel very responsive on the trail and have good protection to avoid stubbed toes. I have only 10 miles on them over 2 days and can see the toe box breaking in. The lacing system is amazing and I am able to loosen the area over the toes while keeping the arch snug. The tread seems to work well in loose gravel and rocks. For long distances, I would prefer more cushioning.

While getting ready for a hiking trip to Scotland I developed Achilles tendinitis with less than a month to go. Boots didn’t work any more and so many shoes were too high or too low and rubbed the afflicted area. This was perfect and they are sleek looking for travel too. So good that I’m taking a second pair in white as a backup.

Great shoe to navigate around town in the rain! Light weight and sleek. I had to buy it in two colors!

I will give these shoes 1 star - the grip is perfect. I use these for walking the dogs on gravel trails (approx. 8 km/day) and they have been great both on rainy days as well as frosty mornings. As for fit and function - these are the worst trail runners I have ever purchased. The ankle cut-outs are high and stiff and I can't get them to break in at all - considered taking a hammer to them. The insoles are thin cheap piece of foams with no ach support at all. Replaced those with old insoles from another brand of trail runners which helped but for the cost premium insoles should be included. The toe box is also pretty tight (I do not have wide feet) and there are pressure points where the waterproofing tape runs along the side of my toes. I have tried heating this area up with a blow dryer to stretch it out with no luck. Maybe the hammer will fix that too?! As for waterproof, yes they are. Went out in one of our downpours and with the wide ankle area (lack of any kind of cushioning) the rain was able to run right into the shoe. By the time I got home I was able to dump water out of the shoes and my feet were soaked. What a waste of money. Just another hype brand slinging crap - and I was the sucker that fell for it.