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

Perhaps my favourite trail shoe. I use it for long trail runs but also for most of my hiking. It's lightweight and It's an all round very comfortable shoe. I love the colour 😍

A trail runner that can handle it all. The Norvan LD 4 has become my daily adventure driver from dog walks to day hikes, to short runs, long days on shoots and even my backpacking partner. I'm blown away by the versatility of this shoe to show up in all environments, pack loads, trail conditions and the amount of days I've already stacked on them. A quality designed supportive weapon of a shoe.

I got these shoes right before a two week trip to Paris and Lisbon, spent some time running and walking around both cities and found them to be extremely comfortable. The slick cobblestone tiles in Portugal (especially during the rainy season) proved to be tricky to navigate, but these shoes kept me upright. I've ran pavement and trails in them and found them to be both comfortable and grippy. I went canyoneering and hiking in Utah at Blarney in them and they also proved to be super comfortable and had high traction. At first they took a bit to break in width-wise, but I found them to be perfect once they had some wear to them.

I use trail runners for everything - hike, run, walk, work - I was excited to try out the Arc'teryx Norvan as it checks a lot of the boxes in what I look for in a trail shoe. I did listen to the review and tried on a size down from what I normally wear and that proved true - they do run a bit big - I normally wear a 8 and in the Norvan I tested out a 7.5. My first test was to take it on a run down by my river trail, loose sand/dirt, mild elevation change and roots galore. I was pleasantly surprised - first reaction was that it was so light and nimble. It did take an initial 2-3 wear break-in period as there was some pressure around the ankle but after two wears that was gone and it was extremely comfortable. Next test was to go for a hike with sandy rocky granite up at Folsom Lake - great grip, nice snug feel and kept dust/dirt out of the inside of the shoe while being breathable. Easy to rock-hop and keep up with my dog! As for fit It had a wider than expected toe-box and no heal slipping- things I get from others I have worn. It is really light and airy on your foot. Solid traction and grip on all surfaces. The Vibram lightbase with 4mm really gives it traction. Definitely noticed it on the wetter raiy day conditions. One of the last challenges was to wear it on an 8 hour shift at work, selling footwear at REI. This really surprised me as my feet were comfortable all day. No fatigue or aches - things that happen if I don’t wear solid supportive shoes. I did get a lot of questions while wearing it and it was so nice to be able to give honest feedback and on the shoe Other than the initial break in the only thing to get used to was when putting it on the stretchy tongue can gather at the instep if you don’t loosen - easily resolved by loosening the laces and pulling it up firmly. Once on and adjusted the sock-like tongue/midfoot really felt secure and custom. As far as aesthetics I expected it to be narrower than it was due to the color variation on the toe box, optical illusion as it fits really nice and roomy in the toe box. I have an average width foot and have worn everything from Hokas, Altras and Topos so I know toe boxes. (I currently wear the Hoka Speedgoat but have also worn Topo Terraventure, Brooks Cascadia and Altra Timp) I really would have loved to take this out on a backpacking trip but due to time of year that wasn’t an option but I could see it being a strong contender - I am curious on how it would do with extra weight. I took it on loose dirt trail runs, hikes on rocky granite and a rainy day walk with wet muddy conditions and really felt like it tackled all those ventures with ease. The Norvan proved to be nimble, light and grippy on all various terrain. “I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review”

Shoes are incredibly lightweight - perfect for longer runs where weight really matters. Good cushion balance for trail purposes. Spacious around the toes, I would consider sizing half a size down for my more narrow feet. I am also always looking for more neutral shoe colors, so I love the sleek black!

I've logged just under 200km in the new Arc'teryx LD4s and have been really impressed with their performance. Based in Squamish, I’ve tested them across a variety of terrain, and they’ve handled it all exceptionally well. The grip is solid—both on rock slabs and in muddy conditions. Compared to the LD3s, these feel sleeker and more dialed in. My feet feel secure, especially on technical terrain, which has given me a lot of confidence on more demanding routes. My longest run so far in them has been 30km, and I found the cushioning to be nicely balanced, it offers comfort over distance without completely muting ground feel. I’d recommend the LD4 as a versatile all-trail shoe that really shines on technical terrain.

Great lightweight design and fit! Worn on concrete, steep rocky trails, wet grass, and tide-pooling. The midsole cushion feels airy yet supportive, firm enough to not produce that sinking-in feeling many trail runners have these days. Fit is comfortable and roomy, especially in the toe-box. Love the lace stash pocket in the tongue. The Vibram soles were nimble and grippy on very steep, rocky and dusty trails; no slips or sliding even while jogging downhill. I especially like that the soles’ lugs aren’t too toothy to use on urban surfaces. Only discomfort I felt was from the lip of the ankle cuff while stepping downhill but that improved as material stretched with more wears.

I hoped these would be a comfortable, casual walking shoe for me, but for my feet they're missing the mark. I am highly sensitive to pressure across the top of my feet, and after wearing these for a while, I feel the elastic that holds the tongue to the bottom of the shoe is too tight and squeezes my foot uncomfortably no matter how much I loosen the laces. The tongue is also strangely long -- it digs into my ankles and bunches up awkwardly where it's forced to bend, as if it wasn't meant to bend at all but was designed to fit a 2" ankle. There's also no arch support at all, and adding arch support inserts makes them even tighter across the top.

I'm glad I checked some reviews before getting my pair so that I sized down, but the sizing was still a little large. I typically trail run on everything from packed dirt to root-filled, rocky trails and the sole on these shoes was fantastic. Very stable and great traction. The structure of shoes leaves a bit to be desired for my feet. I over pronate and the uppers were not supportive enough to help keep my feet feeling stable. Also, the tongue of both shoes really wound up irritating the top of my foot and ankle. While these shoes were not the right fit for my feet in particular, they are well made and good looking shoes. Just gotta find the right feet.

If La Sportiva Prodigios and Altra Timp 5’s had a very sleek and stylish baby, it’d be these guys. Right out of the box they felt quite fitted and narrow, but once I got them loosened and laced up right, I discovered the suspiciously roomy toe box and flexibility of that hugging, supportive upper. Like a comfy, rugged slipper! From feedback from coworkers and the general public, I think many would say they need some time to mold to your feet and get lacing just right, and they might feel big/long to many, but I loved ‘em overall and will continue to keep them in my trail run/race rotation! Wet/muddy runs were particularly fun in these as the rugged lugs ditched the dirt and mud quickly and I felt decently confident in them even on slick rock. The vibram outsole gave enough cushion and durability to feel supported. Also the quick-drying upper was breathable enough that I didn’t have to worry about romping through some puddles here and there. Like a well-written song or a show where the lights and sound are done expertly, I rarely think about wearing them while I’m wearing them. Aesthetically I LOVE THESE SHOES; the color looks so great, especially juxtaposed against the dreariness and muted fall colors. Overall they’ve broken in and formed to my foot nicely. I can’t say I feel too much in terms of rocks/roots/gravel probably due to the vibram outsole and shock absorption. These feel very comfortable on trail and even decent on paved paths. I would absolutely wear these for my next trail race with full confidence that they’d perform well. I would say they’re more comfortable running/hiking/something more intense than casual wear like at work for an REI shift. I ‘feel’ them more during casual wear whereas running I don’t feel them and they seem to settle into all the right places. I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.