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

Very comfortable, breathable shoe. I love the look and feel, and found there to be good traction. Unfortunately, as other users experienced, my shoes started to come apart in about a week with less than 75km on them; same failure point as others, on the upper. See pictures. I'd give five stars if the shoe didn't break. I will have to return and purchase a different product.

I have put probably 110 miles on these puppies and they are just now starting to show some wear and tear on the exterior forefoot. The tread is in great condition and the sock like feel of the upper is still holding really strong. I almost don't need to tie these at all to feel like I have the support I need. I have been running and hiking on some really loose gravel and rocks covered in leaves and I have felt super confident in these shoes. The only thing I don't love is the all black look so I changed out the laces for a little bit of color.

My experience with the Norvan LD4 was amazing I used them in different terrains with a lot of elevation gain as well a lot of downhill. Things that worked well for me was the comfort and how it fit great out the box. I would recommend going down half a size but staying true to size wasn't a deal breaker for me I just should of went down half a size. I loved how amazing the floor beneath me felt. I could really feel everything I stepped on which is a plus for me. The shoe was very breathable I had no issues with a lot of sweat. The longest day I had with them was a 8 mile hike that took about 3 and a half hours and I felt comfortable the whole way through. I am always worried how a sole will hold up on different hikes and I have to learn to trust the shoe, with the Norvans I quickly began to trust the vibram sole it never gave me any problems on the different terrains that I encountered. If you need a trail runner or even a everyday hiking shoe I would highly recommend it to people that like a low top low weight shoe style. Disclosure: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

“I received these products for free from the REI Trailblazers sampling program in exchange for my honest review. I’m all about trail running shoes, and was excited to try my first pair of Norvans. Very stiff out of the box. Seems to run just a tad big? It’s not a lot, but it’s just enough To open a small gap near the ankle. But for a long run as the foot swells, this may be OK. I needed about five runs for it to fill broken in. I like the Vibram sole. It’s a stiff shoe. The toe is stiff. This will help with the tree roots and rocks. It seems to breathe pretty well. Haven’t had the opportunity to test the waterproof as of yet. With minor water it seems to hold up fairly well. It does grip pretty well. I’m debating if I will wear Them for the Pikes Peak Marathon? They are a touch heavier than my La Sportivas. Not as grippy. I think the shoe will hold up fairly well with non-technical runs. My only complaint is and less than a month it is wrinkling at the front of the shoe? I’ve grown to like these shoes the more I wear them. The styling is not my type. To me, it looks more like an old person‘s walking shoe. I think the black color hides us a little bit more than the tan. But at the end of the day, performance matters more than looks.

Trying on my new Norvan LD4s, I immediately thought I’d made a mistake with the sizing. Many reviews mentioned they ran a bit large, and I regretted not sticking to my original size. Luckily, adding an insole gave my forefoot a little more room and made the fit comfortable—problem solved. Disclosure: I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review. For context, I have very flat feet with severely collapsed arches, but I actually supinate when I run. I usually stick to neutral shoes, and most trail shoes work well with my gait. The Norvans were no exception, and I was really satisfied with their performance. On slow ascents, they felt comfortable and secure, thanks to the Vibram Litebase outsole. Ascending on gravel and rock, they gripped well and gave me confidence in my footing. On descents, I expected my toes to feel cramped, but surprisingly they didn’t at all. Compared to some of my recent, more cushioned shoes, the Norvans reminded me how nimble I can feel on the trail—they let me push off the ground quickly without feeling bogged down. I was impressed by how comfortable they felt during a fast walk, an easy jog, and even uptempo interval work. They’re responsive, and the minimal forefoot cushioning actually helped me generate a more explosive next step. I still wish I had gone up half a size, but even in the smaller size, I’ve managed to make them work—and I’m really happy with how they perform.

Premature failure of material at folds where the fabric will start fraying and breaking. Avoid these shoes. This is a known failure that Arcteryx does not want to warranty.

Initial impressions: out of the box, the build quality feels nice. The upper material feels robust and durable. The knit tongue is unique and felt "fast." I'm usually between a 10 and 9.5, and i went down to the 9.5, and the size is great. The toe box is slightly narrow, and the overall volume of the shoe is definitely on the smaller side. I wore this shoe daily for about a month. If, for some reason, I was forced only to wear one shoe for the rest of my life, I think I would want it to have this sole. It's a perfect mix of responsiveness and cushion. the 6mm drop is just enough cushion for longer runs while remaining neutral for shorter walks or day hikes with a pack. On faster trail runs the 4mm lugs feel like they are taking a bite out of the softer gravel. When using the shoe as an approach shoe, the lugs combined with the rubber made me feel surefooted on any sketchy rock or muddy descent with a climbing pack on my back. The sole was even relatively comfortable on concrete when walking my dog. The negatives: while I initially liked the idea of a stretchy knit tongue, I quickly changed my mind. Every time I put the shoe on, the knit tongue would bunch up at the front of the shoe, and over time, I could feel the tongue stretching significantly from having to pull it up each time. The shoe also has a pretty aggressive rocker to the front. If you really wanted a little more lockdown and cranked on the laces, the combination of the rocker and the thin tongue led to some serious pressure points right around where the shoe would naturally crease. I thought that as the shoe broke in, this would resolve itself, but if anything, the problem only got worse. TL;DR awesome sole, upper became a pain I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve put a lot of miles on different trail shoes over the years, and the Norvan's instantly stand out as one of the best. Arc’teryx nailed the perfect balance between lightweight speed and long-distance comfort. The moment you step into these, you feel the precision fit they’re known for... secure in the heel, roomy enough in the toe box, and locked-in without ever feeling stiff. What surprised me most is how smooth they run. They feel fast on climbs, confident on descents, and comfortable enough to wear for hours. If you’re looking for a premium long-distance trail shoe that performs in real mountain conditions, this is it. Highly recommend! Arc’teryx crushed it with these!

I found the Norvan LD 4 to be super grippy, comfortable, and durable. I went a half size down from my typical trail runners and found it to be the perfect fit for running. Width seems pretty true to what it should be. The shoe is super lightweight and dries quickly after getting wet. The tread held up super well on terrains varying from dirt paths to technical single track with roots, rocks, and mud. Because it was so light I felt like I could run extra fast. The shoe has held up super well and shows almost no wear. I received this product for free in exchange for my honest review.

Great tracking on these hikers, kept me safe and secure on wet rocks in cold new england weather. These fit true to size, will have some break in period. I had some discomfort on my first hike on the top of my foot but gone on my 2nd hike. Absolutely love the lace tuck on the tongue of the shoe.