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

“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.

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 was pretty skeptical at first. I've been a lifelong runner in Brooks, Mizuno, and Hoka, and honestly didn't even know Arc'teryx made running shoes. But I was curious enough to give them a try. Right out of the box, I noticed a few things: they're incredibly lightweight, the color is a bit unusual but grew on me quickly, and the tread pattern looked just right... aggressive without being overkill. Fit is where they lose a point. I typically wear around a US size 10 in running shoes, but these run a bit big. If I ordered again, I’d definitely consider trying a 9.5, maybe even a 9. Still, I was able to make them work with a thicker pair of socks and tightened laces. Once I hit the trail & wow! These are some of the best-gripping trail shoes I’ve ever worn. I run in an area with a lot of wet, mossy rocks, and these handled it with no problem. Traction is outstanding. The Gore-Tex waterproofing performs exactly as expected. Step in deep water and you’ll get wet, but otherwise, it keeps your feet dry and even adds a bit of warmth (noticeable but not overwhelming, even on warmer days). Overall, despite the sizing issue, these shoes really delivered. Excellent trail performance, solid waterproofing, and great grip. Definitely worth a try if you’re looking for something new.

Bought these back in the middle 2025 as a daily wear for a trip t Vietnam. Initiailly quite hard and tight fitting, but once they were broken in quite easily the most comfortable shoes I've had for a long while. So far I've used them nearly everyday as my main walkers, they provide good traction on slippery paving stones unlike the Merrell's I also have that act can aquaplane. These are quite light an so far durability is good, normally after 3 months the lugs on the soles show significant wear but these are still relatively good. Waterproofing leaves a bit be desired as they now seap water in during heavier rainfall.

Why did you change the sole cushioning? This is my 3rd pair of Norvan LDs and these are the least comfortable cushioning of them all. The prior versions were much softer and these soles are HARD out of the box like they are 3 years old and worn out. My feet were sore after wearing these for just 1-2 hours. Also, why hide lace loops under the side flaps? This causes the shoe side flaps to not be flush and not have a secure, form fitting feel. It also causes debris to get in around the shoe tongue. Very poor color options - what happened to the grey color? I assumed they would be as comfortable as the prior versions and already wore them in the dirt so can't return them now.

I can't express how disappointed I am in these shoes versus the LD 3 version. Just about every aspect is worse. The fit is narrow to the point of being painful yet it feels longer and sloppy, especially in the heel. The feel while running is overly stiff comparable to the older version with obviously reduced cushion underfoot. It feels like a fashion shoe vs. a technical trail shoe. The design of the lacing system being hidden and tucked underneath creates weird pressure points and causes the fabric to bunch up when you try to get the shoe tight enough. Somehow they even managed to make the lace garage worse than previous versions. I'll be scouring the internet to try and find the older LD3 version if I can.

I had and really enjoyed the previous model of this shoe. This new design seems to fit differently. They seem slightly narrower. I’ll give them a few more wears to see if width stretches out a bit.

Heel section is very rigid causing pain with every step on the achilles tendon. Not noticeable when trying on in store and didn't notice after first day of wearing them but after the first day and putting them on the second day at was immediately noticeable that my achilles tendon was being bothered by the stiff heel section. After just a couple hours if walking a visible reddening appears where the heel section pushes into the tendon with every step. Other than that's the waterproofing seems to be really good and the comfort is otherwise fine as far as cushioning and traction seems to be great in wet weather as well. Sadly I probably won't be able to wear these due to them causing severe discomfort in the heel.

Good looking shoe and appreciate the weight of this Gortex, water proof trail runner. Issue with the sizing. Ordered a size 11 and when. Received it felt more like an 11.5 if not a 12. Then ordered in a 10.5 bit that felt a bit tight. Wound up keeping the size 11. Have been wearing with thicker trail socks and do t seem to find it oversized while using. Something just a bit off with the size standardizing if this shoe. Had similar issue when tying ikon the non-waterproof version.

I bought these as a winter running shoe to help keep my feet dry in snow, slush, and mud on local forest trails. They have done a good job in that regard and have great traction, however, the Vibram sole is very stiff, especially in colder temperatures. This stiff sole is further compounded by limited cushioning, which makes them quite uncomfortable running on frozen ground. I expect these shoes will be great for hiking or perhaps for more intense mountain trail runners where weight and durability outweigh comfort. Meanwhile, I will be demoting these shoes to hiking only and looking for another pair for my winter runs. They also fit bigger than their advertised size. I usually wear a US 8.5 (EU 41.5), but Arc'teryx's conversion actually converts a US 8.5 to an EU 42 (I should have looked closer at their sizing chart).