norda  005 Trail-Running Shoes - Men's

Whatever your normal go to size is, go 1/2 size up! So I’m a 200 lb runner. Even though I’m not super light, I’m an avid runner. I usually get 40 miles per week. These shoes are lightweight, flexible and super comfortable. Do yourself a favor and throw in the racing insole underneath the insole the shoe comes with. Not only will it give you more cushion, it will help your foot have a better lockdown in the shoe. Yes it’s expensive, but man that ride is so nice !

I wanted to love this shoe and I still might, but I’ve put two of my trail runs on this shoe 15 miles each. The first run left me with some of the worst running blisters I’ve ever had on the back of both my Achilles. About the size of a quarter. I figured I was just breaking them in After two weeks of running on my other trail runners at about 50 miles a week I just cleared another 15 on these shoes and I’m just not sure if the price is worth it. My ankles feel jacked up and tight, I’m constantly adjusting the heel lock because they tend to rub aggressively on the same area. I’m going to put 100 more miles on this shoe before I give up on it and I will change my review if I start to like them, but I wouldn’t agree with “out of the box insanity” like others have boasted. I’m running a 50 miler in December and not sure these will make the cut. I will say the big toe box is nice and it’s extremely light.

This shoe doesn't feel gimmicky where a plated trail shoe might. It is unapologetically understated in its design, gives you exactly what you need. Performs well at all speeds and especially well when you pick up the pace.

Light weight, great grip withstands several miles on granite trails/faces. Very comfortable lacing on feet, comfortable toe box, even for a 10.5 EE foot. Order a half size up. I bought size 11 and will be purchasing may more. Already put 40 miles and 15k Ft of elevation. Very happy.

Summary: As others noted, this is an amazing shoe with a serious design issue in the heal. I wish they worked, but they need to be returned to REI. I bought these for a 19 day trip to Europe. I wanted to pack light and was looking for a shoe that would be good for all-day city walking, light trail hiking, some road and light trail running, and could also pass a casual dress shoe. This checked all those boxes, so I looked past the $325 price and bought them. I'm an avid runner, averaging at least 100miles/month for over 15 years. I've had over 50 different running shoes, and none of them cost as much or gave me the level of severe heel pain as these. These shoes are extremely light and incredibly comfortable. They use excellent materials and seem to be very durable. They look great, but they are deeply flawed. I read the reviews about these shoes causing blisters, so I wore them at the office for a few days to see if I had any issues. After several days with 5000-7000 steps each day, I had no blisters, pain, or issues. So I packed my bags and wore these to Europe. They were great for nearly the first week, and then the blisters came. I won't post pictures, but the blisters were deep into the skin and caused bleeding. I applied first aid, and wore sandals for a couple days so the blisters could heal, When I tried them on again, I then applied moleskin blister prevention pads in the heal along with wearing band aids over the blisters. I always wore cushioned socks with them. None of this made the problem go away. At best, it extended the irritation, if it didn't make it worse. I suspect the issue is that the padding inside the shoe on either side of the achilles tendon starts to break down, causing the top of the heal of the shoe to dig into the skin covering my achilles. As a shoe nerd, there are no other shoes I've had that I've loved so much and they hated me back. If Norda could address this heal issue, these shoes would easily get 5 stars.