Arc'teryx  Sylan Pro Trail-Running Shoes - Men's

The Sylan is an outstanding shoe made of quality materials: Matryx upper is breathable and bulletproof (not really, but tough as heck. The Infuse EVA midsole is firm for good ground feel, but also cushy enough to do Ultra distances. The Litebase Vibram has great lugs for a variety of conditions, technical, muddy, wet, etc. - they are also durable. After 250 miles, I still have ~70% of the lugs left. The build and fit are good for a variety of feet, I have a medium-to-wide toe box, and I size down 1/2 size from normal US Sizes. I initially bought the 10.5 to match my first purchase of the Goretex version, but they were too big. The 10.5s could have worked for smooth Western trails, but not good for my local New England trails. See their website for the fit -- people have complained about the complexity of fit, but they call it out on their own website for this specific model. I'd say the only minor con is figuring out the heel lockdown which can vary depending on terrain, steep and technical terrain require me to use the racers loop at the top 2 eyelets to really keep the heel in place. Performance has been awesome for a variety of trails, from Utah's smooth switchbacks and New Hampshire's steep rocky terrain. Occasionally, I've had minor ankle rolls on extremely rocky / rooted terrain at high speed, but not sure that wouldn't have happened in any other shoe. The rocker shape provides a sweet spot of energy return and smooth rolling strides, while not having the cons of carbon-plated shoes that can cause instability.

I've being using them since March '24, so around 6 months now for up to 10 hours daily hikes. Being to Squamish, Whistler, Dolomites, Scotland and French Alps with them. They are light, comfy and I found the grip extremely good even in wet rocks. They also dry fairly quickly. Very happy and I do prefer them compared to NorVan and they have a better grip.

The shoes have a very cool appearance with attractive colors and a thick sole, which initially caught my eye. Despite the high price tag, I decided to order them hoping for great quality. However, upon receiving them today, I was disappointed and decided to return them immediately. Despite being brand new out of the box, they already showed signs of wrinkling on the sides. Moreover, they felt very unstable and uncomfortable when worn, making them unsuitable for everyday use or long periods of walking. Overall, while the design is appealing, the quality and comfort did not meet my expectations, especially considering the high price.

I have been training for several months with the Sylan Pro and just did a very technical 110km 7000d+ uktra-trail in Corsica. The shoes performed very well, very grippy on the rocks and all kind of terrain. They were comfortable enough for 34 hours of effort (I changed shoes in the middle, the same Sylan, the have dry ones).

Happily surprised. I have never used a rocker shoe before and was a bit skeptical if I would enjoy it. The first few minutes of wearing them felt a bit odd but when I got out on the trail they really turned on. Definitely felt like running on easy mode with the rocker shape propelling me forward, up and down the steep trails near my home. Felt really grippy on the variable terrain. Will be using these for all of my longer efforts for sure!

I've been running in LD3s for over a year, they're excellent shoes, the Sylan is a fantastic addition to the lineup. They're especially nice if you're going to be trying to hit steep downhills at speed. This is where they shine, if you don't have long downhill trail sections, the LD3 is all you'll ever need for trail running, but if you do have that kind of terrain on your plate, the Sylan is the right choice

I purchased the Sylan Pro and put several 100 mile on them so far. They are comfortable and provide lots of toe space. They are a bit high of the ground when in steep tricky terrain. But the main reason I only give them a 4 star rating is the way the sole is constructed. The sole tread stops short of the foam edge and creates a really slippery tread less zone if you are scrambling for footing on side hills or scree slopes where you cant plant the foot flat on the ground. I hope on future models the tread runs all the way out to create a clean edge. Then it probably deserves a 5 star rating. Meini

I absolutely love how these shoes run, they feel fast on hard ground, the grip and stability is excellent in technical terrain and I love the rocker profile for fast running downhill. The lace pocket works really well, I have never had my shoe laces untie while using them. They do fit pretty big, so I down sized from my normal size 40 euro to 39 1/3 and that feels perfect for me.

Sylan has a lot more rocker compared to other shoes I’ve tried in the past. It definitely took some time to get used to this. I’ll have to be very deliberate about my foot placement during steeper downhill sections. Other than that, I enjoy the sock liner and the great traction from the Vibram outsole.

Highly recommend for two reasons: (1) The rocker geometry is stable yet effective, including on steep technical terrain; and (2) the midsole is superb, not too hard or too soft. Best Arc’teryx trail-running trainer yet and light enough for longer races.