norda 005: the Dyneema trail shoe designed for more than one race

What it is

The norda 005 is a trail shoe built for racing. It comes out of the design studio of norda, a brand based in Montreal, Canada, which has built its reputation on Dyneema, a polyethylene fibre known for its strength. The brand presents it as its “race day” shoe: designed for several races, not just one.

Three materials define it. The upper is woven from bio-based Dyneema, which the brand calls bio-circular. The midsole is entirely Arnitel, a thermoplastic elastomer. The outsole is a Vibram Megagrip Elite, developed with norda. In a men’s US 8.5 it weighs 214 g; the brand gives 177 g for a women’s US 8. For men, it offers six colours: Zephyr, Stealth Black, Thistle, Neve, Laser and Comet.

Why it exists

The 005 took nearly two years of development, according to Hypebeast and Canadian Running Magazine. Its starting point is an observation the brand makes itself: most running shoes are optimised for a single effort. norda wanted the opposite, a shoe able to carry on through several days of racing.

The midsole was the biggest undertaking. Nick Martire, norda’s co-founder and director, tells Hypebeast that he asked the factory to make him the best, with no brief, before ending up with an unblended Arnitel: about a year of research. According to Canadian Running Magazine, the midsole went through more than a hundred iterations, and design lead Louis-Martin Tremblay explains that it meant starting again almost from scratch with the Dyneema upper, a first for a running shoe. According to the same magazine, seven prototypes followed one another before the final model.

The brand’s runners wore it in competition before its release: Field Mag notes a third place at Hardrock 100 for Jason Schlarb, and a win for Jean-François Cauchon at the Québec Mega Trail.

What matters

The upper is Dyneema, woven slightly looser than on the brand’s previous models: Hypebeast explains that this choice limits hot spots and helps water drain away. According to the brand, the fibre is up to fifteen times stronger than steel at equal weight. The laces, at 4 mm, are also Dyneema, in place of 5 mm laces, to save weight.

Fit comes from a system norda calls Fit-Lock: cells around the heel, to hold the foot and keep debris out, and a perforated microsuede tongue that wraps the foot. Inside, a link activated by the laces is meant to keep the foot in place, again according to the brand.

Stack height stays moderate: 28.5 mm at the heel and 21.5 mm at the forefoot, a drop of about 7 mm. Martire tells Field Mag that pure Arnitel made it possible to reduce the amount of foam without losing propulsion, so as to keep the feel of the terrain underfoot.

The Vibram Megagrip Elite outsole has lugs 4 mm high, at varying heights across the zones, which should let the shoe move from technical trail to forest track, according to the brand. Field Mag adds that the 005 is the first shoe on the market to use it.

Day to day

The brand recommends going half a size up from your usual size, and the next size up if you are in doubt. It describes a wide-toed shoe that lets the toes spread, with a firm hold at midfoot and heel. It says the shape suits wide and narrow feet alike, without being classed as a wide shoe.

Two insoles are supplied: one, moulded in Arnitel, for training; the other, cut out and lighter, for race days. All norda insoles are removable, so a custom orthotic insole can replace them.

On water, the brand describes a water-resistant shoe, not a waterproof one: Dyneema does not absorb it, and the weave lets air and water through. On packed snow, norda points to other models in its range, the 005 being above all geared to speed and lightness. For care, the brand advises against the washing machine and direct heat: you remove the insoles and let the shoes dry naturally.

Technical specifications

Feature	Value
Use	Trail, running (“race day” model)
Upper	Woven Dyneema, bio-based
Midsole	Pure Arnitel (TPEE)
Outsole	Vibram Megagrip Elite, 4 mm lugs
Weight	214 g (men’s US 8.5); 177 g (women’s US 8)
Drop	About 7 mm
Stack height	28.5 mm at the heel, 21.5 mm at the forefoot
Laces	Dyneema, 4 mm
Insoles	Two: training and racing
Water resistance	Water-resistant, not waterproof
Colours (men’s)	Zephyr, Stealth Black, Thistle, Neve, Laser, Comet

What the brand says

norda states that the 005 is the lightest, quickest and most stable racing trail shoe it has designed. It adds that it was designed for several days of racing, with a durability that it ranks first among its strengths. In Canadian Running Magazine, Nick Martire sums up the house philosophy: if a shoe is not the best, it cannot carry the norda name.

For readers in Switzerland

The brand’s online shop lists Switzerland among its countries, with a display in Swiss francs and a French-language version. The brand also publishes a list of twenty-eight Swiss retailers, from Bulle to Scuol and from La Tour-de-Peilz to Zurich.