Arc'teryx - Norvan LD 2

Salomon because they usually fit better for me in the heel vs the Arc'Teryx Norvan LD series. Also Salomon has proven more durable for me. Haven't tried the latest LD but had the LD2 and thing fell apart within 150 miles. So much for a premium shoe. Salmon and Arc'Teryx are owned by the same parent company, Amer sports.

Jumping in. I’ve had the Norvan LD 2’s, LD 3’s, & now the LD 4’s. They are great shoes. Honestly some of the most comfortable running shoes I’ve owned. I was rather surprised given arcteryx isn’t the first company I would think of when it came to footwear. They’ve changed the most recent model (LD4’s) in such a way that your foot kind of slides into an elasticized sock. Rather than a classic tongue situation. If that makes sense. It takes longer to put them on now. I found the LD3s the most comfortable but I’m still breaking on my LD4s so we will see. Quality is meh decent. The LD2s split at the edges where the upper toe fabric bends. The sole eventually wore right through as well. I felt I got a decent life span considering what they went through. But I’ve also got merril approach shoes that are 20 years old, saw much worse, and are still going strong.

Fit and feel are very personal for shoes. I’ve never had good fit with the Norvan LD. Tried them for gen 1 and 3. Didn’t work well. For that reason I’d go with Salomon.

Very poor lateral stability and a bad tread pattern that’s actually very slippery on mixed trails. Durability is also lacking and I only get about 350km out of a pair of Norvan LDs. Whereas my Nordas and Speedlands I can get 1200km and 700km out of a pair

I really really like my Arcteryx Norvan LD’s. Super light, comfortable, decent grip. They’ve lasted great too. I’ve got the 2’s and I’m going on 6 years probably 500/600 miles and no holes, peeling etc.

I’ve always used trail runners for this Salomon speed goat 6s or Arcteryx Norvans line up are my go to depending on the grip I need.

My take, Arc shorts (Incendio) are awesome. Favourite shorts personally (7inch). I also have a superlight weight Arc merino t shirt for running which has been a comfortable alternate to all the synthetic I have. Can’t recall the model. I’ve had two pair of their shoes, the OG Norvan, and more recently the Sylan. OG Norvan was good, Sylan was a very different shoe, quite unique, a little stiff with a little of rocker and a bit unstable. Would not recommend. I’ve mostly run in Salomon, and would choose both their shoes and their Hydration vest over Arc, but greatly prefer Arc’s apparel (including Norvan jacket). Also, I just got my first Norda’s, and to me they’re the Arc or shoes. Premium material, great fit (for my feet) and look great. The durability on feel and upper so fair have been really strong.

Mine were squeaking and the sizing was odd. Length was okay, still narrow. The La Sportiva last isn't for slightly more than standard width, I am afraid. Given the spectacular reviews this shoe got, I can only say it was a grave disappointment. Will rather run again in my unspectacular but absolutely reliable Xodus Ultra 3, Salomon Ultra Glide 2 or Arc'teryx Norvan. For Hiking I would say the fit is just too firm and the foam squeaky, it got even louder after some 22km in both shoes.

Arcteryx trail shoes are pretty narrow and have wicked good grip. Vibram Soles.

For day to day running a shoe wearing out faster isn’t a big deal. When I’m on backpacking trips for weeks at a time, a shoe failing can cause big issues. I haven’t managed to justify the price of Nordas for casual running yet, but I love them for thru hikes where I don’t have to worry about the hundreds of kilometres between me and the next shoe store. Plus compared to some shoes my Nordas have lasted more than twice as long. Their uppers seem to be indestructible, so at 1000km when I retired them they were in better shape than my Arc’teryx shoes at 300km, On Clouds at 100km and Hokas at 10km (aka when they all got their first holes). The people I know who love Nordas are those who tend to shred shoes - if you’re not destroying your uppers long before you wear out the soles there’s not much point to them. 

The thing is, for a lot of us getting shoes to that 700mi is impressive, let alone the 300-400mi after that where the shoe works but is less awesome. My Hokas got a hole in the upper on day one (so within 5km). My On Clouds got multiple holes in the uppers week one (so within 100km). My Arc’teryx got holes in the uppers within 150km. My cousin’s partner has similar issues with regularly destroying uppers in the first few hundred kilometres, long before the soles show signs of wear.  Is it “gimmicky” for us to finally have an upper that is durable enough that we can actually use the shoe until the rubber is worn down? Or is it a shoe that is well designed for our needs?

Dayhike - arcteryx trail runners or day hikers. Backpacking trips - scarpa boots (saved me from ankle rolls many times)

Not supportive at all in the shoes but they are nice to dayhike in with lighter loads.