ULTRA APPROACH SHOES? NORDA 001. REVIEW
THIS IS NOT A RUNNING SHOE REVIEW – SOMETHING FOUND BETTER ELSEWHERE AND SOMETHING WE FIND TEDIOUS AND NOT THAT RELEVANT TO WHAT WE DO WITH SHOES.
CLIMBERS DON’T THINK TWICE ABOUT SPILLING $350 ON FOOTWEAR, SO REFRAMING THE NORDA 001s IN THE CONTEXT OF ALPINISM SHIFTS THE ANGLE IN A WAY THAT WE THINK IS MUCH BETTER. WE RUN ULTRAS, WE KNOW WHAT THAT’S ABOUT, AND WE THINK THE 001s ARE UNSPECIAL THERE, BUT FOR THE PLACES WE GO AND THE WAY CLIMB WE FOUND THESE TO FILL A SOLUTION WE WERE WANTING
RUNNERS WILL HAPPILY PAY FOR THE LATEST FOAMS, CARBON INSERTS AND GEOMETRIES, WITH THE FIRM EXPECTATION TO DESTROY IT ALL AROUND THE 700km MARK OR THE NEXT BEGUILING ITERATION COMES OUT. THE IDEA OF HAVING UPPERS THAT LAST FOR YEARS JUST DOESN’T MEAN MUCH WHEN THE REST OF THE SHOE IS BLOWN OUT, SOMETHING NORDA HAS TRIED TO RETOOL WITH IT’S RANGE OF ULTRA DISTANCE-AIMED SHOES. THIS IS A BIG ASK – DO YOU EVEN WANT A SHOE THAT LASTS FOREVER, AND IS A SINGLE DO-IT-ALL EVEN A THING WITH RUNNING INTO THE QUADRIPLE DIGIT MILES?
.
NORDA
WE INITIALLY INTERACTED WITH NORDA WHEN THEIR SHOES WERE STILL EMERGING, WANTING SOMETHING FOR A 1000km EVENT, BUT FOUND THEM A BIT HAZY ON THE SHOES PROPERTIES – SOMETHING THAT RUNS COUNTER TO THE ASSURANCE WE NEED – SO LET THINGS GO WITH THEM IN FAVOR FOR OTHER FOOTWEAR MAKERS. THE NUMBERS JUST DIDN’T CRUNCH, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PRICE, WHERE 2 PAIRS OF MORE SPECIALIZED AND ROTATED SHOES NOT ONLY COST LESS BUT HAD MORE FUNCTION AND RELIABILITY.
BUT HERE WE ARE, A FEW YEARS LATER, RETURNING THIS TIME WITH NO AFFILIATION TO REVISIT THEIR 001 SHOES. UNLIKE OTHER COMPANIES THAT FILL THE SPACE AND HAVE BEEN THROUGH A DOZEN GENERATIONS OF INNOVATION IN THE TIME, NORDA HAS STUCK WITH WHAT THEY HAVE AND A FEW SMALL-INCREMENT VARIANTS. HOW THIS SITS IN THE EXPONENTIALLY EVOLVING WORLD OF RUNNING SHOES WE CAN’T SAY, BUT IN A WORLD OF FASTER AND LIGHTER ALPINISM IT HITS A SWEET SPOT.
.
THE 001s
WE LIKE FAT ULTRA SHOES FOR APPROACHES, AND THOUGH MORE SOPHISTICATED AND PADDED SHOES SURPASS THE NORDA 001s FOR RUNNING, FOR MOVING NIMBLY OVER UNEVEN TERRAIN UP TO THE POINT WHERE BOOTS GO ON THEY FEEL SECURE WITH A HEAVY PACK WHICH NOT ALL SHOES DO.
WE PUT THIS MOSTLY DOWN TO A MID SOLE RUBBER THAT IS TOWARDS THE HARDER END OF THE SPECTRUM, COMBINED WITH THE LOW STRETCH DYNEEMA UPPER AND A VERY NON-TECHNICAL SHAPE. THIS IS A WEIRD MIX FOR ULTRA SHOES THAT TEND TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN HARD AND TECHNICAL AND MARSHMALLOWY AND EASY – AND I DON’T THINK WE’D RUN IN THEM THOUGH MANY DO – BUT MAKES FOR A GOOD LONG DISTANCE APPROACH SHOW THAT KEEPS YOUR FEET AND LEGS FRESH.
AS RUNNING SHOES THEY ARE LIGHT, WHICH MAKES THEM EXCEPTIONALLY LIGHT FOR AN APPROACH SHOE, AND THEY GET THIS BY BEING A SKINNY SHOE ADAPTED TO A FAT SOLE AND SOPHISTICATED FIT SYSTEM. THEY COULD BE EVEN LIGHTER AS THEY INCLUDE SEVERAL GIMMICKS AND FASHION ORIENTED FEATURES, WHICH SEEM TO CATER TO A LARGE MARKET WHOSE ATTRACTION IS JUST THE LATEST HIPPEST THING. NONE OF THIS DETRACTS FROM THEIR FUNCTION AT ALL, AND IT’S EVEN NICE TO HAVE SOMETHING ON YOUR FEET THAT’S NOT THE USUAL GEAR COMPANY CLICHES AND COLOURS.
.
UPPER
DYNEEMA CROPS UP A LOT EVERYWHERE NOW, THOUGH IS CLEARLY ALMOST ABSENT FROM THE RUNNING SHOE MARKET, PRESUMABLY BECAUSE COST IS HARD TO JUSTIFY WITH ESSENTIALLY DISPOSABLE THINGS. NORDA HAS MADE DYNEEMA FRONT AND CENTER OF ITS SHOES, TOUTING ITS DURABILITY, WHICH WE FIND A LITTLE POINTLESS AS THE REST OF THE SHOE MAY NOT LAST THAT LONG. NO OTHER COMPANIES FOAM SEEMS TO LAST WELL BEYOND ABOUT 750kms, LET ALONG THE OUTER SOLE, SO IN THE CASE OF ULTRA DISTANCES THIS SEEMS A MOOT POINT TO WORRY ABOUT.
ON THE OTHER HAND IN THE CASE OF APPROACHES, DYNEEMA CERTAINLY HAS A PLACE. FROM THE ICY STREETS OF TIBETAN TOWNS TO VALLEY FLOORS, GLACIERS AND SCREE, THE 001s DON’T MAKE YOU FEEL VULNERABLE WITH JUST A PAIR OF RUNNING SHOES SOMEWHERE RUNNING SHOES ARE NOT MEANT FOR. THE UPPERS SHED SNOW AND DUST WELL BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT OPEN MESH, MAKING THEM A REAL FOUR SEASON SHOW, NOR DO THEY SOAK UP WATER WHICH CAN THEN FREEZE OR EVEN MUCH FILTH.
.
FIT
THERE’S NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT BUT THE 001s FIT STRANGE. THE SIZING IS AT LEAST 1 FULL SIZE BELOW NORMAL (HOW DOES THIS HAPPEN, IT’S LIKE SPINAL TAPS AMPLIFIERS), AND THEY FEEL BOTH VOLUMINOUS AND YET NARROW. THESE FEEL SIMILAR TO ULTRA SHOES BY THE NORTH FACE, SUITING A FOOT A BIT MORE BROAD IN THE TOES THAN A HOKA, OR A HOKA FOOT WITH A THICK SOCK. THEY LACE SMOOTHLY AND THE INNER BOOTIE HOLDS THE FOOT RATHER THAN LETS THE SHOE FLOAT ABOUT, BUT THEY LACK THE PRECISION TOE BOX THAT A TECHNICAL TRAIL SHOE WANTS FOR THINGS LIKE MOUNTAIN RACES AND STEEP GRADIENTS.
THEY ARE NOTICEABLY THIN IN THE HEEL AND TONGUE, NOT A BAD THING, AND THE INTERNAL CRADLE IS CLEVER COMBINING A STRETCH BOOTIE WITH SOME SELF-ADJUSTING LACE LOOPS. THESE THINGS FEEL WEIRD AT FIRST – A MIX OF MINIMALISM AND ULTRA COMFORT, AND UNLIKE SOME ULTRA SHOES THAT CLING TO THE FOOT AND BARELY NEED LACING, THESE NEED TO BE PROPERLY CINCHED INTO PLACE,
THEY WILL THOUGH BE HAPPY ON LONG DESCENTS, ALLOWING THE FOOT TO SPLAY AND TAKING SHOCK FROM THE JOINTS, ADVANCING THEM A LOT AS APPROACH SHOES FOR LONG SLOW ZOMBIE RETURNS. KNOWING A PAIR OF THESE ARE WAITING WHEN YOU ARE HALF-CRIPPLED FROM 8000m BOOTS AND DAYS KICKING INTO ICE IS MONEY WELL SPENT, AND WE CAN’T THINK OF ANY OTHER SHOES THAT FIT THAT JOB AS WELL.
SOLE
FAT SOLE UNITS CAN BE THE BANE OF STEEP TRAVERSES, STACKING HIGH WHICH IS UNSTABLE, EVEN RISKY TO ROLLING AN ANKLE. NORDA HAS FORESEEN THIS AS A PROPER TRAIL SHOE SHOULD AND GONE WIDE IN RELATION TO THE HEIGHT, AND THIS IS WHERE THE ABSENCE OF A TECHNICAL FOREFOOT COMES TO FRUITION, BY MAKING FOR A VERY STABLE SLAB OF CONTACT WITH THE GROUND.
THE INNER SOLE – AS A CHANGE FROM SOME COMPANIES THAT FIND THIS AS A WAY TO CUT COSTS – IN TRUE NORDA ‘TOP SHELF’ STYLE IS GOOD EXPANDED FOAM LIKE THOSE FOUND IN THE TOP SHOES FROM COMPANIES LIKE SAUCONY. THIS FOAM ABSORBS SOME OF THE IMPACT ITSELF, UNLIKE THE MERE SOFT INTERFACE MANY INNER SOLES ARE, AND FORMS A COMPLETE UNIT WITH THE OTHER SOLE LAYERS.
THE OUTSOLE WE THINK IS THE STAR OF THE ENSEMBLE, MORE SO THAN THE DYNEEMA EVEN. WHERE MANY ULTRA SHOES SACRIFICE CONTACT RUBBER AS A WAY TO SAVE GRAMS, NORDA 001s REVEL IN IT AS THE KEY TO SECURITY AND DURABILITY. WHATEVER IT IS COMPOSED OF STICKS ABNORMALLY WELL TO ROCK, SNOW PACK AND SOIL, SEEMINGLY ENHANCED FURTHER BY A TREAD PATTERN THAT CAPTURES A LOT OF SIZED TEXTURE. LARGE LUGS GRAB LOOSE STUFF AND A FINE PATTERN SMEARS GECKO-LIKE, THAT MAKES THESE THE EQUAL OF ANY APPROACH SHOE EVEN WITH THE FAT MID-SOLE.
.
IN USE
THE NORDA 001s DON’T FEEL TOO STACKED BECAUSE THE FOOT SITS WELL WITHIN THE EDGES OF THE FOAM AND IS CRADLED, PLUS THE WIDE TOE NEGATES THE FORWARD TIPPING ACTION FAST SHOES HAVE, AS WELL AS THERE BEING A VERY CONSERVATIVE ROCKER. THESE FEEL QUITE GENTLE COMPARED TO A DEDICATED RACE SHOE WHICH IS VERY MUCH TO AN APPROACH SHOES ADVANTAGE, ALLOWING A NATURAL SPLAY OF THE FOOT TO COUNTER THE STATIC RIGIDITY OF ALPINE BOOTS.
THEY ARE NOT WARM – AT ALL – AND THOUGH THE WIND DOESN’T WHISTLE THROUGH THEM LIKE MANY ULTRA SHOES, THEY RELY ON YOUR SOCKS FOR INSULATION. THEY ARE THOUGH IDEAL FOR DRY APPROACHES WITH ICY STREAMS TO LEAP, BOULDER FIELDS TO NEGOTIATE, YAK PASTURE TO CROSS AND MILES OF ANIMAL TRAILS ALONG STEEP HILLSIDES, ie 99% OF WE GET IN TIBET AND THE KARAKORUM.
.
THE NORDA 001s MAY JUST BE THE BEST CHECK-IN TO GLACIER SHOE AROUND, NONE OF WHICH THEY REALLY MARKET FOR BUT WHICH LOOMS LARGE IN THE THINGS WE LIKE. A CLIMBER COULD MAKE THESE THEIR ONLY SHOES ON A TRIP OTHER THAN THEIR BIG BOOTS IF THEY WERE TO TRAVEL VERY LIGHT AND DIRECT ONTO THE RIGHT SORT OF OBJECTIVE.
LIKE ANY FOOTWEAR A TRIP DEPENDS ON IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO FIT, AND THESE CERTAINLY ARE AMONG THE STRANGEST FITTING AROUND. THEY TAKE TIME TO CONFORM TO THE FOOT – LONGER THAN USUAL DUE TO THE TYPE AND THINNESS OF THE MATERIALS, BUT WHEN GONE THROUGH SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT MANY TRIPS ARE FACED WITH.
.