But let’s start from the beginning:
If you’ve never heard of norda before, that might be because this brand is still incredibly young. Founded in March 2020, it was, of course, initially slowed down by Covid — but thankfully, not stopped!
The name norda — which means »north« in Latin — was founded by Canadian couple Nick and Willamina Martire together with designer Louis-Martin Tremblay.
Both Nick and Willamina are extreme endurance athletes who had grown frustrated with the performance — and especially the durability — of conventional trail-running shoes.
Their goal was nothing less than to create the best trail-running shoe ever made. Tremblay immediately shared that ambitious vision:
Either we were going to do it right or we weren’t going to do it at all.
To achieve this, they turned to materials that are truly unique in their category — materials most other brands avoid due to cost. Their philosophy: no compromises that would sacrifice quality.
The result: uppers and laces made from Dyneema, a fabric so tough it’s considered twice as strong as Kevlar. In fact, norda is the only footwear brand that uses Dyneema exclusively.
But Dyneema isn’t the only material highlight of the norda 001. Its midsole is made from Vibram SLE foam, offering an unparalleled mix of comfort and stability — a must for any serious trail-running shoe. The outsole uses Vibram Litebase and Megagrip technology, making the shoe both lighter and grippier.
Of course, a high-performance shoe made with such premium materials doesn’t come cheap. But as Nick Martire puts it:
You get what you pay for though — there’s a reason our shoes still hit a sweet spot after [600+ miles].
And every trail runner who’s ever worn a norda will agree: the comfort and durability of these shoes are truly unmatched. It’s no wonder norda has taken the trail-running world by storm.
But even in the urban jungle, norda is gaining fans fast. Beyond all the technical excellence, the Martires and Tremblay have shown outstanding design sensibility — these shoes simply look amazing.
And the story didn’t end with the 001 — today, the 002 and 003 models are thrilling trail runners around the world.
Check out our norda selection at 43einhalb:
