The Definitive Anti-Hoka Shoe Is an Ultra-Technical Ode to Minimalism

Light, responsive and uniquely close to the ground, Norda’s first racer is an innovative antidote to maximalism.

pair of norda 005 shoes on a dirt surface

Published March 13, 2025

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Updated March 13, 2025

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Maximalism had a good run, with brands like Hoka leading the pack. But what if those oversized shoes that have dominated the podiums of the world’s most prestigious trail races didn’t actually belong there?

That is the question Norda founder Nick Martire just couldn’t shake when developing his brand’s first race-day offering, the 005, now available for purchase after a two-year design process.

norda 005 shoe laying flat on a dirt surface — The 005, Norda’s first race-day shoe, has been in the works for two years, says Norda founder Nick Martire.

Ground control

“The movement of the industry has been to bring you further away from the ground,” Martire says, referring to the super shoes that have broken record after record on the roads and since found their way into trail-shoe design.

With a stack height that measures just 28.5mm, the 005 does just the opposite.

“The big brands were bringing that technology from the road to the trail but it’s not as stable on uneven ground and can send a wicked spring in the wrong direction,” Martire says.

“Our idea was, how do we actually bring us closer to the ground and give that rebound? The only way to do it was through science and technology.”

The shoe’s secret weapon is a midsole created entirely from Arnitel, the branded name for thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPEE).

Famously durable, lightweight and, most importantly, responsive, Norda isn’t the only brand to take advantage of its well-rounded performance properties.

“The big brands were bringing that technology from the road to the trail but it’s not as stable on uneven ground.”

According to Martire, however, the 005 represents an industry-first in terms of utilizing the foam exclusively in lieu of of a blend.

“Some of the big brands don’t talk about what’s necessarily mixed in,” he says. “The midsole of the Terrex Agravic Speed Ultra, which is Adidas’s best shoe, is only thirty percent Arnitel.

“It’s an incredible shoe, and it was sort of named the shoe of the year by a few people, but it only has thirty percent super foam. Ours is one-hundred percent.”

Light on the feet

With more than triple the amount of best-in-class foam, Martire’s theory is that Norda can afford to use less of it without cutting corners in the efficiency department.

But even if energy return is a vague buzzword, not to mention difficult to measure, one thing is not: the 005 weighs just 7.5 ounces (214 grams) in a men’s 8.5, making it the lightest super shoe on the trail no matter how you slice it.

There’s more to thank than the foam — or lack thereof. With the upper, the 005 utilizes recycled Bio-Dyneema, deployed in a weave pattern for breathability and rapid water drainage, should things get muddy.

“Dyneema has proven to be our reason for being,” says Martire, who has used the material in every Norda shoe since the 001, released in 2021. Ultralight and ultraresilient, Dyneema also acts as a shield against errant rocks and sharp edges.

Bottoms up

Finally, the 005 also debuts an innovative new outsole rubber: Vibram Megagrip Elite, which the manufacturer claims to be its both its lightest and grippiest yet.

As such, the lugs can shrink down to 4mm, further dropping the weight and enhancing the shoe’s versatility to transition across surfaces. It’s a quality Martire underscores by pointing to the 005’s professional debut on the feet of Matt Seidel at last year’s JFK 50 Mile Race, the oldest ultramarathon in the United States.

“Most of the elites switch their shoes halfway,” Martire says. “They run the first twenty-five miles because it’s a true trail and the last twenty-five are pretty much gravel and flat roads.”

However, Seidel, a Norda athlete, decided to run the race tape-to-tape, meaning he ran in a prototype of the 005 the full way through. He finished third in 5 hours, 29 minutes and 34 seconds — the eighth fastest time in the race’s 62-year history.

norda 005 shoe on its side — The 4mm lugs lend themselves to both technical trails and flat roads.

Price and availability

The 005 is available now for $325. It comes in one colorway, an off-white called Neve that’s designed to get dirty — a sign to Martire that the shoe (which he refers to as a “tool”) is being used the right way.

“People ask us, ‘So how do I clean them?'” he adds. “And we literally say, ‘You don’t.'”