Norda 055 Review: The Most Complete Mountain Running Shoe?
I’ve been searching for my UTMB shoe for a better part of a year, and the Norda 055 ($325) is my answer. I took it out of the box and into a 100-mile training week in the mountains above Leavenworth, Washington, and it handled the full gamut of terrain with ridiculous ease. It’s light underfoot for long climbs, precise and nimble on technical descents, energetic on fast, runnable sections, grippy on all manner of surfaces, and has enough cushion for comfort over 100 miles. And with a highly reinforced Dyneema upper, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more durable trail running shoe, especially at this weight. The 055 is pricey and way overbuilt for those who stick to smooth singletrack, but for mountain runners tackling variable terrain over long distances, it might just be the most complete shoe ever made.
Cushioning
Responsiveness
Stability
Traction
Durability
Sustainability
Best for
High-performance, all-around
Weight
1 lb. 2.3 oz.
Stack height
36/30mm
Upper
Dyneema
Midsole
TPEE
Outsole
Vibram Megagrip Elite (5mm)
Pros
Cons
Norda 055
For this season's top models, see our guide to the Best Trail Running Shoes.
I first heard about the 055 a few months after I got my first Norda shoe, the 005. I love the 005, especially for its close-to-the-ground feel on technical and scrambling terrain, but it didn't take me long to accept that it was never going to be my go-to for long runs or 100-mile races. When I learned of the 055 as the 005’s max-cushioned sibling, it felt like my knight in shining armor was on the way, specifically given the fact that I was set to run UTMB—a 100-plus-mile race in the trail mecca of Chamonix—at the end of August. A shoe with the ridiculously durable upper and super sticky outsole of the 005, but with more stack underfoot? It became my most anticipated shoe release of the year.
The Norda 055 delivered even more than I expected. The 36 millimeters of Arnitel TPEE in the heel and 30 in the forefoot—over 7 millimeters more than the 005 at the heel—was the stack I was craving for the high-mileage running I had on deck. The cushion felt luxurious from the moment I stepped into the shoe, toeing the line perfectly between too plush and too firm. I immediately launched into a 100-mile training week, wearing the 055 for every single mile of singletrack, gravel road, irrigation canal, and mountain rambling. At no point during the week did I want for more or less cushion, and sitting here on my Monday rest day, I'm impressed with how little fatigue I'm carrying in my legs. I have to attribute at least some of that to the shoes.
What I appreciate most, though, is how the cushioning doesn't detract from the shoe's nimble and precise feel. The 055 carries absolutely none of the boat-like quality I've experienced in max-cushioned shoes like the Brooks Cascadia Elite or Salomon Ultra Glide. I don't feel like I'm towering off the ground or running on marshmallows, which translates to excellent precision on technical terrain, whether navigating rocky downhill sections or scrambling low-fifth class. All that, and you also get incredible, long-haul comfort on flat and flowy trail. Up until now, I wasn't sure what shoe I'd be wearing for UTMB. The 055 is my answer: cushioned enough for the long miles, yet nimble enough to feel light through the technical sections. I'll keep the Cascadia Elite in the wings with my crew just in case I want a truly plush ride toward the end of the race, but don't anticipate needing it.
I came into my peak week of training feeling sluggish and slow, and give the 055 full credit for perking me up. The Norda 055's pop and turnover are about as good as it gets for a trail running shoe built for technical terrain. The Arnitel TPEE midsole is energetic from mile 1 to mile 25 (after UTMB I can speak to the mile-106 feel), and a noticeable rocker means it wants to move on smooth sections of trail. For a shoe that remains stable when bombing downhill through rocks and roots, this amount of responsiveness is a real highlight. From my experience, it’s most comparable to the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro, but better in all the ways: more energetic, but also more stable and cushioned.
My biggest run last week was a 25-mile loop in the mountains above my hometown of Leavenworth, Washington—6,000 feet of climbing, followed by a fast descent on rocky, shale-covered trails, then a rooty section through the forest, then 8 miles of smooth trail and gravel road to finish. The shoe had what it took to handle all of it, and felt like it wanted to keep me moving and bouncy on that final section of road. For mountainous running routes that feature a little bit of everything, it's a very well-rounded shoe.
The Norda 055 isn’t as baseline stable as the 005—an inherent tradeoff of the added stack—but for a max-cushioned, uber-energetic shoe, it offers an impressively grounded feel. The close fit contributes to this, making the shoe feel like an extension of my foot rather than something I need to compensate for. Together, this stability and precision allowed me to descend shale, roots, and rocks at speed while still trusting my footing and feeling in control. I did roll my ankle a few times during testing, but I think that's more a reflection of my tendencies than the shoe's design.
I've also been wearing The North Face Altamesa 500 V2 a lot in my UTMB build—a shoe that exemplifies stability with its wide base and planted feel. But while I love the Altamesa for slow miles on easy ground, the 055 makes me feel significantly more in control when the terrain gets technical, especially at any sort of speed. The La Sportiva Prodigio Pro was my previous baseline for a shoe that toed the fine line between stability and precision, and the 055 feels even more grounded without losing any of the nimbleness.
For a shoe with many defining qualities, traction might be what stands out to me most about the 055 after my 100-mile week. In short, I have never worn a trail running shoe with better grip. Like a lot of modern shoes, it uses Vibram Megagrip Elite rubber with Lightbase technology—but differentiates itself with just about the most aggressive lug pattern I've seen. Not only does the 055 have more and sharper lugs than the 005, but it also has 10 small rubber "spikes" scattered across the outsole. I'm not entirely sure what Norda's intention was with those spikes, but I can tell you they translated to almost excessive grip.
What does “almost excessive grip” mean, might you ask? On the good side, the lug pattern kept me glued to the ground on every downhill—rock, sand, loose dirt and mud, glacier ice, snow, and tricky slabs covered in kitty litter all felt more confidence-inspiring than in any shoe I've worn. On the bad side, I caught my toe more often in this shoe than in any other, which led to one full superman, a hematoma on my knee, and countless "life flashing before my eyes" moments. In my not-so-scientific analysis, I believe it to be the spikes doing the catching—though perhaps the lesson is that I just need to pick my feet up more when I run. It’s worth noting that after 100 miles, the spikes are showing signs that they likely won’t last for another 100 more, which is a bit of a relief for this trail shuffler.
One more noteworthy feature of the 055’s outsole: The rubber wraps well up the toe and the heel. For plunge-stepping in snow or shale, this adds meaningful grip and durability that most trail shoes can't claim. It's unnecessary additional weight for runners who stick mostly to groomed trail, but yet another feature that sets the Norda 055 apart as the best mountain shoe I've yet to run in.
I'll probably never stop singing Norda's praises when it comes to build quality and durability. As someone who loves running in the mountains—a hobby that often results in off-trail traversing in trail running shoes—I've found the limits of a lot of shoes. Full outsole delamination, 5-inch tears where the upper meets the midsole, blown-out toe boxes—you name it, it's happened. Last month, I wore the 005 on a demanding 3-day traverse of the Stuart Range, shoving it into cracks, bashing it through scree fields, and sidehill traversing for hours, and found myself repeatedly surprised that it was still intact. And would you believe it—the 055 is even more durable than its lower-stack sibling.
Like all of Norda’s shoes, the 055’s upper is built with Dyneema—a material known for being stronger for its weight than steel. And Norda doesn’t stop there: The 055's upper has so many reinforcements it almost looks like a tank. Generous rubber rands wrap all the way around and up the heel, the toe box is heavily reinforced, and the rubber outsole extends over the heel cup to protect that vulnerable section while plunge-stepping in loose terrain or during fast movement through rocky sections. The magic of the 055—and all of Norda’s shoes—is that it manages to be as durable as it is without putting on too much weight.
Despite the shoe-destroying terrain I take it into, I doubt the upper of my 055 will ever be the limiting factor. The first thing to go will almost certainly be the midsole foam—it's already starting to show signs of wear externally, and even the most durable foam packs out after several hundred miles. The outsole would go next. Norda notes in the fine print that most users will choose to retire their shoes after about 500 miles. For pure running, I'll probably be part of that statistic, but for mountain movement that demands less midsole energy, I'm guessing the 055 will last me a bit longer.
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As mentioned above, the Norda 055 features a Dyneema upper with a wrap-around rubber rand, numerous toe box reinforcements, and a rubber outsole that rises a few inches up the heel. Another defining feature is the knit ankle collar, which incorporates the tongue and provides a sock-like fit while doing a serviceable job keeping out debris. The tongue runs a touch long—I've dealt with some bunching under the laces, and giving it a tug pulls up more material than I'd like—but it hasn't been a meaningful comfort issue. It's also nicely padded under the laces to avoid pinching.
I was genuinely excited about the 055's collar after emptying out the 005 multiple times per day on the Stuart Range Traverse. Because Dyneema doesn’t stretch, the 005 has an especially gapey collar; so putting a knit collar on the 055 was a no-brainer. Its close-to-skin fit has delivered for the most part, though I still had to stop a few times to empty out sand and scree after descending loose terrain.
I happened to schedule my 100-mile training week during the hottest stretch of the summer, which meant the 055s got a lot of submersion time in rivers and canals. They aren't the fastest-draining shoe I've worn, but they dried out eventually after each dousing without becoming an issue. Breathability held up too, even in 100-degree temperatures. Given the tightly woven Dyneema, you don't get the sensation of air moving against your skin while running, but I also never swamped out in the shoe—which, given the conditions, says something.
I'm generally somewhere between a women's 8.5 and 9 in trail running shoes and wore a women's 9/men's 7.5 in the unisex 055s. Norda recommends sizing up half a size, which was an easy call for me given where I fall. That said, I've chatted with folks for whom sizing up resulted in a too-loose fit—possibly a function of the generously sized toe box and the non-stretchy Dyneema upper, which doesn't conform to the foot the way a knit or mesh upper would. If you can find a place to try these on before buying, it's worth doing. And Dyneema gripes aside, the 055's fit is a massive improvement over the 005, largely thanks to the knit collar, which creates a much more secure, sock-like feel around the ankle.
My first impressions of the 055’s fit weren't so favorable. On my first run, my feet slipped all the way forward on a descent, resulting in my toes bashing against the front of the shoe. I went through a full grief cycle about whether these might not actually be my UTMB saviors—and then I rethreaded the top laces through the second eyelet rather than the first. Crisis averted. Once dialed in, the fit is excellent. The relatively wide toe box leaves ample room for foot swelling over long miles, which I'm sure I'll appreciate as the miles stack up on the big loop.
Norda 005 ($325): Same DNA, Different Purpose
The 005 and the 055 share the same core technology—Arnitel TPEE midsole, Vibram Megagrip Elite rubber, Dyneema upper—but they're built for different contexts. The 005 is Norda's lightest, fastest shoe, optimized for precision and ground feel on technical terrain. The 055 takes those same materials and applies them to a different problem: ultra-distance running and rugged mountain terrain where cushioning and lockdown matter more than pure speed. The 055 weighs more and sits higher off the ground, but rewards you with significantly more cushion underfoot and a more secure ankle feel. Choose the 005 for fast, technical efforts where you want to feel the ground beneath you; go with the 055 for the days when you need to protect your legs across many hours and miles. For a deeper dive, read our Norda 005 review.
La Sportiva Prodigio Pro ($225): Go Faster for $110 Less
The Prodigio Pro was my previous go-to for a max-cushioned shoe that could hold its own on techy mountain terrain. Like the 055, it has a generous dose of lively foam, a knit collar, a full rubber outsole, a fun rocker, and a relatively durable upper. It pulls it all off with a bit more of a nimble, dancing-shoe-like vibe: Compared to the 055, it’s lighter, narrower, and has a bit more ground feel. But in my opinion, the 055 nails the assignment better in the ways that matter most. It offers slightly more cushion as the miles stack up, is more stable without compromising agility, has stickier rubber and a more aggressive lug pattern, and its Dyneema upper with wraparound rand will outlast the Prodigio Pro's construction by a wide margin. For shorter distances or faster running on more forgiving terrain, the Prodigio Pro is a compelling, slightly more agile option for $110 less. For more, read our review of the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro.
For mountain runners who want a shoe that can handle the full gamut of terrain—technical climbs, rocky descents, and fast runnable sections—while remaining comfortable into the ultra distances, the 055 might be the most complete trail shoe ever made. It’s overkill for those who stick to smooth singletrack.
Cushioning
Responsiveness
Stability
Traction
Durability
Sustainability
The 005 is Norda’s take on a trail supershoe—ultralight, poppy, and surprisingly stable across a range of terrain. And, of course, it showcases the brand’s signature Dyneema upper. It’s a niche pick that'll give you hundreds of fun trail miles and some nods at the start line, but your wallet will definitely notice.
Cushioning
Responsiveness
Stability
Traction
Durability
Sustainability
The La Sportiva Prodigio Pro is a rare do-it-all trail shoe. It boasts maximum cushion and is wildly energetic, yet genuinely grippy and stable. It's a high performer for just about any distance, speed, or terrain. Just be aware that the fit runs short and snug, and there’s no rock plate for extra underfoot armor.
Cushioning
Responsiveness
Stability
Traction
Durability
Sustainability
Is the 055 for You?
The Norda 055 is for the mountain runner who wants it all—maximum cushion, technical precision, aggressive traction, and bomb-proof durability—and is willing to pay for it. It's the shoe I'd reach for on a 100-mile race through the Alps, a week of training in the mountains, or any objective where the terrain is unpredictable and the miles are long. The traction is the best I've experienced in a trail shoe; the cushion is ready for long days; fit is excellent; and the Dyneema upper will outlast just about anything else in the category. It's not the lightest option for chasing speed on runnable terrain, and its protective features and category-leading grip will largely be wasted on smooth singletrack. But for anyone running in varied mountain terrain who wants a shoe that's just as adept on a fast, rocky descent at mile 11 as it is on a runnable forest road at mile 25, the 055 is the most complete trail shoe I've worn.
Go for it if you want a durable, max-cushioned, and technically precise shoe for high-mileage running in variable terrain and are willing to spend up for the best.
Pass on it if you want to prioritize low weight, want maximum ground feel, or are working with a tight budget.
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