norda 055 adds max-cushion protection for all-terrain runs

norda will release the 055 globally on July 9 at $325, a more substantial trail shoe that pushes the brand beyond its featherweight race lane and into full all-terrain territory. Nick Martire calls it “a specific tool for a specific purpose,” and the build reflects that: a higher stack, deeper lugs, a more structured upper and the brand’s first knit sock collar.

It changes the silhouette from stripped-down trail precision to something more enclosed and intentional, with the knit working to keep mountain debris out while tightening lockdown around the foot. The 055 is designed as an all-terrain, all-distance shoe, meant to handle high-mountain racing, speed sessions and less technical trails without feeling like a pure recovery cruiser.

The shift is even sharper when you place it beside norda’s first shoe, the 001. Launched in August 2021 after two years of testing, the 001 was a seamless, lightweight trail runner made with bio-based Dyneema, weighing 247 grams in a size 8.5 and riding on 5mm Vibram Megagrip lugs. The fiber used in the partnership is fed with renewable, bio-circular feedstock.

The 055 keeps that material story alive, but the attitude is more armored. Preview specs put it at a 38mm heel stack, a 7mm drop and 5mm outsole lugs, while later testing put it at a 39mm heel and 33mm forefoot platform with a resilient midsole. The extra stack softens landings on long descents, adds forgiveness late in a race and keeps the shoe composed when the terrain turns loose, wet or steep.

The 055 is not a replacement for the 005, its race-day benchmark. The 005 stays fast and lean, while the 055 brings protection, stamina and a more layered technical profile. The shoe was first shown to industry insiders in late 2025, tested in Colorado mountains with Jason Schlarb and in Death Valley with Ray Zahab, then taken into the 2026 Cocodona 250, where Rachel Entrekin finished in 56 hours, 9 minutes and 48 seconds and won outright with a new course record.