NNormal Kjerag Shoe
We don't know how to properly pronounce "Kjerag" either, we just know it stands for one of the fastest-feeling shoes on the planet. When super-human Kilian Jornet set out to create NNormal's Kjerag race shoe, we knew it was going to be epic. Everything in this guy's life is about going fast, we can only assume he has racked up plenty of speeding tickets all over Europe. An obsession with trail running has now turned into a passion for footwear and we are all the lucky recipients of his hard-earned knowledge. NNormal's Kjerag shoe is a lightweight yet durable option for anyone who wants to tackle trails around the neighborhood or around the world. Speaking of this beautiful world, NNormal is committed to minimizing its impact throughout the process of making its products. High-quality materials abound starting with the Matryx upper that is part Kevlar for abrasion resistance and high durability. The undercarriage features a Vibram Megagrip outsole that uses Vibram's Litebase material to significantly drop some weight. An EExpure midsole is the real gem here, maximizing protection, cushion, and rebound all in one material. From a VK to a 10k day, NNormal's Kjerag might just replace your entire closet of shoes.
SkyRun Fit Tip - We suggest sizing down in the Kjerag by one-half US size for the proper fit.
- Vibram Megagrip outsole with Litebase construction gives traction in all directions in a lightweight package.
- Matryx upper is highly abrasion resistant to keep you in these shoes for a very long time.
- EExpure midsole offers cushion and protection and may even help prevent blisters.
- NNormal is committed to minimizing its impact on our environment by selecting materials and processes that support this goal.
- The Kjerag does not come with insoles.
Specifications | |
Weight |
244g [10.0] |
Weight (pair) | 488g [10.0] |
Lug |
3.5mm |
Drop | 6mm |
Stack Height | 23.5mm |
Specs Verified | Yes |
Design | |
Outsole | Vibram® Litebase-Megagrip |
Fit | Medium Volume |
Last | Medium / Wide |
Cushion | Medium |
Protection | Medium |
Lacing System | Traditional |
SkyRun Says | |
Usage | Race day, ultra-marathons, distance training |
Notes | Highly durable for a race shoe |
Bottom Line | Lightweight option for race day in any terrain |
Compare to other Race Shoes |
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Questions & Reviews
In any case, I started running them the same day and have put down ~100 miles and 25K+ ft vert in 10 days with them. What can I say? They are almost perfect shoes for my purposes, style, and preferred way of experiencing mountain running.
They are wonderfully minimal with a very comfortable, lightweight upper that conforms to your foot with the right adjustment of the laces. The heel hold is so secure that I've simply never felt anything like it after years of running in nothing but various iterations of Hoka Torrents. The lack of insole makes the running feeling direct and energetic, as the midsole is also perfectly firm yet bouncy, energetic, and still somehow soft.
You can often forget about the shoes entirely while running, such is their lightness and great grip in almost all conditions I've run in. Sure, during very technical fast descents with lots of sharp rocks you need to be more careful than when running in big marshmallow shoes - but I think that ups your skill and game as a runner anyway.
I took them on a very gnarly day of running mixed with high alpine scrambling on tough rock that normally destroys my shoes in one go. The kjerags came through with minor scratches to the foam but nothing underfoot and nothing on the upper. In fact, I've tumbled pretty hard while wearing them, slide across dry dirt and rock, and they were unscathed - so I'm very optimistic about long term durability and getting maximum mileage out of them.
The only cons I can think of are related to the protoype-y feel of the overall fit. They definitely seem like an awesome, near perfection V1 of a shoe that could use refinements. Areas of improvement (for my foot anyway):
- the arch support is a little overly pronounced and prescriptive which is maybe a consequence of a somewhat narrow midfoot. it would be great if this area was more neutral and slightly more accommodating by about 1-2mm.
- toebox shape is strange. It's great around the big toe and middle toes but tapers off sharply toward the pinky toe, resulting in my small toes hitting the front on descents even with a full thumbnail width in front of my big toes to the bumper.
My footshape is wider across the toeline (most salomons are too constricting for my feet) and hoka-wide at the midfoot, narrow at the heel and low-ish volume overall with a low instep.
If you like feeling a high degree of connection with the trail, and are a high-cadence mountain runner with a well-established midfoot or forefoot strike, you will probably REALLY get along with these shoes. And come to think of it, they run road wonderfully and make long road to trail transitions quite enjoyable too.
Hoping that kjerag v2 will smooth out some of the rough spots in this shoe and deliver the holy grail i've been waiting for - the kjerags are so close!
I've used them for training on trails and even road as well as in two ultra events, the San Juan Solstice 50 and the Hardrock 100. I used the same pair for both ultras and never changed out of them. After all this all I can say is the hype is true. I'm not a Kilian fanboy, but these are the best all around trail running shoes I've ever used in 20+ years of running. Protective enough, but still great ground feel, energy rebound, and unbelievably light. This combined with being more durable than any other running shoe I've seen. It's wide enough for swollen feet in an ultra, but still has great foot lockdown. It's in a league of its own! As far as sizing goes, go down a half size from your regular US size no matter how you plan to use it or how wide you think your foot is. I don't even know what could be improved on this shoe without changing it in a negative way. I hope they keep making it for a long time.
This has become my dedicated long run and speed attempt shoe and I am happy for it.
- Inov-8 TrailFly Ultra TMG 300, women's 9.5
- Altra Olympus 9.5
- Salomon Speedcross 5 Wdie: size 9
What NNormal Kjerag size would you recommend? I would want these shoes to be comfortable for 50k to 100k distances. All examples given above are reasonably comfortable for 50k but perhaps would be too tight for 100k (with the exception of Hoka).
I asked a few other people and they mentioned that Kjerag was true to size, but the suggestion above on this site is to go half size down.
I recommend sizing the same as your La Sportiva Euro size for a distance shoe fit. I wear a 44 La Sportiva Mutant as my distance shoe and found that the Kjerag fit similarly.
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