Press release

Düsseldorf, August 29, 2024

Envalior today announces it has partnered with norda™, a Montreal-based trail running shoe company, to deliver the 005 ultra distance super shoe, which was unveiled during the UTMB race series in Chamonix, France, August 27. The “unique ride”—the feeling of the ground-shoe interface during contact—of the 005 is engineered through an innovative midsole and soleplate combination. The midsoles are made with Arnitel®, a thermoplastic copolyester elastomer (TPC), and the soleplates are made of Vibram® Mega Grip Elite rubber soleplate.

Arnitel® demonstrates benchmark resiliency, strength and mechanical property retention while elevating product sustainability, delivers durability and performance in the 005 shoe. With its versatile processing capabilities for physical and other traditional foaming technologies, the material is optimized for producing state-of-the-art low-carbon midsoles that allow athletes to perform better and longer. 

According to Andre Oosterlaken, Product and Market Innovation Manager for Arnitel® at Envalior, norda™ chose Arnitel® for its midsoles because of the following unique product attributes:

• Benchmark Rebound: Arnitel® outperforms other midsole foam materials in rebound weighted by foam density. 
• Outlasting: Arnitel® outlasts other high-performance midsole foam materials that can only perform at peak conditions for a very limited time.  
• Consistent Performance: Arnitel® FM grades have been designed to exhibit very stable mechanical properties in different temperatures. As such athletes will experience very consistent performance while running in any climate and/or trail conditions. 
• Sustainable: Arnitel® based midsoles can be recycled and are available in low carbon footprint and/or renewable source/biobased grades. 

Material technology partners give trail runners the foot support they need   

Earning a reputation for balancing durability and comfort in sports shoes, Arnitel® is soft to the touch with a lightweight structure and rubber-like strength and flexibility. Compared to TPU, midsoles made from Arnitel® demonstrate a 17% higher rebound. Arnitel® also exhibits extremely low energy loss after foaming, enhancing the wear performance of midsoles to ensure shoes offer reliable foot support during intense physical activities. 

“In creating the norda™ 005 our goal was simple – to find the most advanced midsole foam for trail that combined the highest resiliency possible, yet performed and lasted 5-10x longer than other super foams. We chose Arnitel® after two years of intense testing with our norda™ 665 athlete team in numerous settings — race, training, and adverse conditions. Whereas most super foams fall apart after a single usage, the performance, rebound, durability, and properties of Arnitel® TPC are without compromise the finest foam available today,” explained Nick Martire, Co-Founder and CEO of norda™.  

The 005 has a resiliency of approximately 80.6% – a first in the trail running shoe market — and weighs only 211g (M8.5) and 177g (W8). The shoe also offers a full stack height midsole, the amount of material between your feet and the ground, and a Carbon plate is not required thanks to using 100% Arnitel® for the midsole.  

The shoe’s soleplate is engineered with Vibram® Litebase® technology to conserve energy and enhance performance with a 30% reduction in overall sole weight. The Vibram® Mega Grip® Elite rubber delivers trail runners superior durability, traction, and the strongest possible grip on both wet and dry surfaces. 

The upper portion of the 005 is made of an exclusive proprietary weave of almost entirely bio-based Dyneema® and recycled nylon, creating the strongest, lightest, and most responsible trail shoe upper ever made. The weight is less than 90g/m2 and +3000N warp and weft tear strength. 

“Norda’s constant strive to create the most dynamic and responsive running shoes has led to it being the first brand to ever bring three incredible component brands together; Vibram®, Dyneema®, and now Arnitel®, creating the lightest, fastest, most stable trail shoe ever made,” said Martire.

Performance and sustainability go hand-in-hand at norda™  

Norda™ has a dual commitment to high performance and sustainability and uses the most innovative materials on Earth to achieve this commitment. From the beginning, the norda™️ mission has been about helping every trail runner love every run.  

“We do this by empowering runners to push their performance further than they thought possible. But we also do this by ensuring we can all live up to our collective responsibility to protect exactly what makes trail-running so spectacular: the natural world we run through,” said Martire.  

The 005 will be available to consumers in Spring 2025, and the norda™ 001/003 mainline of footwear will transition to Arnitel® midsoles in 2025.  

Further information on Envalior's products and services can be found at www.envalior.com.  

An overview of norda™ products and sustainability strategy can be found at www.nordarun.com.  

About Envalior
Envalior is a global leader in Engineering Materials with over 4,000 employees worldwide. It was established in 2023 through the merger of Lanxess Performance Materials and DSM Engineering Materials. With a long track record of customer-driven innovation, Envalior specializes in developing sustainable and high-performance material solutions. Focus markets include Automotive, New Mobility, Electronics & Electrical, and Consumer Goods. For more information, visit www.envalior.com.

About norda 
Founded in Montreal, Canada in 2020, and headquartered in the mountains of the Eastern Townships of Quebec, norda™ run, inc. is a privately held footwear and apparel company. norda™ is inspired by Canada’s toughest conditions and is committed to craftsmanship in creating the highest-performance products. The brand’s mission is to empower all runners to achieve their peak potential and to provide the best performance footwear while leaving the lightest footprint possible. Through science and cutting-edge technology, norda™ has created the world’s first seamless (trail) running shoe with bio-based Dyneema®, the world’s strongest and lightest fiber. This achievement breaks historical boundaries in the footwear industry and proves that the highest performance, durability, and sustainability are achievable together. For more information, visit: nordarun.com and IG: @nordarun  

Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third-party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of Envalior GmbH to differ materially from the estimates expressed or implied herein. Envalior GmbH does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors, nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of Envalior GmbH or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person’s officers, directors or employees accepts any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.