It Took Two Tech Geniuses to Design the World’s Coolest Trail-Runner (EXCLUSIVE)
norda running shoes are curious things. The sneakers are built on technology so advanced that it practically doesn’t exist anywhere else in the industry, from the world’s strongest fiber, Dyneema, to bespoke foam compounds normally used by the automotive industry. But the clean lines and muted colorways of norda’s sneakers make them as stylishly understated as they are useful, especially in comparison to the uber-flashy footwear of their peers. It’s a distinct blend of wild innovation and crisp construction.
Here, norda mostly stands alone. But in fledgling outdoor label gnuhr, a technical gear maker producing products so refined it landed them on our Good Clothes Index, norda found a kindred spirit.
“We cut the noise for function, but [we] think there’s a visual elegance to that too,” Nur Abbas, gnuhr founder, tells Highsnobiety. “The essence of stripping things back is all about focus and purpose. Every design decision comes down to: Does a product work for what it’s meant for?”
Abbas founded gnuhr in 2023 after stints working at Louis Vuitton and Nike ACG, specializing in functional clothing driven by beautiful form. This approach twins with norda’s approach to footwear, as the two share a disdain for design gimmicks and an obsession with twisting top-of-the-line technology into great, grounded shapes.
So, after some friendly chats where they shared ideas and lent each other products for photoshoots, the two labels organically ended up collaborating. It’s an all-caps crossover expressed in an all-lower-case name: gnorda.
Through an approach of using “minimum construction for maximum effect,” as Abbas puts it, the duo produced a head-to-toe trail uniform for both running and recovery that released on January 29. It's anchored by a supremely stylish take on norda’s 002 sneaker, the “world’s most responsive trail running shoe,” but with the usual wavy reflective overlays replaced by a simple gridded pattern to make it, in Abbas’ words, “stripped back to its purest form.” norda's 008 recovery slide was perfect as is, save for a fresh pale-blue paint job.
Not content with only deploying Dyneema in all its trail shoes, norda uses this collaboration to weave the fiber — both incredibly lightweight and 15 times stronger than steel — into clothing. “I love how we used Dyneema in this collection,” says Nick Martire, founder of norda, pointing to loose-fitting windbreakers and matching windpants built through an advanced fabric innovation that combines Dyneema with ripstop nylon. “It’s light, breathable, and still extremely durable,” Martire continues. “It really speaks to Dyneema’s versatility,”
But while the windproof track jacket is near-indestructible, the duo’s running T-shirt is made to be destroyed. Small cut holes pepper the gnorda Warp T-tank, made from a single panel of warp-knit garment-dyed Italian nylon, allowing you to remove panels of fabric and transform it into everything from a crop top to a tank top, with 36 customization options in all.
“We both cared about every single detail,” says Abbas, which becomes evident as you discover all the small functional components baked into these otherwise conventional-looking running clothes. These two brands rarely engage in collaborations, and they’ve taken the time to ensure everything here hits their exacting standards.
“We’re very selective about our collaborations because we’re keenly focused on making the best product possible, from the best materials available. And we look for collaborative partners who do the same,” says Martire. “Collaborations should bring out the best of both brands, and we feel that gnorda does just that.”
Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase. Want to shop the products our editors actually love? Visit HS Shopping for recs on all things fashion, footwear, and beauty.
