Listen, I’m not a shoe guy. I’m just not. I’d wear flip flops (or go barefoot) 7 days a week, year round, if I could.

But when it comes to hiking and backpacking, shoes are kind of a necessity. (I know there’s a whole subculture of barefoot hiking; I’m not THAT extreme.) The thing is, I’ve never been a fan of those chonky “hiking boots” everyone wears.

The huge boots that offer “ankle support”? You know them. The ubiquitous brown hiking shoes (from Merrell and the like)? No thanks. They all drive me nuts. I’ve tried them. I own a couple pairs. I’ve hiked in them.

I never wear them.

They’re heavy. My feet get hot and sweaty. My toes get cramped and uncomfortable. I get blisters. And I’d never wear them anywhere except a trail. They’re practically monofunctional.

Now hang on! I know half of you are champing at the bit to tell me I’ve been buying the wrong brand or I’m wearing them wrong or I’m using the wrong socks (don’t even get me started on wool hiking socks), let me finish.

I’ve long been looking for a good alternative for putting solid miles on the trail. Because one thing I will say about those hiking boots? They’re sturdy. They should last you a while.

I just want something comfortable, lightweight, sturdy, and suitable for long miles over all kinds of terrain… on and off the trail.

Well, reader, I can finally say that I’ve FOUND the alternative that works for me (and might work for you) – even though they certainly don’t look like it.

Allow me to introduce you to the Arc’teryx Norvan.

Right? Doesn’t look like a hiking shoe, does it? That’s because it’s not. It’s a trail runner. But at its heart, Arc’teryx is a rock climbing/mountaineering company, so they know a thing or two.

This summer, we took a couple pairs of the Norvan LD (men’s and women’s) out west and gave them the ol’ stress test.

All told, each saw more than 60 miles of trail hiking through 6 national parks (including a rim-to-rim across the Grand Canyon and a full hike of the Virgin River through the Narrows at Zion NP). That’s on top of dozens of miles of city walking around Las Vegas, Moab, and small-town Utah. And four days wandering around indoors at a nerdy convention.

We brought them over countless miles of sand, dirt, boulders, slippery rocks, concrete, asphalt, and carpet. And through about 17 miles of water.

And I love them. They might just be my favorite shoes I’ve ever worn.

As I said, they’re technically trail runners and designed for long trail runs, which translates to a perfect combination of being both lightweight (10.9 oz per shoe for the men’s) and durable.

Seriously, these are incredibly well made. I don’t really expect ANY hiking shoe to start falling apart after only 60 miles, but the 17 miles we had them submerged in water had me worried. What effect would all that water have? Would it loosen the stitching? (It didn’t.) Would it stiffen the material? (Again, nope.) Would the color run or fade? (They’re still as blue as ever.)

If you’ve ever been to Zion National Park, you know of the The Narrows. You know that a vast majority of visitors crowd around the southern trailhead, splashing in the water (and never actually make it to The Narrows). You also know that there are a LOT of outfitters just outside the park gates clamoring to rent you technical water shoes (that look like this).

They’re enormous and, frankly, a little ludicrous. But still. We saw plenty of people wearing them. All of them dayhikers from the bottom who MAYBE hiked 2-3 miles. NO ONE we saw on our 17-mile overnight top-down hike had them. Why? Because they’re totally unnecessary.

If I’m being totally honest, I don’t think the Norvan could have been a more perfect shoe for The Narrows. My daughter (wearing the women’s Norvan LD) opted to rent neoprene socks (which she later regretted), and the Norvan STILL fit like a glove.

Obviously, these aren’t big on the whole “ankle support” shtick, so if that’s something you NEED, then these might not work for you. But honestly, I think that’s all a scam anyway. But that’s the subject of another post.

The Norvan, above everything else, allow a wide range of freedom of movement. And that’s where they win for me. When I go hiking, I want shoes that will take me easily from one terrain to another.

Not only did we walk away from those 60+ miles blister-free, but there weren’t even any hot spots forming. The shoes felt like they were specially engineered to fit my foot.

After hours of constant soaking in the Virgin River, they stayed comfortable and practical. And they dried out in hours. (Arc’teryx also makes the Norvan SL, which are superlight with more mesh and might actually be a better option if you do a lot of water hiking.)

Hiking across the Grand Canyon

But freedom of movement could mean nothing if the shoes fail in other departments. Thankfully, the Norvan are some of the most breathable shoes I’ve ever had. In the hot desert, my feet stayed dry, cool, and comfortable.

Finally, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Vibram Megagrip soles. They’re damn near a miracle. Walk over rock, scramble over boulders, or walk across slippery river bottoms, and it feels like you’ve got magnets on your feet. You have to really try to slip or trip.

“Grippy” doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Scrambling through the Fiery Furnace in Arches NP

Listen, I’m not gonna lie. There is a catch. They come at a price. The Norvan LD retails for $160, and the SL (which I mentioned above) are slightly cheaper at $150. Four other variations range in price from $170-195.

So they’re not exactly cheap. But if you’re looking to invest in a solid pair of hiking shoes, you’re already committed to spending north of $100. And these shoes will last you a long time.

And as I’ve been TRYING to tell you here, the Norvan are the Mary Poppins of trail shoes: practically perfect in every way.

(Disclosure: Arc’teryx provided two pairs of the Norvan LD for review purposes. All opinions remain my own.)