NNormal Kjerag Review
NNormal is an exciting new trail running brand set up by Killian Jornet and Camper, a family run fashion shoe brand founded in 1975 in Mallorca, Spain. This week we’ve brought you our NNormal Kjerag review.
Killian Jornet
Killian Jornet and Camper shared values and vision and agreed that they wanted to start a brand with a new way of thinking and acting, in relation to our environment and outdoor activities. Essentially, they want to produce products that are durable and therefore long lasting, made and supplied in a way that is kinder to the environment. They also embrace openness with regards, explaining the environmental cost of making and supplying the products to the market.
The name ‘NNormal’ is both a combination of the first three letters from where Killian Jornet is based, in *Nor*way, and the first three letters of *Mal*lorca where Camper is based, plus represents a “New Normal” with regards their vision and values.
The Kjerag is NNormal’s first trail running shoe. Killian Jornet raced and trained in them in 2022 to illustrate their durability. Killian used the exact same pair of shoes for his victories in Zegama, Hardrock 100 and UTMB. He demonstrated that the Kjerag is a trail shoe designed to be used for every distance, from the short and fast to 100-milers. This is a tall order, and you have to ask; at a glance, is this nimble highly responsive race shoe, that you would use for short races, really cushioned enough for you to run in all day?
The concept of using your racing shoes to train in is nothing new. The very successful New Zealand coach, Arther Lydiard, used to advise runners to train in the same shoes that they will use to race in. This was so that the runners got used to the running gait that they used with a particular shoe and therefore trained the specific muscles used. As racing shoes got lighter and less durable this approach to shoe selection changed to having a more durable, cushioned training shoe and a lightweight racer. The technology in running shoes has moved on considerably and shoes can now be made that are light, responsive and very well cushioned.
Nitrogen Infused
The NNormal Kjerag has a Nitrogen infused midsole called EExpure 45. Running shoe midsoles are made of rubber with lots of little bubbles in them. These bubbles are squashed when you land on them and then reshape. Over time these bubbles break and the midsole compresses. Running shoe companies have worked on making the midsoles more durable using different mixes of rubber. A Nitrogen infused midsole is one that has been sealed. This prevents water from getting in and air getting out. This makes the midsole far more durable; it doesn’t absorb water and isn’t degraded by dirt or grit, as they can’t get in. Nitrogen infused midsoles also feel bouncier, as they are like a balloon. The midsole shape is distorted when you land on it but returns to its original shape as the air can’t escape. How bouncy depends on how much air is in the midsole. The midsole of the Kjerag has been designed to give a good level of ground feel to allow you to be nimble whilst running on mountain ridges or broken trails. They have also been designed to be highly responsive, so they are easy to run fast in. In addition to this the midsole is highly flexible. So, it bends to take the shape of the terrain you are running on. This gives maximum traction, as more of the outsole is in contact with the surface you are running on and you can make forward progress without getting thrown around as you would in a stiffer midsole on rough, ‘rooty’ or rocky ground.
Stack
The stack height is 23.5mm in the heel and 17.5mm in the forefoot, for a drop of 6mm. During my review miles, the Kjerag felt very low to the ground–much lower than the stack height would suggest. This is partly because the firm, flexible midsole makes you feel in contact with the ground as opposed to standing on a bouncy castle, which is what it feels like in softly cushioned shoes in comparison. The other reason is the EExpure 45 midsole has been specially designed to be used without an insole. Your foot is in direct contact with the midsole of the shoe and therefore closer to the ground. Not only do you get better ground feel by not having an insole, there’s no insole to move around inside the shoes and absorb water. This reduces the chance of getting blisters from rubbing within the shoes too.
Fit & Feel
The NNormal Kjerag is light at 200g size UK8. The fit and flexibility of the shoes make them feel even lighter when they are on your feet. The upper is made from a very thin and durable Matryx upper. Each yarn of a Matryx upper is coated separately before it is woven into a material. This means that the upper absorbs no water and discards dirt easily. The yarns are also designed to be highly durable and resist abrasion. There is a heel cup in the heel, but it is very pliable. I found that the heel cup took the shape of my heel well, one of which is larger than the other. The fit around the heel and the midfoot is snug. The kind of fit that you get in a classic fell running shoe, spike or old-fashioned road racing shoe (by old fashioned I mean non-carbon plated, firm and responsive). The forefoot then has a lot of space. This is so that your feet can spread on impact, function well inside the shoes and expand when hot, which will certainly happen on longer races.
The tongue has two Lycra straps at each side to prevent it from moving as you run. The tongue itself is very light and thin. It comes up high to reduce the chance of debris getting into the shoes and is cut to fit around the ankle. The material that touches your ankle is soft.
An overlay runs around the base of the upper to increase protection. There is a deep overlay over the toe box and the toe bumper is firmed up to offer some protection to your toes.
The laces are flat, very comfortable and thread through slits in an overlay with the last hole being a metal eyelet, to reduce the chance of it pulling through. I did experience the laces coming untied while running through the undergrowth a few times. I’ll personally be swapping them for others or popping them through the washing machine in case there is a coating on the lace that is making them particularly slippery.
Outsole
The outsole consists of 50 lugs that are each 3.5mm long. The outsole is made from Vibram Litebase. This is Vibram Megagrip which has a much thinner base to it. This thinner base makes it lighter and more flexible. At the heel the base is much thicker to improve durability. Other Litebase outsoles which had smaller more cylindrical lugs have worn down quickly for me when used on mixed terrain. The flat lugs on the NNormal Kjerag have withstood over a hundred miles of mixed terrain, including some tarmac and there is no sign of any wear.
3.5mm lugs are quite small for UK conditions. In the current heatwave everything is hard, so the grip is good. The rubber is sticky enough on wet rock. I found I could skip over water covered steppingstones with confidence that I wasn’t going to have an early bath! Where they might struggle is on wetter muddy paths in the winter. However, this will depend on how nimble you are as a runner. The Altra Superior outsole also has short lugs but I found that the flexible shoe with good toe space allowed me to run with a quick cadence and pick my way through muddier sections. Of course, this does become more difficult on steep descents and then a longer studded shoe would be a better option.
I have used the Kjerag on moorland paths, forest trails, tarmac, farmers’ fields and rooty single tracks. The shoes feel nimble and agile. The midsole is firm and responsive. Your foot hits the floor and then it’s up again, with very little compression. You have a good level of ground feel and yet a high level of protection. So, although you can feel the shape of the rocks or roots under your feet, you don’t get any bruising or feel the sharpness of a jagged rock. The midsole absorbs it all. Although the feel to the cushioning is firmer, I never felt like the shoes wasn’t cushioned, even on a tarmac section at the end of a long run.
As you would expect from a shoe designed by Killian Jornet, the Kjerag is a low to the ground shoe with a glove like fit. They are fun to run in and I found that the sensation that I got from such a nimble, flexible shoe made we want to run in them again the next day.
The Kjerag could be described as “a runner’s shoe”. By that I mean that the low drop, feel for the ground and flexibility in the shoe promote a more midfoot landing, with a quick cadence that brand new runners wouldn’t be expected to have. This is similar to Altra running shoes, which are best transitioned to gradually.
You don’t ‘ride the shoe’ like you do with a highly cushioned, stiffer shoe with a rocker. With the rocker-type shoe you put your foot on the floor and the shoe takes over rolling the foot back and through the gait cycle. As I am always reviewing different shoes and the trend is towards softly cushioned shoes with rockers, my initial runs in the Kjerag really highlighted how much the shoes I had been running in controlled my gait. Initially I felt like I was using a much faster cadence down the hills, which I wasn’t. This is probably because ‘I was doing the work’, not a rocker. On the climbs the Kjerag was much quicker. My legs felt stronger and it was easy to maintain a quick cadence and trot up steep hills without working hard. As with Altra running shoes, I found that I was far more aware of my posture and I could feel my core muscles working.
The Kjerag are somewhat surprisingly easy to run slowly in. You can trot along at an easy jog and the shoe doesn’t ‘encourage’ you to run quickly, making it awkward sometimes. Then when you pick up the pace, the responsive midsole rebounds and feels great.
Killian Jornet has showcased the exact pair of shoes he ran in last year to win Zegama, Hardrock 100 and the UTMB. He is still running in them with over 1,000 miles on the clock. How many miles a runner gets in their shoes will depend on how light they are on their feet and the terrain you use them on. The firm nitrogen infused midsole will last for a lot of miles before it starts to crease and lose its bounce. NNormal have teamed up with Vibram, who invite you to get your shoes resoled when needed and the uppers can have minor repairs done too. You can extend the life of the shoes.
I love nimble, flexible shoes. They are ideal for running over single-track trails/mountain trails, which are my favourite places to run. The great thing with the Kjerag is that they have enough cushioning/ underfoot protection to be used on firmer, smoother terrain too. It makes them amazingly versatile. I have used them on runs from the door, with a few miles of tarmac to the trail and sections of tarmac within the run. I have never felt that they lacked cushioning on the tarmac sections. I think they are versatile enough to be used for short and long races/runs for nimble shoe fans. Apart from the laces coming untied during a few runs (which is easy solved) the only other potential concern from a UK perspective is whether they will be grippy enough for your runs in the mud. Again though, if you can be light on your feet and pick your route well, you’d have very few issues and they obviously aren’t designed for thick mud where you’d want studs double the length! I am a huge fan of the Kjerag.
Other Considerations
The NNormal Kjerag is quite unique in that it is designed to be used for short fast races and very long races. There isn’t another shoe on the market that is designed with quite the same goals. The list below are shoes that have a similar feel but, might not be quite as versatile.
Altra Superior: Zero drop, flexible. Similar ground feel not as well cushioned. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/altra-superior-5-review/
Hoka Tecton X 2: Twin carbon plates and rocker help you (and are naturally more controlling) than the KJerag but it’s designed for the same distance on the same terrain. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/hoka-tecton-x-2-review/
VJ Maxx: Grippy, 6mm drop. Not as flexible but similar nimble ride. Cushioning isn’t as good so not as comfortable on tarmac. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/vj-sports-vj-maxx-review-cushioned-trail-running-shoes/
Inov-8 Roclite 275: 8mm heel to forefoot. Narrow pointed toe box. Not as durable or cushioned. Longer lugs would give better traction in the mud. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/inov-8-roclite-275-graphene-review/
Brooks Catamount: Nitrogen infused midsole. Not as bouncy as the Kjerag midsole. They are also not as flexible and don’t have quite the same ground feel. Although they do have some ground feel. The plate in the midsole designed to help you run up hill quickly controls your gait a little. Which makes them feel less natural than the Kjerag. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/brooks-catamount-2-review/
New Balance Summit Unknown: Stiffer shoe with a good level of cushioning. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/new-balance-fuelcell-summit-unknown-sg-review/
La Sportiva Akasha II: The firm EVA midsole gives a similar feel for the ground and once worn in they become quite flexible. The lugs are longer and better in the mud for that reason but, the Akasha doesn’t have the same natural feel and the midsole cushion will flatten down a bit on really long runs. So, they won’t feel as cushioned in the later stages of a 100 mile race. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/la-sportiva-akasha-ii-review/
La Sportiva Jackal BOA: The BOA fixes the Kjerag lace problem. The gaiter around the top of the Jackal also prevents debri from getting into the shoes. The midsole isn’t as cushioned or as durable. The outsole offers better traction in the mud and rides well on harder surfaces. There is a slight rocker in these that takes away the natural feel but, isn’t overly controlling. https://www.northernrunner.com/blog/la-sportiva-jackal-ii-boa-review/
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