While Arc’teryx might be most widely known for its garments, it also boasts an impressive line of footwear – one that’s expanding rapidly. The Canadian brand had already brought us the popular Norvan and Aerios collections, now there are some new additions to their armoury.
Three brand new models are now available as of March 2024. There’s a lightweight approach shoe, the Vertex Alpine GTX, which looks closer to a trail running shoe than footwear designed for climb approaches. There’s the quirky looking Kragg, a pull-on which Arc’teryx say is designed for “quick approaches” and finally there’s the Sylan, which falls within the company’s trail running line.
We managed to get hold of a pre-release sample of the Sylan and, after a few exploratory runs, we like what we see – so much so that we deem this worthy as winning our Gear of the Week badge.
Designed specifically for running in the mountains, the Sylan features a thickly cushioned sole, a lightweight mesh upper and grippy outsole. It has a big rock to it, curving upwards at the toe and heel to create a rolling motion that provides propulsion, smoother transitions and a reduction in joint stress.
It has 6mm lugs on a Vibram Litebase outsole, an EVA and Polyolefin composition in the midsole and a knit collar that integrates with the tongue to create a sock-like fit. We’ve been testing the Gore-tex lined version (£210) but there’s also a non-waterproof version (£180). There’s also the Sylan Pro (£180) which prioritises breathability, is a touch lighter and also comes with a statement brand logo. 9 different colours are available across the three different models.
