NNormal Kjerag 02 Shoe Review | Running Warehouse

Our In-Depth Look

The NNormal Kjerag 02 is for you if...

You need a trail shoe that’s fast and agile on technical terrain

You’re looking for long-haul comfort, but not TOO much cushioning

You want an uptempo shoe for your next sub-ultra race

What is the NNormal Kjerag 02 made for?

NNormal surprised many in the trail running community with the Kjerag 01 (pronounced shh-rack), a lightweight performance trail racing shoe which quickly became a cult favorite. It was made to make running fast feel easier, particularly on technical terrain, and was perfect for tackling sub-ultra events. While it didn't offer the highest of stack heights, it had just enough cushioning and stability to last for miles on end, with energetic rebound to keep up the pace.

Now, the Kjerag 02 raises the game with a higher stack and more fine-tuning to push your performance to the next level. The midsole is constructed with an additional 2.5mm of supercritical foam that has been refined for even more comfort, responsiveness, and durability. NNormal has managed to increase the stack height while still remaining one of the lightest trail shoes we carry! Other improvements include a more pronounced rocker shape, a thinner and more breathable upper, and a glove-like fit for enhanced flexibility and security on the trails. We couldn’t wait to take these shoes into the mountains to see what they can do—let’s find out how they did!

Comfort

As a performance sub-ultra shoe, the Kjerag 02 is very comfy, with a softly padded collar, thin stretchy tongue, and improved foam underfoot. The upper is supple, yet surprisingly secure, conforming around the foot with a soft, glove-like feel. As for the midsole, the cushion is surprisingly good for a technical terrain shoe where agility and trail feel are paramount.

For version 01, we loved how protective the foam was, but found that it could feel a little harsh itself. The foam in version 02 is a little taller, softer, and more responsive, while still being highly durable, streamlined, and lightweight. Some might wish for a hint of strategic padding to the thin tongue to defend against potential lace-bite, but personally, it wasn’t an issue for us. Overall, the Kjerag 02 has a great step-in feel with a secure fit and a comfortable ride, which felt really nice underfoot on our outdoor excursions.

Performance

While it’s an ounce heavier than version 01, it’s still one of the absolute lightest trail shoes in our entire inventory. The Kjerag 02 isn’t a super shoe, but regardless, the experience of the Kjerag 02’s foam is within shouting distance of the best superfoams that we’ve felt on the trail. It’s not quite as responsive as the elite offerings, but it’s trending in the right direction, and it’s not bad to have a little more solidity for composure on technical trails.

Speaking of which, this shoe is light and nimble with good traction, which made it easier for us to navigate trickier terrain. The trade-off for the superior agility seems to be a tiny bit less protection for the occasional misstep, but all in all, it’s great for playing mountain goat on the more exciting trails. And when it comes to wet rock sections, the Megagrip outsole gave us indisputable confidence.

It feels comfortable at both easy and quicker paces. We were able to get in the flow of quick-stepping our way through trickier terrain, while the shoe’s geometry and shallow lugs felt runnable on flatter trail sections as well. This is a significantly improved all-around daily trainer that maintains deadly serious sub-ultra racing capabilities.

Fit

While we had to go a half-size down on the previous version, we found the Kjerag 02 now fits true to size. There’s no insole, so the shoe might feel a little longer than usual, and the upper may feel higher in volume because of this. One tester added a thin insole for elevated comfort and fit, but the shoes are also enjoyable as is from the box. Width-wise, they offer a great combo of sleek yet accommodating.

The upper has enough compliance to adjust to varying foot shapes. We love the thin and stretchy tongue that wraps around our foot, and the overall fit of the upper is comfortably adaptive and secure, with great lockdown that gave us confidence on the trails.

The fit through the heel and midfoot is absolutely great—creating no hotspots or pressure points. As for the forefoot and toe box areas, our testers had mixed responses. The toe box has a unique, anatomical shape that turns inward, away from the lateral side of your foot, and provides extra space around the big toe. Most standard and narrow-width feet will find that this tapering delivers more tailored agility and long-term comfort for those hours-long mountainous treks. On the other hand, wider feet may find this distinctive curve reduces space at the outside of the foot, causing the littler toes to press against the shoe’s upper while leaving a void near the big toe.

Individual Thoughts

LoucasOverall Score: 9/10

I really really love this shoe, and I want NNormal to continue to squeeze more pop/performance into the foam. Rarely, maybe 2 or 3 times over the course of testing, I became surprised and got tipped outward (like an “almost roll” of the ankle) after a suboptimal landing. To be fair, any trail shoe can do that after a weird (user error) landing, but I think the thicker height/curvature of foam under the arch might play a small role here. Plus, its narrow shape of taller, softer foam isn’t going to just “soak up” mistakes--it’s still tipped towards the “bounce off mistakes” side of the spectrum, as it should be. For the Matryx upper, I have no notes. I want the shallow lugs to be 0.5-1.0 mm deeper, but the compound itself is, of course, superb.

I have very high standards and expectations for this shoe, so I want it to continue to get fully optimized. As is, though, it’s already a superb trail tool… one of the absolute best in the entire market. I’ll continue to use it over and over in heavy rotation for training and racing. Lastly, it REALLY doesn’t hurt that this maroon colorway is one of the most drop-dead gorgeous shoes I’ve ever seen.

BillyOverall Score: 8/10

As a light, fast, nimble platform to tackle more technical terrain, the NNormal Kjerag 02 has excelled. Over rocks, roots, off-camber slides and questionable descents, the outsole’s grip and the upper’s hold have injected an extra degree of confidence to my runs. While not as plush as the high-stack cruisers I’ve favored as of late, the cushion on tap is more than adequate to the task; although, the occasional misstep still highlights the moderate underfoot protection.

All that said, the supple light jacquard upper may be the greatest surprise of all. Soft and pliable, the lack of stiffened reinforcing elements suggests the upper should lack adequate hold; however, my foot felt firmly planted in the shoe--even on steeper descents--held in place by the conforming, glove-like fit. A neat trick, to say the least, and one as appreciated as it was surprising.

The only complaint I have is with the uncommon forefoot shape, which didn’t play well with my toes; the outside three butted up against the unusual inward sweep of the shoe’s outside edge. Since my feet are wide, though, I imagine the great majority of people with standard-width feet won’t have this issue.