Behind Gnorda: Q&A with Norda’s Nick Martire and Gnuhr’s Nur Abbas

Mount Analogue

Two of the most revered brands in the running and hiking space, Norda and Gnuhr, have announced “gnorda,” a 10-item collaborative collection that debuted during Paris Fashion Week (releases 1/29). The drop combines minimal construction, premium textiles, and utility into one big kit. The focus is versatility: wear it as a set or mix it into what you already own, and the result is superb.

The collection centers on a mineral color palette of sand, brown, and blue. The footwear items include an updated (or stripped-down) version of the Norda 002 ($295) and the popular Vibram-soled slide, Norda 008 ($145).

The apparel extends the same color logic into modular, minimalistic layers. The Japanese-made Dyneema Breaker set includes a wind shirt ($349) and pants ($259). Midlayers and base pieces include the Polartec Alpha Direct Shag hoodie, warp-knit cargo leggings, Warp shorts, and a single-panel Warp T-shirt designed for multiple cut-line configurations, a tank, a singlet, a tee, or all of the above.

We sat down in Paris with both Nick Martire, co-founder of Norda, and Nur Abbas, founder of Gnuhr, to talk about what really went into making this collaboration happen.

“It’s a layering system that covers different moments: running, post-run, and everyday life. There are many ways to wear it.”

Q&A With Nick Martire and Nur Abbas

BITR: Okay, let’s start with the basics. Who called who to start the project?

Nur: No one “called” anyone. It wasn’t out of the blue. We already knew each other. I was already wearing the shoes, and we’d been in touch. It started as a friendly exchange: They’d send us shoes for shoots, we’d send them clothes for theirs. That went on for a while, and then we realized there was a bigger opportunity. It wasn’t strategizing different names on a board.

Nick: It was just so natural.

BITR: And what attracted you initially to each other’s brand?

Nick: At Norda, we’re shoemakers, and we’ve been doing this a long time. But Nur and his design vision, in our eyes, there’s no question that he is a leader in outdoor design today. We’re really inspired by his style and aesthetic.

Nur: I’ve been into ultralight backpacking for years, and I’m interested in “exotic” materials like Dyneema. When I saw the shoe, I knew I wanted it. I even had to wait until they made my size. I’ve had my fair share of experience with footwear companies to know how difficult it is to build a product like that, not just on a technical level, but on the operational side. A lot of companies would love to do it; they just don’t have the setup.

BITR: Was it always the idea to do a big collection?

Nur: When we started talking, we said: “Let’s try a few different things. We’ll see what gets all the way through and edit.” And actually, it all turned out as we intended.

Nick: We didn’t put restrictions on it. Most people say: “We’re doing three [or four] pieces.” We were just like– go! And then Nur came back with this incredible line. Every single piece in it has a purpose. He worked with our design team on the shoes, and we were like, okay, this all makes sense. They said: “Okay, what do we need to cut?” I said: “Nothing.”

​BITR: Which was the hardest product to bring to life?

Nur: I’ll be very direct. The leggings we produced are quite a technical feat. It’s a risk because no one ever made something like that before, even though leggings are almost a commodity. We engineered the fabric in a way that no other company would take that risk. It’s an investment of time, effort, and factory expertise. But we had a vision, we saw it through, and it worked. And now we have the warp leggings with the engineered pockets, in a one-piece construction.

BITR: Was there any item too risky to do?

Nick: The Dyneema tracksuit. I remember at one point, Nur said: “We’re going to make this tracksuit out of this material that’s never been used before.” That would have been a red flag moment. But we said, go for it. He found this crazy, ultra-light Dyneema material and pulled it off.

Nur: It was a calculated risk. We knew going in that some things might land and others might not, but the fact that it all did is what impressed me.

Nick: The fabric is very expensive, and we had to buy the roll up front, so you’re committing early.

Nur: But at the same time, we’ve got a product now that is probably one of the most unique Dyneema jackets in the sense that it’s a breathable material, it’s made specifically for apparel, lightweight, and packs away as strong. All that, and, relative to the price, is the cheapest Dyneema jacket you could ever buy.

BITR: Collaborations usually come with a “collaboration tax.” But the prices are not that crazy for the quality of the items.

Nick: Just because this was a collaboration, we did not take an opportunity to say this is $200 more expensive. Actually, not at all. It’s interesting because the entire collection, every single one of these pieces, is pretty much made by hand.

Nur: We’re making gear that we want people to use. We don’t want people to be too precious about it either. We want them to run in these shoes, wear the shorts, the shirt, get them dirty and sweaty, wash them, reuse them, and repair them. I’ll say it’s already good value. It’s the best materials, the best construction. The design makes it accessible. Hopefully, that means that people are gonna use this stuff.

BITR: When does it drop, and where can people buy it?

Nick: January 29th, Norda website and Gnuhr website.

Nur: Limiting the risk, we didn’t make lots of it. We didn’t want to create any artificial scarcity, but we just wanted to make sure not to do more than we needed to. So it’s only available through our own channels and a couple of partners like Dover Street Market Ginza.