Nnormal’s Kjerag 02 keeps Kilian-level agility, but fixes the tough ride

Introduction to the Nnormal Kjerag 02

SAM: Up until this review, my main relationship with the Nnormal Kjerag was my sheer inability to decipher its pronunciation. I, a bewilderingly standard American white dude with a very mediocre knowledge of Spanish and two years of middle school Latin, am not equipped for names like this. Alex, our trail reviewer with a much closer relationship to Nnormal, even repeated the pronunciation three times on our Beast of Big Creek recap podcast, and I still couldn’t line the syllables up. Fortunately, Johnny has some help for us below.

I can, meanwhile, help out with specs. The Kjerag 02 is Nnormal’s follow-up to the groundbreaking and, by all accounts, less-than-protective Kjerag. This model professes to be quite a bit friendlier, with a 26/20mm heel-to-toe stack height instead of the 23.5/17.5mm in the first model, a supercritical TPE midsole instead of the old supercritical EVA, and a Matryx Light upper. About the only thing that’s remained the same from version one to version two is the Vibram Megagrip Litebase outsole. All this, and the shoe still only comes in at 230g (8.1 oz) for a US M9.

Nnormal also claims improved durability along with all these changes. In fact, it claims testers regularly took their Kjerag 2.0 over 700 miles. It’s not difficult to find plenty of runners online who are already going well past 500 miles. This is some remarkable durability for a shoe that’s about as close as you can get to feather-light on trails. It’s also about the life you expect to get out of a pair of Norda 001A for almost $100 less. If Nnormal has pulled all this together into a shoe that fits well and performs, the Kjerag 02 is going to be a winner.

JOHNNY: Blink and you may have missed it, but the Nnormal Kjerag 02 (pronounced ‘Cher-ag’) recently, and rather quietly, replaced the Nnormal Kjerag, which launched back in 2023. After hearing about several changes to the spec of the original Kjerag, I was super keen to get it on my feet so I could make an accurate judgement as to whether those changes would improve my trail running experience.

Full disclosure, I went into this review somewhat nervous but with high hopes for a more enjoyable ride than my time spent running in the original Kjerag. I didn’t really get on with it for a number of reasons, most of which can be explained away as ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ or, to put it another way, the original Kjerag was clearly spec’d for a more experienced, purist trail runner, namely the Nnormal brand founder Kilian Jornet, who led the development of the shoe.

Back in 2023, I quickly abandoned any aspirations of morphing into a superhuman trail runner after comparing my own running experience in the Kjerag 01 with Kilian’s fearsome stats in the same shoe. In 2022, Jornet competed in and won Zegama Aizkorri, Hardrock 100, and UTMB in a single prototype pair, grabbing the trail running world’s attention with the shoe’s purist specification, featuring a minimal midsole stack height of just 23.5mm in the heel and 17.5mm in the forefoot, weighing only 200g and proving to be incredibly durable over endless miles of training and racing.

On the feet of this mere trail running mortal, the Kjerag felt too minimal underfoot with every rock and boulder making itself known, preventing me from running very far in the shoe. While I appreciated the simple, purist nature of the shoe, its lightweight, agile feel, and durable spec, I never really bonded with the original Kjerag, and it sat gathering dust while I defaulted to more highly cushioned options. With all that said and with my fingers crossed, let’s get into the Kjerag 02 and explore the spec changes.

What we like about the Nnormal Kjerag 02

SAM: What do I like about the Kjerag 02? God, everything. I like everything about this shoe. I know I’m giving up the ghost, but if I could design my perfect trail shoe, it would come out so damn close to what we got here.

The upper is a flexible and durable Matryx Light woven fabric that holds your foot securely without getting in the way. Everything is minimal and has a specific purpose. There are no extra flourishes. Any overlays are minimal, and lockdown is maintained by a really thoughtful crosshatched weave in the Kevlar-reinforced Matryx fibers. I adore how this lighter Matryx fabric allows for what feels like open flex in the toe. It’s very natural, and the fabric around the toe box doesn’t get in the way.

Around the heel we have a decent amount of padding that is comfortable and secure, and your foot is held back into that heel by an incorporated elastic tongue wrap. This elastic material is like a simpler version of Saucony’s FormFit, and is a little reminiscent of the upper on my beloved Hoka Zinal 2. This wrap feels sock-like and so comfortable. Speaking to that, this shoe feels great sockless. I’m not a sockless runner, but the Kjerag 02 tempted me.

Under that upper is the other part of this shoe that got a major update. The EExpure Plus supercritical TPE midsole is on the firmer side, but responsive and comfortable enough for pavement miles as well. Make no mistake, this is no cushy trail cruiser. The Kjerag 2 is a lightweight technical maven of a shoe. The structure in the midsole combined with the way that the upper holds your foot gave me supreme confidence on the most twisty and technical trails I could find.

That said, this EExpure Plus (can foam naming conventions be a negative in a shoe?) foam lands right in a durometer that’s perfect for what I want for trail days at short to medium distance, and maybe even longer distances. Sure, it’s firm, but not quite so firm that your feet feel beat up at the end of a run.

As I said above, the full Vibram Megagrip outsole with Litebase and its 3.5mm lugs is just about the only thing that didn’t change from version one to version two. While the lugs might be a little short for purchase in the sloppiest conditions, I never doubted my traction when cutting into a particularly sharp turn, and I didn’t suffer from any lack of grip when the surface was softer. I also think the shorter lugs make any road sections you happen upon in this shoe a little more friendly, along with the “softer” midsole.

JOHNNY: Let’s start with the midsole as it’s the most significant upgrade and has had the greatest impact on how the Kjerag 02 feels out on the trails. Nnormal replaced the minimal supercritical EVA midsole foam with a 26mm / 20mm supercritical TPE midsole foam for a much more protective feel underfoot, shielding me from harsh rocks but without taking away too much ground feel. The Kjerag 02 still feels like a purist low-profile trail shoe, but it’s not beating me up in the same way as the original; that small increase in stack height has made all the difference.

Interestingly, Nnormal has spec’d the shoe without an insole, which is intentional given the printed branding on the thin Strobel. This configuration is doing several things: lowering your centre of gravity even further, enhancing your connection with the terrain, and creating more direct comfort underfoot as you’re sitting directly on top of that supercritical TPE foam. The removal of the insole, the softer, more flexible midsole foam, and a slightly wider toe box with a more flexible Matryx Light Jacquard upper all combine to give a natural, flexible connected running experience. I really enjoyed it.

Without having to second-guess every stride and not having to brace for sharp impacts, I was able to let go and take on technical trails at speed. The Kjerag 02 is an agile trail shoe; light and stable, it encourages you to increase your cadence and pick up speed with confidence. Despite the increase in stack height, this shoe’s not super soft or overly cushioned; you can certainly feel your feet working hard, and while there’s a moderate forefoot rocker, you’re most definitely not a passenger in this shoe; you’re the one generating the power and controlling your speed on every stride.

The upper construction strikes a fine balance between being durable and lightweight, yet comfortable and protective. There are a couple of elements I’m not so wild about, which I’ll talk about in the next part of the review, but positive highlights include the integrated stretch bootie-style tongue and gusset, which wraps around the foot and gives a really secure hold over the midsole, along with that Matryx Light Jacquard upper, which is more breathable and flexible than the upper of the original Kjerag.

Finally, the Vibram Megagrip Litebase outsole is unchanged from the original Kjerag and rightly so; it’s lightweight, thin, and flexible, working in harmony with the TPE midsole while also providing enough traction and control on multiple terrains. On the dry, dusty trails currently being enjoyed this summer, I always felt in full control, and the 3.5mm lugs felt just right. Remembering the sustainable ethos that runs through every product developed by Nnormal, I also appreciate that in the future the full outsole coverage could be easily replaced with a fresh one by my local Vibram-licensed cobbler.

What we don’t like about the Nnormal Kjerag 02

SAM: So maybe I gushed a little in the “good” section. While I might be really fond of the Kjerag 02, it’s not without its drawbacks. For one, the lateral side of the toe box cuts in rather sharply. I had the weird and unpleasant sensation of my second and third toes (but never my big toe or pinkie toe) jamming into the end of the shoe if I didn’t have it tied exactly right. This is a solvable issue, but be cautious here if you like extra room in your toe boxes on trail shoes.

While I didn’t have any huge protection issues, I did notice that I really felt root and rock impacts under the arch of my foot. No issues under the ball of my foot or my heel, but it could be a little painful if I caught a root in my arch.

JOHNNY: There’s no doubt that the Nnormal Kjerag 02 has significantly improved from the first iteration, and personally it suits me and my trail running abilities far more than the original; however, I do have a couple of gripes.

While the increased midsole stack height is a marked improvement and the move over from supercritical EVA to supercritical TPE is a step in the right direction, this is no super foam; it’s still on the dense, firm side and doesn’t give any notable energy return in the way that some race day trail shoes do.

While I extolled the virtues of that great-fitting stretch tongue, there was one significant issue with it for me; there’s no tongue padding at all, which means some unwanted pressure from the laces across the top of the foot. I tend to default to a runner’s loop when lacing my shoes, using that extra lace eyelet, and so consequently I was getting some discomfort when cranking down my laces for a secure heel hold.

Finally, I just want to circle back to the Vibram outsole. Again, I’ve been enthusiastic about it in my review, but there’s one element that’s bothering me, and that’s the 3.5mm lug depth. It’s performing great now while we experience a fantastic summer here in the English Lake District; however, when we return to the wet weather I’m more familiar with, that shallow lug depth won’t cope well on softer, muddy terrain. That’s a shame because other than the outsole this is just the sort of low-profile trail shoe I’d reach for during the wetter months. Of course, that same Vibram-licensed cobbler could totally outfit the Kjerag 02 with a deeper-lugged outsole in time for winter.

Final thoughts on the Nnormal Kjerag 02

SAM: I’m not sure, dear reader, if you’ve caught up with me yet, but I really like the Nnormal Kjerag 02. In fact, this is going to go down as one of my favorite shoes of the year. If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, I don’t think this will come as much of a surprise. There are a few things I absolutely love in a trail shoe: lightweight, comfortable confidence, and durability. This shoe has both of those in spades.

It falls in line with a trend I’m seeing this year in other brands, where good materials and simple construction make for really remarkable shoes that I just want to put more and more miles in. Add the Nnormal Kjerag 02 to the list that includes the Scott Kinabalu Trail and Kinabalu Ultra, the Salomon Genesis 2, and Hoka Zinal 3. However, the Kjerag is the only shoe of those that you can reasonably expect to get 500-700 miles out of. Are you sold yet? I am.

JOHNNY: The Nnormal Kjerag 02 is significantly more user-friendly than the original and will suit more runners thanks to a carefully curated range of improvements and refinements. Don’t get it twisted, this isn’t an overly cushioned trail shoe with no ground feel and a super-soft midsole; it’s still a very simple low-profile trail shoe that feels firm and not overly bouncy. Fans of the original can breathe a sigh of relief: the changes are subtle and arguably welcome. You’ll still enjoy all the control and connection with the trail you felt in the original, but you won’t get so beaten up. You’ll benefit from enhanced agility and the confidence to flow through technical trails at speed.

I’ve found my peace with the Nnormal Kjerag. Am I a better trail runner in 2026 than in 2023? Probably. Would I comfortably run in the original Kjerag today? Nope. I’m still nowhere near being able to use that shoe in the way that Kilian Jornet did, and that’s okay because the Kjerag 02 is much more versatile. I’ll be continuing to reach for it on days when I want to run fast on technical trails and feel connected to the terrain underfoot.

You can pick up the Nnormal Kjerag 02 for $215 from Running Warehouse by using the buttons below.