I think this is an interesting concept. I agree on the conclusion points where it is less about this pair of shoes in particular, but what we can learn from the industrial designing perspective about the future of making shoes.

NNormal is a very intrigueing company. I have hear a lot of good things about their shoes. Killian also seems to be one of the best possible brand "ambassdors".

Excited by this shoe, and really pleased you shared your insight on the design aspects. Nice job.

Thank you for the video and the analysis.

I read in RoadTrailRun that NNormal is claiming 240g in a standard size 9. That’s more than Kjerag but very light for a trail shoe. If it was anyone but Killian, I’d write this off as a gimmick. Because of Killian, I want to know more. But it is a ton lighter than the original Speedland design, which is 305g in reference size 9. Also Speedland no longer makes the shoe that is like this design. They gave up on a lot of the modularity after their first shoe design. Their strategy is to make one run of each design and now they are doing something very max cushioned and less modular. The matryx upper is very light material. I imagine the outsole rubber having to wrap around the midsole and be stitched to the upper is the extra weight. The Kjerag is very interesting. It seems like a very direct evolution of a Salomon s/lab Pulsar but with the CO2 supercritical EVA midsole and vibrant outsole. The heel and ankle collar do not get a lot of discussion but they are sublime. I have a pair and they are both absurdly light and somehow just protective enough to handle rough terrine. I took them running in the mountains in New Mexico. They are very much the kind of thing I like and so close to hitting it out of the park for me. But the fit is quirky and too narrow in the forefoot or I need a half size larger - which they unfortunately do not make. I’m really interested in this company. They really seem to be trying to be innovative and thoughtful in their designs.

I have zero idea of trail running and shoes; Thanks for all the information.. I love this concept.

I did a bit of hiking last year in a modular shoe by Haglofs called the duality. It uses 2 bloom foam replaceable midsoles. A softer red insole for most trails and paths, and a denser stiffer grey insole for rocky terrain. I like the idea. I had wondered if the insoles wouldn't settle the same way when I changed them out but that wasn't a problem. They slotted into place consistently and the feel was the same. So I think this concept can work well. I didn't change the mid/insoles that much because I wasn't so happy with the stiffer feel of the grey one on all but the rockiest terrain. And I have other boots that handle that terrain better. If I could have ordered a midsole with slightly different characteristics to both of them, I could have made the shoe even better. This is where the Kboix can really take off. Give runners the chance to tune their midsoles and shells and many will want to try the Kboix. Swap out a carbon plate midsole from your regular Kboix to your Winterised waterproof one? No problem. Buy an aftermarket midsole from a specialist vendor? Yes please. It's not just a shoe anymore, it's an ecosystem

Raidlight did something similar many years ago but Kilian takes things to another level

Deep as always.

I’ve run 700km+ in my Kjerag’s now and just ordered a new pair for the spring although they are still in good shape. Also the Speedland has a removable carbon plate, so modular in a sense. The Tomir is like a tractor, so I hope this shoe will be something in between. And Boa would be great as I miss the Salomon quicklace on my NNormals. Thx for a good insight.

I threw my name in the hat for the Kboix aswell and also found it weird that they're looking for people with a lot of instagram followers since we would have to sign an NDA. Fingers crossed anyway but I don't think I'll be getting them. As for the Kjerag I hope you'll enjoy them. They are my absolute favourite trailrunningshoe. Honestly even shoe in generell with the Suberblast. Keep up the interesting videos.

Intriguing. I've only started watching this video. But why hasn't other shoe companies played with this idea? (monster insole). It seems obvious when shown here. Hopefully it's not because of forced obsolescence (mid soles of running shoes tend to get crushed out before the outsole, upper are ruined)

It really depends on the target market they are going for. Are they going for people who don't care what the shoe costs? Or are they hoping for mass market appeal? That will strongly influence how engineered that upper will need to be. A dual BOA system won't be cheap, but it would be completely customizable to the unique user AND insert type on the fly, But for the mass market they might need to go with something similar to a Salomon speed lace system with a wider traditional tongue to allow for more lockdown give, while at the sametime keeping costs in check. Now from a personal standpoint, I might consider a shoe that has a large upfront cost, but can last potentially thousands of KMs via insert replacements, if I was or end up transitioning from road to trails. But I have 6/7 majors to run first. ;) Great content, definitely providing value over the "instagram" "tik tok" style that seems to be taking over the shoe/running space.

Is the Kjerag midsole really the "soft" foam? I mean I like it, but I guess my midsole ignorance is showing. Maybe I am confusing certain brands (Salomon, Nnormal) being firmer than others, but I guess I still am not able to really "get" the differences between soft, reactive, and bouncy. I mean I know my alphaflys feel like trampolines, but now I am afraid to use any of those three descriptions without being wrong. Great video btw, very thoughtful.

interchangeable soles are well known technology in basketball shoes which works well.

I don't recall the brand name, but years back there was a running shoe that cam with 3 midsole inserts that can be replaced.

If it was me, i would copy the adios pro evo where you can change the outsole tread instead of the midsole, like the peg trail 4 its great for sandy soils but bad for wet clay, and my solomon is bad for sand but good on clay

Jack of all trades, master of none..

Honestly, I really like the normal laces on Kjerags (compared to Salomon speedlace) - you can adjust the fit much better. I also don't see that much point in dual BOA. I don;t believe that it would enable big changes in the thickness of the midsole. I prefer to have at least somehow affordable shoe rather than making it even more futuristic and costly. Because let's be honest - if you care about reducing ecological footprint, wide adoption is the single most important factor. And even though people are willing to spend a bit more for more long lasting shoes, you can't go crazy like Norda etc.

I would explore a simplified design using an inflatable midsole like the Reebok Pump basketball shoes from the 90's. No need to bring different midsoles to the trail. Manually pumping air to adjust air pressure offers infinite adjustment on cushioning. Outsole needs to be puncture proof though

Who else is repping Nnormal besides Killian and Allie Ostrander?

Road running where it is relative consistent terrain, trail changes depend on geography. For dry and relative "smoother" I prefer

Thinner midsole will give you to much space in the shoe.. Can use thicker shoes so offroad thin insole with thick socks and road max midsole with minimal socks 🎉🎉🎉