NORTIV 8 is a relatively new brand of footwear that has been around since 2019. With a growing collection of shoe styles to meet consumer needs, they’ve branched out from outdoor shoes and have expanded into more urban and practical lifestyle silhouettes too. As their brand grows, however, their goal remains the same: the pursuit of high quality, comfortable shoes at an affordable price.
So, how do the NORTIV 8 Wander hiking shoes live up to their ambitions?
NORTIV 8 Wander Overview
Straight out of the box, these shoes are quite pleasing to look at, and I find them to be a very appealing color. The style is rugged, and the features of the shoe indicate that NORTIV 8 certainly put a lot of thought into building quality hiking shoes. In trying them on, they seem quite comfortable, though the single set of metal lace-up closures is too high up for me to use when on the trail.
Where They Shine
These NORTIV 8 shoes are a budget-friendly hiking shoe. Being made for a specific task, they’re a bit more zeroed in on what they should be able to accomplish. From the peak to the trail, the river to the campfire, the style and versatility of these shoes has already impressed me.
Let’s see how these stone-gray beauties stack up:
Style
The Wander comes in three different colors to suit your preferences: black, sand, and light gray. I got the gray shoe, of which the color is what I would consider to be a warm-neutral gray and looks like the color of a stone you might find alongside a hiking trail. As I gravitate towards warmer colors and prefer a neutral palette, I find this color out of the selection to be my favorite by far. It’s subtle, and the style is on the more rugged side too, fitting what I would consider to be a classic hiking shoe. Appearance alone isn’t enough to gauge a quality shoe though and is merely the icing on the cake to what NORTIV 8 shoes aim to provide.
Price
There’s really not much to say for the price point of NORTIV 8 shoes, as I believe they speak for themselves. The Wander comes in at a whopping $60. That’s an astounding budget-find for a pair of hiking shoes!
For the price, these shoes are pretty good, and there’s a general consensus that these shoes are comfortable to boot. It has a 4.4 rating out of 5 on Amazon right now with over 1,000 reviews, with lots of people being attracted to the brand because of its affordability. Most Amazon reviewers comment about the quality for the price and find these to be suitable shoes for their needs, but I’ll get more into that point in a bit.
Traction
One thing that always gets me with the NORTIV 8 brand is the amount of effort they put into the sole. Or should I say that they must put a lot of sole into their shoes? Between the stylistic elements and all the bonuses built-in, these shoes were thoughtfully made for hiking.
Traction matters, especially for hiking. And the Wander is built for traction on and off the trail. The shoe has deep grooves, great for gripping, along with anti-slip technology. So the anti-slip paired with multi-directional traction makes it suitable to different types of terrain, which is great for staying upright when walking through mud and over wet rocks. It comes with an EVA midsole to help with shock-absorption and is wear resistant too.
Intended Purpose
As a hiking shoe, traction–as previously mentioned–is only one of the important qualities to consider when picking out a quality option. Others, like weight, breathability, and durability are also important to contrast.
The Wander comes in at 10.7 ounces, which makes them an ultralight hiking shoe. Lighter than lightweight varieties, which weigh between 24 to 32 ounces, these shoes prioritize speed and comfort through the duration of your hikes.
While NORTIV 8 claims these shoes are also durable, and most wearers are satisfied with the quality of their shoes, the ultra-light weight to these shoes likely means that these won’t be as durable as a mid-weight or heavyweight hiking shoe would be. So far, I haven’t noticed much wear in these shoes (the rubber soles haven’t shown any signs of wear and tear yet) though I would expect the mesh upper to be a weaker point as they were for the Flylife sneakers. That being said, the mesh upper is also what enhances these hiking shoes to be sturdy, lightweight, and breathable. These would be great for casual and potentially multi-day hikes based on the weight and breathability alone.
Potential Pain Points
Comfort
The comfort level for these shoes will vary from person to person. For a more accurate assessment, I would recommend trying a couple different sizes, styles, and brands of shoes to find what you like. At the very least, having a good understanding of what types of shoes make your feet feel more comfortable—even if your references are from historical shoe types or brands—will help in determining how comfortable NORTIV8 shoes will be for you.
Personally, NORTIV8 shoes don’t work well for me. Compared to Keens which are also more suited to wider feet, I didn’t find them to be quite as comfortable or easy to adjust to, but overall, they’re not the most uncomfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I’ve already tried their Flylife Lifestyle shoes, and while comfortable for most people that get NORTIV’s shoes, I struggle to wear the varieties I’ve tried due to having narrow feet.
On NORTIV8’s website, the reviews for these hiking shoes will generally say that these shoes are comfortable and there isn’t a break-in window. I personally have not found that to be true as far as a break-in window goes, but most people going for these shoes will not be like me. Narrow feet come with their own sets of struggles, and all of NORTIV8’s shoes are only available in standard or wide width (my husband now swears by NORTIV8 for his wide feet).
That being said, my other personal pain point is that the heels of these shoes are incredibly stiff. Great for support while hiking to be sure, but the pressure put on my Achilles tendons created hot spots and then blistering the day after. The pinching in the heel, specifically for the top where it rubbed my Achilles raw, was mildly noticeable but not initially painful. I regularly walk for a few miles around local park trails, and only two walks in I received the blisters on either side of my heel. This may in part have happened due to the fact that my feet tend to slip around in shoes, which would have increased the pressure put into the heel where it was tighter in comparison. For reference, this happened in the size eight shoe, and I was wearing ankle socks at the time.
I’ve experienced issues with each NORTIV8 shoe that I’ve tried, but I really think it comes down to my foot type and walking idiosyncrasies as to why they don’t work for me.
So, this does not mean that NORTIV8 shoes are not comfortable like they advertise to be, because countless reviews argue against that (including Spencer’s reviews of the NORTIV8 shoes he’s tried). However, it’s important to keep in mind that one-size does not fit all.
Overall Fit
The overall fit of these shoes are closely tied to the comfort for me, and as I mentioned previously, I have narrow feet. Those of you with normal or wide feet may not have to worry about it, but I still feel it is valuable to note.
First off, I agree with many of the other people that have gotten these hiking shoes and would say these are true to size. I’m usually a size eight, so as an experiment I tried both the size eight and a half size larger. My thoughts behind this were due to the foot-swelling that tends to happen with intense exercise. I would recommend going a half size up to accommodate for swelling and also for wearing thicker socks, especially for cold weather hikes.
To be honest, I kept going back-and-forth on if I should keep the eights or the eight-and-a-half’s. On the one hand, the eight’s cushioned insoles were naturally more comfortable and suited to the size and shape of my feet, but they pinched my heels. Yet the shaped insole of the eight-and-a-half shoe no longer fit as nicely with my foot arches, and these felt a touch wider too. Since my feet are comparatively thin with tall bridges, lacing with the right tightness was a bit tricky for that balance of support and comfort. If I tightened the laces more to secure my feet, the pressure was uncomfortable and wouldn’t allow for foot swelling during hikes. If I kept the laces looser but firm, then my feet would slip around in the shoe as I walked and started to create hot spots.
My solution was to settle for the eight-and-a-half shoes. I found another person on Amazon who left a review with similar sizing-and-foot-width problems, so it seems like sizing up for me could be half the battle. And I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan to get some inserts that will better fit my needs. We’ll see how that stacks up!
Final Verdict
The NORTIV 8 Wander hiking shoes align strongly with my personal preferences for style in shoewear, but even on a more objective note, I believe these shoes can climb mountains for the right person!
Overall, I believe these hiking shoes are best for those with normal or wide feet that are looking for affordable shoes to work well for the trail–both urban and rugged alike. As most people find these shoes to be comfortable and well-fitting, my biggest personal pain points aren’t as relevant to NORTIV8’s intended clients. Still, consider your shoes wisely, as the shoes you wear for hiking not only affect baseline comfort, but can either cause or prevent injury.
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