Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Sylan

This is a really nice shoe full of great features - lacing system is dialed, great grip, I'm new to rocketed soles but I adjusted quickly to them, the gaiter is nice - however, I find these unstable compared to the Norvan LD shoes on any sort of technical terrain. Great runners for the flats, not so great for the rocky steeps.

Living in San Francisco, I'm incredibly lucky to have access to such a diverse mix of terrain from the coastal trails of Marin to the steep urban climbs of the city and the rolling dirt paths of the Presidio. Because of this, Arc'teryx Sylan has easily become my go-to trail running shoe it thrives in that road-to-trail crossover space that so many Bay Area runners need. What I love most about the Sylan is how effortlessly it transitions from pavement to technical trail. The midsole has enough responsiveness and cushion to handle the miles getting to the trailhead, but the second you hit dirt especially anything loose, rocky, or steep the Vibram Megagrip outsole and secure fit take over. It feels like having two shoes in one without sacrificing performance on either surface. Compared to other popular trail shoes it's lighter and more nimble than a HOKA Speedgoat, with a more dialed-in and precision fit for technical trails. Versus a Salomon Ultra Glide or S/Lab, I find the Sylan more forgiving underfoot without feeling overly soft the ride strikes a perfect balance between responsiveness and protection. I love that it has a good bounce to it, making me feel agile in my runs. Arc'teryx absolutely nailed the design for mountain-minded runners who need versatility. Living and running in San Francisco means I'm constantly shifting from road to trail, flat to vert, and everything in between and the Sylan is built exactly for that. It's become my daily trail trainer and long-run shoe of choice for everything from Marin Headlands adventures to quick city trail loops. Its built for the versatile runner.

I love the weight, fit, but especially the cushioning of the clan

I bought these shoes a couple weeks ago and have ran 130kms so far in a wide variety of terrain, distance and steepness in the sea to sky area. For the first time ever, I enjoy running downhill- fast! From wet roots and rocks to loose and dry dust and gravel, to snow and mud, these are superb when RUNNING. These shoes are stable when landing on the forefoot (in-front of the rocker) however, feel less stable when heel striking while jogging or hiking. The only time I felt instability and had ankle rolls was when rock scrambling >S3.2 grade, when hiking in loose and, when heel striking on long runs. Overall, shoe does as described. Amazing for "running" less so for anything slower. Will definitely be getting a second set of the gtx version for wet runs. Never felt like such a hero on the down.

I recently used my Sylan Shoe on the Lindeman Lake trail and Grouse Grind trail, and I'm thoroughly impressed. The fit is true to size with a snug feel, providing excellent support. I particularly like the sock-like fit, especially around the collar and tongue area. The shoe is incredibly light, making it a pleasure to wear during hikes. It performed perfectly for its intended use, handling the trails with ease. Overall, this is a fantastic choice for both hiking enthusiasts and beginners like me.

Due to a lisfranc injury that never healed properly when I was younger, I have an issue with my right foot. I have been on the search for a comfortable and supportive trail shoe. I have tried just about ever big name brand trail shoe known to man. I was hesitant to buy these due to the price, and even though I was familiar with Arcteryx and their quality clothing, I was not familiar with their line of trail shoes. The Sylan is by far the most comfortable trail shoe I've worn to date. It's very comfortable right out of the box, but gets more comfortable after the first 20 miles. The midsole is also very responsive and makes running a lot of fun. Good weight to the shoe and the build quality is like none other. Yes, it is pricey, but well worth the money when you look at all the details that went into making this show. Plus it has a Vibram outsole! Thank you Arcteryx for developing a shoe that best mitigates my chronic foot pain!

Some time ago. Five or 7 years ago, I visited a brother I hadn't seen in a long time. not to go into more details. My brother invited me to walk a national park in his town. beautiful wonderful parke. Before leaving he offered me some sports shoes from a brand that I didn't know, until that day I wore them. arcteryx. It was the best walk and exercise I had ever had in my entire life. When wearing these sports shoes. Oh no God! comfortable, soft, safe adjustable, it was an unbeatable adventure I felt the best, it was my best hike!! Arcteryx my best Adventure. I recommend them.

I bought this one week ago and I'am happy about that.

Great shoe! Time will tell but for now the rocker feel is definitely beneficial to my stride and the lugs on the sole are quite durable and sticky. Hoping to see that the upper will last as well, but it seems to be a really durable and breathable almost plastic material that a lot of shoes are using now

The Sylan is a amazing mountain running shoe with insane comfort, along with this the midsole rocker is amazing and helps to propel you forward. It has helped my running game a lot and has made it more enjoyable for me

I've put several hundred km on these shoes so feel that I can finally write a decent review. Size and fit: truly the first Arc shoe that fits me! I often train in wider shoes (Altra, Topo), and was surprised to find the wider fit of the Sylan immediately comfortable. I was advised to size down by half, and this was crucial advice. The rocker profile of the shoe demands the correct location of points of weight and power transfer from your foot - an oversized shoe would feel incredibly awkward. Technology: I swore I would never wear a rockered shoe - hate them. But the Sylan does not need to feel like a rockered shoe..! With correct sizing and a midfoot strike the Sylan performs like a well-stacked conventional shoe and does not force you into a heel striking rockered gait. That is, unless you want to, such as when running down hills, in which case the rocker feels moderate and comfortable. The EVA foam has thus far maintained most of its response, feeling initially stiff but responding well to the impacts of running. The mesh upper is perhaps this shoe's greatest weakness as it provides minimal lock-in without super tight lacing - I have had to adjust which socks I wear with the Sylan specifically so as to avoid unnecessary and uncomfortable movement within the shoe itself. Quality and Durability: Very good build quality in this shoe, and again, one of the first from Arcteryx which has felt like a truly premium shoe. However, there will always be compromises when building trail running shoes to such lofty expectations as these, and I'm not surprised to see some delaminating of various elements on the upper in areas of high articulation. While I suspect the outsole and midsole could take near 1000km of running, I doubt that the upper will. Performance: I'm a committed recreational trail runner, actively training and developing speed. This is exactly the shoe I was looking for when considering faster, more aggressive trail runs and races because of it's fit, weight, and stack profile. HOWEVER, I have one major warning: this shoe is unstable! During a demo run with a large group I witnessed several ankle rolls in them, and I myself have had a couple 'could-be-bad' rolls. The stack height, rocker, and narrow last in the heel seem to facilitate rolled ankles if users are not careful, skilled, and/or strong. For this reason I do not choose this shoe in true mountain terrain, instead preferring conventional trail, and consider the Sylan an shoe appropriate only for more advanced runners with developed gaits, foot control, and ankle strength.

The Sylan's have good mid & rear foothold, an ample toe box, a cushy/bouncy midsole, and a phenomenal outsole. They're fun & responsive at speed. The rocker and stack are too much for my pref in mixed use alpine. IDK, will likely keep 'em for uses like Imogene Pass (race day); however, for nearly everything else, will stick with the LD3's - a surprisingly diverse and nimble alpine trail shoe for my wife & i.

This shoe design must be highly polarizing. My daily wear shoes are the Norvan LD 2 and LD 3. I tried a pair of Sylans and the extreme curvature of the sole makes normal walking very awkward. This is a very use case specific design. Definitely avoid these if you want a versatile shoe. They were light and had good cushion. For long distance trail running they would probably be ideal for some runners.

This shoe design must be highly polarizing. My daily wear shoes are the Norvan LD 2 and LD 3. I tried a pair of Sylans and the extreme curvature of the sole makes normal walking very awkward. This is a very use case specific design. Definitely avoid these if you want a versatile shoe. They were light and had good cushion. For long distance trail running they would probably be ideal for some runners.

Absolutely love this shoe as an all rounder in Whistler, especially in the winter! Great for trails but also perfect for hitting the valley trail through the winter with snow and ice about. Currently own 3 pairs of the same shoe in different colours because they fit like a glove and never give me blisters!

the main issue with this shoe is how narrow the heel is with this large rocker. th If you look at Hoka shoes they have large rockers but they maintain ankle stability by having very large and wide heel sections which is what lacks in this shoes. other than that its a cool stylish walking shoe lol

I don't love this shoe. It reminds me of a HOKA Speedgoat, but with excessive rocker. This shoe is supposed to be fast - because of this you are limited to less technical trails that you can run on. Jogging is less comfortable, and don't even try wearing these for work or as an everyday sneaker. The sole is nice and grippy, and the gaiter is good for keeping pebbles and debris out. The tongue and lacing are a bit difficult to tighten, as they are very narrow (and my feet are fairly wide), but once you're laced up, you don't need to worry about your shoes untying due to the lace garage. The shoes get better once you've broken them in, as they are quite stiff out of the box. I've also found that they run big, so if you can get your hands on a demo pair, try demo'ing them in your size and a half size down before purchasing. If 1/2 stars were a thing, I'd add a half star to my review, as the main reasons I didn't love these were that they ran too big and were not versatile enough for me. But if you are a fast runner and stick to fire roads and buttery singletrack, you might love 'em.

Great grip, lots of space in the toebox, which means no crushed toes on the downhills, but regularly feels unstable when landing. Something about the large sole and rocker means I roll my ankles much more in these shoes than any other pair I've owned. Good if you want lots of cushioning. Bad if you like your ankles.

Ive run a variety of distances and trails in these shoes. For even carriage roads and mostly dry conditions these were fun fast shoes. However, the stack height coupled with the fully knit uppers allowed for lots of side to side movement. Technical terrain, mud, or really any uneven banked surface makes these feel unstable and for me led to rolled ankles.

If you want your normal fit I recommend ordering a half size smaller than what you usually buy for Arctery'x shoes. These are great shoes except for the rocker. I think shoes with increased rocker is a good idea, but Arctery'x overdid it. These shoes have so much thickness under the middle of the foot that they are uncomfortable. Unless you have very high arches I do not recommend these shoes.

Bought a month ago to replace my LD3's (want to get a new pair but they're never in stock in seems). Overall build quality is nice, rocker feels good on the trails, very light and the ankle liner is a nice touch. I don't know if its the upper mesh, but i cant seem to get a good lockdown on the foot. I've got wide feet and while the shoe fits to size and surprisingly accommodating in the midfoot, it feels as though my foot is floating/sliding around more than it should be. Because of this, I cant get a solid lockdown in the heel, particularly on the right shoe it feels larger (maybe a defect??). Overall its a good shoe, but with the lack of lockdown, descents on technical terrain is too risky. Pricey shoe for not being able to use it for its intended purpose. I'll have to wait for LD3's to be available again...one day.

The Sylans have good mid & rear foothold, an ample toe box, a cushy/bouncy midsole, and a phenomenal outsole. Theyre fun & responsive at speed. The rocker and stack are too much for my pref in mixed use alpine. IDK, will likely keep em for uses like Imogene Pass (race day); however, for nearly everything else, will stick with the LD3s - a surprisingly diverse and nimble alpine trail shoe for my wife & i.

I've run a variety of distances and trails in these shoes. For even carriage roads and mostly dry conditions these were fun fast shoes. However, the stack height coupled with the fully knit uppers allowed for lots of side to side movement. Technical terrain, mud, or really any uneven banked surface makes these feel unstable and for me led to rolled ankles.

Pros: Aesthetics, cushioning, rocker, overall comfort Cons: the insoles slid forward and crunched up within the toe box after about 3 miles. The laces came undone 3 times within a 5 mile run even when double knotted. The upper mesh/material is far too stretchy for these shoes to be used/trusted on any technical trail.

Best shoe I ever had but the upper quality it is not for mountain running. In the pictures you can see the results after only 36 hrs of running tor des glaciers, I had to change the shoes