Arc’teryx has reinvented its Sylan trial-running shoe to help inspire greater confidence in its wearers. 

Marking a development on the brand’s core running shoe, the Sylan 2 brings a redesigned midsole and a carbon fibre composite plate for added performance and comfort. 

The upper has moved from the original knitted material to an engineered woven jacquard, with the weave of the material actually integrated rather than laid out on top. This new material aims to bring better foothold than before while providing additional support. 

For the midsole, you’ll find a new Supercritical foam, which has already seen use in road running trainers. The carbon fibre plate then sits in the middle for additional stability, while the curved ‘rocker’ toe on the forefoot of the original shoe has been retained to ensure added speed from push-off. Overall, Arc’teryx says that the new shoe is 20 grams lighter than before. 

Chris Pope, footwear design director, said: “Since introducing the Sylan two years ago, our athletes have been telling us how fast they feel, but they wanted more confidence with speed. With Sylan 2, we refined every element to deliver even greater performance, it’s lighter, more propulsive, and more stable to support high-output days in technical mountain terrain.” 

Underneath, there’s still a Vibram Megagrip sole for enhanced traction while still maintaining a low weight. The lug pattern, however, has now been given a multi-height design that should help it to key into surfaces whether they’re wet or dry. They should also be able to shed mud more easily than before, Arc’teryx says. 

Priced at £200, the new Arc’teryx Sylan 2 will be available online from March 5.