Founded in 2020, footwear brand norda is based in Montreal, and headquartered in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, where Canada’s most demanding conditions shape the the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship and high-performance materials. gnuhr, founded by Nur Abbas in 2024, takes its name from nur, the Arabic word for “light,” a reference to both physical levity and conceptual clarity. Rooted in ultralight design, gnuhr approaches apparel and equipment with purpose, stripping away the unnecessary for those who move fluidly between environments without compromise or excess.
gnorda begins where those two philosophies intersect. Borrowing a line from French surrealist René Daumal—the door to the invisible must be visible—the collaboration frames as an exploration of what can’t always be seen at first glance: material intelligence, restraint in construction, and a quieter evolution of outdoor design.
The project brings together norda and gnuhr on a 10-style collection of footwear and apparel that reflects a shared commitment to multifaceted design, textile innovation, and a reconsideration of how outdoor gear is built. Rather than chasing novelty, gnorda focuses on reduction—asking what can be removed without diminishing performance.
“gnorda focuses on the idea of minimum construction for maximum effect, stemming from both brands’ guiding principle of using the absolute best materials with the most paired back and effective process,” Abbas says. “For example, the gnorda 002 is stripped back to its purest form, while the gnorda Warp T-Tank is a fully engineered garment that doesn’t require any additive construction and can be worn in a multitude of ways.”
Conceptually, the collection draws from Mount Analogue, Daumal’s unfinished allegorical novel in which a group of mountaineers search for an invisible mountain believed to lead to higher consciousness. That idea of unseen terrain informs both the palette and presentation of gnorda. Pieces arrive in mineral tones of brown and aqua and are introduced through an otherworldly campaign shot in the New Mexico desert—an environment that feels both grounded and abstract.
For norda, the collaboration continues a long-standing fixation on advanced materials and real-world performance. “Since day one, my co-founder Willa and I have been obsessed with unlocking the potential of the world’s most advanced materials,” says norda co-founder Nick Martire. “We believe that Nur and the gnuhr team are at the razor’s edge of outdoor design. Together, we were able to create gnorda, a line that we feel is without parallel.”
Footwear anchors the collection. The gnorda 002 ($295) builds on norda’s reputation for technical trail running shoes, pairing a bio-circular Dyneema® upper with a norda x Vibram® SLE midsole and outsole featuring Vibram® Litebase and Megagrip technologies. In this iteration, the shoe’s standard reflective linework is replaced by a gridded pattern, with co-branded detailing along the lateral midfoot. The gnorda 008 recovery slide ($145) complements it, constructed from dual-density EVA foam and finished with a Vibram® ECOSTEP soleplate, marked by a large gnorda logo across the footbed.
Apparel throughout the collection reflects the same emphasis on engineered simplicity. The Breaker Wind Shirt ($349) and Breaker Wind Pants ($259) are ultralight protective layers crafted in Japan from Dyneema and nylon ripstop. All trims, cords, and cord locks are removable and replaceable, extending the garments’ lifespan through customization and easy maintenance.
Insulation comes via the Shag Zip Hoodie ($149), built from Polartec Alpha Direct 60 fleece. Designed for active use, it can function either as an outer layer or as a breathable mid-layer beneath a shell, with a cropped, close-to-body fit intended to move with the wearer.
Graphic expression enters through the Alien Throne Tubular T ($129), featuring original artwork by Farid Saadi on the chest and gnorda branding on the back. The piece carries a “found in the desert” sensibility, finished with hand-distressed and hand-repaired details. Its construction eliminates traditional seams: a single stitch line forms both the body and sleeves, while bespoke pattern cutting removes shoulder and armhole seams altogether.
Several pieces push knit construction further. The Warp Cargo Legging ($229) is built around what the brand calls the three Cs—comfort, coverage, and cargo. Made from garment-dyed Italian nylon, it integrates cargo pockets directly into the fabric, resulting in a stitch-free structure. The Warp Short Short Lined ($119), named for its 3.5-inch inseam, features a warp-knit engineered pocket waistband with integrated storage—six pockets knit directly into the garment, capable of holding everything from a soft water flask to an iPhone Max. For the first time, it also includes a fully seamless engineered warp knit mesh liner.
The most modular piece in the collection is the Warp T-Tank ($139). Constructed from a single panel of warp-knit, garment-dyed Italian nylon, it can be worn as either a tee or a tank. Its cut lines allow for 36 customization options across body length, sleeves, and necklines, while open mesh panels along the arms and sides increase ventilation.
Rounding out the collection is the Retro Sock ($20), developed from a cotton blend intended to provide comfort during rest and recovery, finished with a large gnorda wordmark on each side.
The gnorda collection launched January 29 and is available via nordarun.com and gnuhr.com.
