Trail testing the Sylan Pro, the Arc'teryx shoes built for fast mountain running.
The Arc'teryx Sylan Pro is part of the new for 2024 Sylan series, released from the brand's dedicated shoe design center in Portland, OR. We took this shoe on a number of runs and give our insight, as well as cover the similarities and differences between the Sylan, Sylan Pro, and Sylan GTX so you can choose the Arc'teryx shoes that are right for you.
Check out our other coverage of Arc'teryx footwear
Sylan, Sylan Pro, and Sylan GTX
Trail racing and running
Mountain running shoe designed for maximizing speed.
The Sylan Pro sports a large identity fossil logo on the upper. The integrated tongue pocket with lace tab keeps this shoe feeling tight.
The Arc'teryx Sylan series shoes are all about fast mountain running.
These features are common across all Sylan models.
- Midsole rocker - Found on race shoes, a rocker increases propulsion during stride transition.
- Lug pattern - 6mm lugs are the deepest found on Arc'teryx trail running shoes and are spaced wide for grip in mud. The lug pattern is specially designed for steep terrain.
- Drop and stack: 6mm (28.6mm : 22.6mm) We'd call this a mid-high stack height, so you're getting both cushion and ground feel.
The Sylan GTX is the waterproof offering in this line with the familiar GORE-TEX membrane found across Arc'teryx shoes. The application in this shoe is described as a full liner with Invisible Fit Technology to improve flex and comfort.
Fit: This shoe is designated as a default Comfort fit. Be sure to read through the detailed explanation in this article of what this fit means. My advice is to measure your foot in cm. If you like the roomier Comfort fit then stay true to your cm size in the Arc'teryx shoe fit chart (not your U.S. size). If you like a more Precision fit, then go a half size down. I prefer a Precision fit and in the end this will be a full size down in U.S. sizing compared to the other running shoes in my closet.
Bonus points: The tongue pocket stows laces out of the way so you don't snag them on brush, or have them come untied. There is also a lace tab that latches over the highest lace-cross and keeps the tongue in place. Having run a lot in the Sylan Pro, these are small details that make this a great shoe.
The difference between the Sylan Model Arc'teryx shoes
There are only a few differences between these shoes. The Sylan and Sylan Pro only have cosmetic differences from each other. Originally used by their sponsored athletes, the Arc'teryx Sylan Pro sports a large version of the fossil logo on the upper. Besides color options and the logo, the Sylan Pro is identical to the Sylan in all ways (including price).
The Sylan GTX obviously includes the GORE-TEX membrane for waterproof protection. Notably though, this shoe has a Nylon weave upper as opposed to the Matryx® Micro upper found on the other two Sylan models. The tradeoff in this case is 18g additional weight on the GTX. You're not going to notice a difference, but we mention it because this is a departure from what we see on the Vertex Alpine and Norvan LD 3 models when it comes to GTX vs. standard model.
Summary:
- Sylan and Sylan Pro are identical except for the color options and the larger logo found on the Pro.
- The GTX adds GORE-TEX and weighs 18g/shoe more than the other two models because it uses a Nylon upper and not the Matryx® Micro upper.
Sylan
The Arc'teryx Sylan women's trail running shoe in Rocket/Solitude
The Arcteryx Slyan men's trail running shoe in Smoke/Shark
Sylan Pro
The Arc'teryx Sylan Pro women's trail running shoe in Euphoria/Black
The Arc'teryx Sylan Pro men's trail running shoe in Solaris/Black
Sylan GTX
The Arc'teryx Sylan GTX women's trail running shoe in Black Sapphire/Canvas
The Arc'teryx Sylan GTX men's trail running shoe in Edziza/Solitude
Understanding how Arc'teryx Shoes Fit
While Arc'teryx uses standard methodology to measure the length of your foot (back of heel to tip of longest toe), their fit designations for select shoes is unique.
Here is a link to Arc'teryx's shoe size chart:
https://arcteryx.com/help/sizing/footwear
Here are their descriptions on their three fit types. These are applicable to the Sylan, Vertex Alpine, and Kragg models.
Comfort Fit - This gives you the most space at the toe and a less snug fit around the foot.
Precision Fit - This fits snug across the width of the foot with slightly less space in front of the toes.
Technical Fit - This is the most snug option for fit. Picture the fit of a climbing shoe or ski boot.
The Sylan series has a default Comfort fit. Here is the guidance from Arc'teryx when fitting shoes with a Comfort fit:
My take: I'm a little surprised that a shoe like the Sylan Pro, which is made for fast trail running, would default to a Comfort fit. I've always liked Altras for the room in the toe box, and this fit does provide that. In practice, though, I ended up sizing down a half size U.S. compared to other brands and still ended up with a Comfort fit. I pulled out my Nike Zoomfly, Hoka Mach 6, Altra Timp 2, and Brooks Launch. All are 10.5 US, 44.5 Euro, and 28.5cm. My Arc'teryx Sylan Pros are 10 US, 44 Euro, and 28cm, and they feel like the Comfort fit described above.
I would be inclined to go a half size down and get the Precision fit and that would put me at a 9.5 US, which I haven't worn since I was a teenager. That said, my foot measures exactly 28cm and that matches the 10 US on Arc'teryx's shoe size chart. I'll also say that after putting 20 miles on the Sylans through rocky terrain I have zero complaints about stability or foot slip. The takeaway here is that you should measure your foot in cm and check the U.S. and Euro sizing on Arc'teryx's size chart. For Comfort fit stay true to your cm measurement.
Comfort and first impressions
Laced tight, the Sylan Pro feels great.
You can see the knit collar, lace pocket on the tongue, and some interesting contours from the Matryx® upper.
My first impression trying these on is that they are roomy and borderline too big for me, even with a U.S. size 10 (to my normal 10.5). Once I properly tightened the laces though I have zero slippage so I believe I have the proper comfort fit. The Matryx® Micro upper feels almost like a hardshell jacket; it's pretty unique. It wrinkles in ways that I think make the shoe look too big for my foot, but it also feels very light.
The other thing I noticed when wearing these for the first time is that while I really like the feel of the rocker, these shoes accentuate my pronation. I over pronate and when wearing the Sylan Pro my ankle collapses noticeably during my stride. As other over-pronators can appreciate, I don't stick to just structure shoes meant to correct pronation. For example, I trained for and raced my last long-distance triathlon (injury free I might add) in a set of Nike Zoom Fly. I've learned to let comfort and feel be my guide. So I decided to give the Sylan Pro a chance. Overall I thought they felt great laced up. The trail would reveal all.
Running in the Arc'teryx Sylan Pro
My first test run was directly after an afternoon shower and made good use of the Vibram® Megagrip sole.
I took these on two runs for my initial round of testing. The first was a spin on my local Emerald Mountain trails just after an afternoon shower. The trails on Emerald are notorious for turning to sticky clay when wet and can be tough for running or riding. Some of the hardpack trails can also become treacherously slick. In other words, a great first test for these shoes. The Sylan Pro performed great; it is confident across wet rocks and slick downhills. This was my first experience with both Vibram® Megagrip and Vibram® LiteBase technology. The Megagrip compound is quite tacky. The Litebase cuts the thickness of a sole in half compared to typical trail footwear. What I noticed is that the shoe has great flex and responsiveness. Nimble is the adjective I kept turning over as I ran. The rocker gives some propulsion; this definitely feels more like a race shoe compared to something like the Norvan LD 3. I love race shoes but as I mentioned, my ankle collapses in these shoes due to my pronation. I was hoping that it wouldn't be as noticeable when running, but that was overly optimistic. I ran for an hour and while I definitely notice ankle collapse, I didn't feel any strain. In the hours and day after the run I didn't have any pain whatsoever, so I figured it was worth a second run to give a full assessment.
My first run had freshly soaked trails.
The mud on Emerald Mountain dries to something like concrete. The soles performed admirably.
My second run was on rockier trails and through aspen groves at 8000' in the Routt National Forest. I was immediately impressed again with how responsive the sole is on the Arc'teryx Sylan Pro. Overall the construction of the midsole, stack height, etc... provides cushion without totally dampening ground feel. The upper feels light and super breathable. I'm starting to get used to the Matryx® material.
What I like about the Arc'teryx Sylan Pro
- Knit collar and tongue - Fully laced, this shoe feels great. The knit collar is comfortable and keeps out dirt and pebbles while on the trail.
- Outsole - I think I've said this enough, but these shoes made me a huge fan of Vibram® Megagrip with LiteBase.
- Responsiveness - Light and springy. This shoe has the feel I look for in my race shoes.
What doesn't work for me
- Comfort Fit - Diving into to the fit descriptions on Arc'teryx shoes and running in the Sylan Pro has made it conclusive; I prefer a precision fit.
- Rocker and support - I like the propulsion of the rocker on this shoe, but I think the contour of the heel causes too much ankle collapse for me to put big miles on these. It's a personal dynamic, but I strongly urge anyone that over pronates to try these on before buying.
