The Ermenegildo Zegna Group has come back for more Norda.
A second round of investment has been announced by the five-year-old trail-running brand. The Ermenegildo Zegna Group initially approached Norda in 2021 — when the brand had just launched its first shoe, the 001 — and made its first investment in 2023. Norda now has five shoes on the market, as well as several offshoots of its 001, as well as a range of apparel and accessories.
“We’ve seen continued, unprecedented growth since we first came to market — the brand is doubling in size every year — and substantial capital is required to sustain that rapid progression,” Norda cofounder and CEO Nick Martire told Footwear News. “This investment simply enables us to continue doing what we do best, and do it at an even larger scale.”
Although it hasn’t strayed from performance, Norda has found its footwear embraced in fashion circles and stocked in boutiques including Dover Street Market and Nepenthes in addition to specialty run stores.
At The Running Event, the Canadian brand showed its next release, the 055, a beefed-up version of the 005 race-day shoe with a taller stack height, new knit collar and more structured heel tailored to more extreme terrain.
“Our decision to increase our Group’s stake in Norda reaffirms our strong belief in the brand’s long-term potential. Norda’s authentic identity, rooted in material innovation, lightness, and a compelling long-term value proposition fueled by unprecedented growth, is fully aligned with our Group’s purpose,” said Ermenegildo Zegna, chairman and chief executive officer of his namesake company, said in a press release. “As a custodian of authenticity, we are proud to stand alongside Norda’s management and continue to work with the brand as it grows.”
The Ermenegildo Zegna Group’s most recent earnings report showed organic revenue growth of 3.6 percent for the third quarter of 2025 to bring its total revenue for the first nine months to more than $1.5 billion.