diff --git a/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/Variant.java b/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/Variant.java
index 0ccb8359ba..272317ff76 100644
--- a/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/Variant.java
+++ b/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/Variant.java
@@ -20,10 +20,15 @@
 
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.nio.ByteOrder;
 import java.util.UUID;
 
 /**
  * This Variant class holds the Variant-encoded value and metadata binary values.
+ *
+ * <p>Concurrency: the byte buffers are read-only and all lazy caches are idempotent,
+ * so concurrent reads are safe - the worst outcome is a redundant decode. The metadata
+ * dictionary cache is {@code volatile} for safe publication to child Variants.
  */
 public final class Variant {
   /**
@@ -36,6 +41,26 @@ public final class Variant {
    */
   final ByteBuffer metadata;
 
+  /**
+   * Pre-computed metadata dictionary size.
+   */
+  private final int dictSize;
+
+  /**
+   * Lazy cache for metadata dictionary strings, shared with child Variants.
+   */
+  private volatile String[] metadataCache;
+
+  /**
+   * Lazy cache for the parsed object header.
+   */
+  private VariantUtil.ObjectInfo cachedObjectInfo;
+
+  /**
+   * Lazy cache for the parsed array header.
+   */
+  private VariantUtil.ArrayInfo cachedArrayInfo;
+
   /**
    * The threshold to switch from linear search to binary search when looking up a field by key in
    * an object. This is a performance optimization to avoid the overhead of binary search for a
@@ -56,10 +81,8 @@ public Variant(byte[] value, int valuePos, int valueLength, byte[] metadata, int
   }
 
   public Variant(ByteBuffer value, ByteBuffer metadata) {
-    // The buffers are read a single-byte at a time, so the endianness of the input buffers
-    // is not important.
-    this.value = value.asReadOnlyBuffer();
-    this.metadata = metadata.asReadOnlyBuffer();
+    this.value = value.asReadOnlyBuffer().order(ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN);
+    this.metadata = metadata.asReadOnlyBuffer().order(ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN);
 
     // There is currently only one allowed version.
     if ((metadata.get(metadata.position()) & VariantUtil.VERSION_MASK) != VariantUtil.VERSION) {
@@ -67,6 +90,26 @@ public Variant(ByteBuffer value, ByteBuffer metadata) {
           "Unsupported variant metadata version: %d",
           metadata.get(metadata.position()) & VariantUtil.VERSION_MASK));
     }
+
+    // Pre-compute dictionary size for lazy metadata cache allocation.
+    int pos = this.metadata.position();
+    int metaOffsetSize = ((this.metadata.get(pos) >> 6) & 0x3) + 1;
+    if (this.metadata.remaining() > 1) {
+      this.dictSize = VariantUtil.readUnsignedLittleEndian(this.metadata, pos + 1, metaOffsetSize);
+    } else {
+      this.dictSize = 0;
+    }
+    this.metadataCache = null;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Package-private constructor that shares pre-parsed metadata state from a parent Variant.
+   */
+  Variant(ByteBuffer value, ByteBuffer metadata, String[] metadataCache, int dictSize) {
+    this.value = value.asReadOnlyBuffer().order(ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN);
+    this.metadata = metadata.asReadOnlyBuffer().order(ByteOrder.LITTLE_ENDIAN);
+    this.metadataCache = metadataCache;
+    this.dictSize = dictSize;
   }
 
   public ByteBuffer getValueBuffer() {
@@ -194,7 +237,7 @@ public Type getType() {
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException if `getType()` does not return `Type.OBJECT`
    */
   public int numObjectElements() {
-    return VariantUtil.getObjectInfo(value).numElements;
+    return objectInfo().numElements;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -206,22 +249,19 @@ public int numObjectElements() {
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException if `getType()` does not return `Type.OBJECT`
    */
   public Variant getFieldByKey(String key) {
-    VariantUtil.ObjectInfo info = VariantUtil.getObjectInfo(value);
-    // Use linear search for a short list. Switch to binary search when the length reaches
-    // `BINARY_SEARCH_THRESHOLD`.
+    VariantUtil.ObjectInfo info = objectInfo();
+    int idStart = value.position() + info.idStartOffset;
+    int offsetStart = value.position() + info.offsetStartOffset;
+    int dataStart = value.position() + info.dataStartOffset;
+
     if (info.numElements < BINARY_SEARCH_THRESHOLD) {
       for (int i = 0; i < info.numElements; ++i) {
-        ObjectField field = getFieldAtIndex(
-            i,
-            value,
-            metadata,
-            info.idSize,
-            info.offsetSize,
-            value.position() + info.idStartOffset,
-            value.position() + info.offsetStartOffset,
-            value.position() + info.dataStartOffset);
-        if (field.key.equals(key)) {
-          return field.value;
+        int id = VariantUtil.readUnsignedLittleEndian(value, idStart + info.idSize * i, info.idSize);
+        String fieldKey = getMetadataKeyCached(id);
+        if (fieldKey.equals(key)) {
+          int offset = VariantUtil.readUnsignedLittleEndian(
+              value, offsetStart + info.offsetSize * i, info.offsetSize);
+          return childVariant(VariantUtil.slice(value, dataStart + offset));
         }
       }
     } else {
@@ -232,22 +272,17 @@ public Variant getFieldByKey(String key) {
         // performance optimization, because it can properly handle the case where `low + high`
         // overflows int.
         int mid = (low + high) >>> 1;
-        ObjectField field = getFieldAtIndex(
-            mid,
-            value,
-            metadata,
-            info.idSize,
-            info.offsetSize,
-            value.position() + info.idStartOffset,
-            value.position() + info.offsetStartOffset,
-            value.position() + info.dataStartOffset);
-        int cmp = field.key.compareTo(key);
+        int midId = VariantUtil.readUnsignedLittleEndian(value, idStart + info.idSize * mid, info.idSize);
+        String midKey = getMetadataKeyCached(midId);
+        int cmp = midKey.compareTo(key);
         if (cmp < 0) {
           low = mid + 1;
         } else if (cmp > 0) {
           high = mid - 1;
         } else {
-          return field.value;
+          int offset = VariantUtil.readUnsignedLittleEndian(
+              value, offsetStart + info.offsetSize * mid, info.offsetSize);
+          return childVariant(VariantUtil.slice(value, dataStart + offset));
         }
       }
     }
@@ -275,35 +310,14 @@ public ObjectField(String key, Variant value) {
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException if `getType()` does not return `Type.OBJECT`
    */
   public ObjectField getFieldAtIndex(int idx) {
-    VariantUtil.ObjectInfo info = VariantUtil.getObjectInfo(value);
-    // Use linear search for a short list. Switch to binary search when the length reaches
-    // `BINARY_SEARCH_THRESHOLD`.
-    ObjectField field = getFieldAtIndex(
-        idx,
-        value,
-        metadata,
-        info.idSize,
-        info.offsetSize,
-        value.position() + info.idStartOffset,
-        value.position() + info.offsetStartOffset,
-        value.position() + info.dataStartOffset);
-    return field;
-  }
-
-  static ObjectField getFieldAtIndex(
-      int index,
-      ByteBuffer value,
-      ByteBuffer metadata,
-      int idSize,
-      int offsetSize,
-      int idStart,
-      int offsetStart,
-      int dataStart) {
-    // idStart, offsetStart, and dataStart are absolute positions in the `value` buffer.
-    int id = VariantUtil.readUnsigned(value, idStart + idSize * index, idSize);
-    int offset = VariantUtil.readUnsigned(value, offsetStart + offsetSize * index, offsetSize);
-    String key = VariantUtil.getMetadataKey(metadata, id);
-    Variant v = new Variant(VariantUtil.slice(value, dataStart + offset), metadata);
+    VariantUtil.ObjectInfo info = objectInfo();
+    int idStart = value.position() + info.idStartOffset;
+    int offsetStart = value.position() + info.offsetStartOffset;
+    int dataStart = value.position() + info.dataStartOffset;
+    int id = VariantUtil.readUnsignedLittleEndian(value, idStart + info.idSize * idx, info.idSize);
+    int offset = VariantUtil.readUnsignedLittleEndian(value, offsetStart + info.offsetSize * idx, info.offsetSize);
+    String key = getMetadataKeyCached(id);
+    Variant v = childVariant(VariantUtil.slice(value, dataStart + offset));
     return new ObjectField(key, v);
   }
 
@@ -312,7 +326,7 @@ static ObjectField getFieldAtIndex(
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException if `getType()` does not return `Type.ARRAY`
    */
   public int numArrayElements() {
-    return VariantUtil.getArrayInfo(value).numElements;
+    return arrayInfo().numElements;
   }
 
   /**
@@ -324,23 +338,68 @@ public int numArrayElements() {
    * @throws IllegalArgumentException if `getType()` does not return `Type.ARRAY`
    */
   public Variant getElementAtIndex(int index) {
-    VariantUtil.ArrayInfo info = VariantUtil.getArrayInfo(value);
+    VariantUtil.ArrayInfo info = arrayInfo();
     if (index < 0 || index >= info.numElements) {
       return null;
     }
-    return getElementAtIndex(
-        index,
-        value,
-        metadata,
-        info.offsetSize,
-        value.position() + info.offsetStartOffset,
-        value.position() + info.dataStartOffset);
+    int offsetStart = value.position() + info.offsetStartOffset;
+    int dataStart = value.position() + info.dataStartOffset;
+    int offset =
+        VariantUtil.readUnsignedLittleEndian(value, offsetStart + info.offsetSize * index, info.offsetSize);
+    return childVariant(VariantUtil.slice(value, dataStart + offset));
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Creates a child Variant that shares this instance's metadata cache.
+   */
+  private Variant childVariant(ByteBuffer childValue) {
+    return new Variant(childValue, metadata, metadataCache, dictSize);
   }
 
-  private static Variant getElementAtIndex(
-      int index, ByteBuffer value, ByteBuffer metadata, int offsetSize, int offsetStart, int dataStart) {
-    // offsetStart and dataStart are absolute positions in the `value` buffer.
-    int offset = VariantUtil.readUnsigned(value, offsetStart + offsetSize * index, offsetSize);
-    return new Variant(VariantUtil.slice(value, dataStart + offset), metadata);
+  /**
+   * Returns the metadata dictionary string for the given ID, caching the result.
+   * All state is captured in locals so the calling thread retains needed values
+   * for the duration of the call regardless of concurrent access.
+   */
+  String getMetadataKeyCached(int id) {
+    if (id < 0 || id >= dictSize) {
+      return VariantUtil.getMetadataKey(metadata, id);
+    }
+    // Demand-create shared dictionary cache.
+    String[] cache = metadataCache;
+    if (cache == null) {
+      cache = new String[dictSize];
+      metadataCache = cache;
+    }
+    String key = cache[id];
+    if (key == null) {
+      key = VariantUtil.getMetadataKey(metadata, id);
+      cache[id] = key;
+    }
+    return key;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the cached object header, parsing it on first access.
+   */
+  private VariantUtil.ObjectInfo objectInfo() {
+    VariantUtil.ObjectInfo info = cachedObjectInfo;
+    if (info == null) {
+      info = VariantUtil.getObjectInfo(value);
+      cachedObjectInfo = info;
+    }
+    return info;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Returns the cached array header, parsing it on first access.
+   */
+  private VariantUtil.ArrayInfo arrayInfo() {
+    VariantUtil.ArrayInfo info = cachedArrayInfo;
+    if (info == null) {
+      info = VariantUtil.getArrayInfo(value);
+      cachedArrayInfo = info;
+    }
+    return info;
   }
 }
diff --git a/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantBuilder.java b/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantBuilder.java
index 4b8eb6d8c3..213f69729f 100644
--- a/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantBuilder.java
+++ b/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantBuilder.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Set;
+import org.apache.parquet.io.api.Binary;
 
 /**
  * Builder for creating Variant value and metadata.
@@ -109,7 +110,14 @@ public void appendEncodedValue(ByteBuffer value) {
    */
   public void appendString(String str) {
     onAppend();
-    byte[] data = str.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+    writeUTF8bytes(str.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8));
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Write bytes as a UTF8 string.
+   * @param data data to write; this is not modified.
+   */
+  private void writeUTF8bytes(final byte[] data) {
     boolean longStr = data.length > VariantUtil.MAX_SHORT_STR_SIZE;
     checkCapacity((longStr ? 1 + VariantUtil.U32_SIZE : 1) + data.length);
     if (longStr) {
@@ -125,6 +133,16 @@ public void appendString(String str) {
     writePos += data.length;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Given a Binary, append it to the variant as a string.
+   * Avoids intermediate String creation when unmarshalling from shredded string columns.
+   * @param binary source data.
+   */
+  void appendAsString(Binary binary) {
+    onAppend();
+    writeUTF8bytes(binary.getBytesUnsafe());
+  }
+
   /**
    * Appends a null value to the Variant builder.
    */
diff --git a/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantConverters.java b/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantConverters.java
index 6d0986c2b2..bda088c55d 100644
--- a/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantConverters.java
+++ b/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantConverters.java
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@ static class PartiallyShreddedFieldsConverter extends GroupConverter {
     PartiallyShreddedFieldsConverter(GroupType fieldsType, ParentConverter<VariantBuilder> parent) {
       this.converters = new Converter[fieldsType.getFieldCount()];
       this.parent = parent;
+      ParentConverter<VariantObjectBuilder> newParent = converter -> converter.accept(objectBuilder);
 
       for (int index = 0; index < fieldsType.getFieldCount(); index += 1) {
         Type field = fieldsType.getType(index);
@@ -240,7 +241,6 @@ static class PartiallyShreddedFieldsConverter extends GroupConverter {
 
         String name = field.getName();
         shreddedFieldNames.add(name);
-        ParentConverter<VariantObjectBuilder> newParent = converter -> converter.accept(objectBuilder);
         converters[index] = new FieldValueConverter(name, field.asGroupType(), newParent);
       }
     }
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ static class VariantStringConverter extends ShreddedScalarConverter {
 
     @Override
     public void addBinary(Binary value) {
-      parent.build(builder -> builder.appendString(value.toStringUsingUTF8()));
+      parent.build(builder -> builder.appendAsString(value));
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantUtil.java b/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantUtil.java
index 4744f0c28d..0f39361506 100644
--- a/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantUtil.java
+++ b/parquet-variant/src/main/java/org/apache/parquet/variant/VariantUtil.java
@@ -299,6 +299,31 @@ static int readUnsigned(ByteBuffer bytes, int pos, int numBytes) {
     return result;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Fast little-endian unsigned read using bulk ByteBuffer operations.
+   * Requires the buffer to have {@link java.nio.ByteOrder#LITTLE_ENDIAN} byte order.
+   * Adapted from Apache Iceberg's VariantUtil.readLittleEndianUnsigned.
+   */
+  static int readUnsignedLittleEndian(ByteBuffer buffer, int pos, int numBytes) {
+    switch (numBytes) {
+      case 1:
+        return buffer.get(pos) & U8_MAX;
+      case 2:
+        return buffer.getShort(pos) & U16_MAX;
+      case 3:
+        return (buffer.getShort(pos) & U16_MAX) | ((buffer.get(pos + 2) & U8_MAX) << 16);
+      case 4:
+        int v = buffer.getInt(pos);
+        if (v < 0) {
+          throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+              String.format("Failed to read unsigned int. numBytes: %d", numBytes));
+        }
+        return v;
+      default:
+        throw new IllegalArgumentException(String.format("Invalid numBytes: %d", numBytes));
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns the value type of Variant value `value[pos...]`. It is only legal to call `get*` if
    * `getType` returns the corresponding type. For example, it is only legal to call