Chaussures MTB Northwave Rockit Plus GTX - Noir

I've been looking around for a non-insulated Gore-tex mountain bike shoe for a number of years, after my Shimano shoes wore out a couple of years back, and most other manufacturers stopped making non-insulated variants.

I was excited to try these, seeing I own a number of Northwave's insulated mountain bike shoes, as well as insulated and non-insulated road bike shoes, and found them good to very good in form, fit and function. No one domestically here in the US had these, and Northwave no longer warehouses or ships to the US, thanks to Trump's tariffs, but with All4Cycling's discounted price, these were worth trying, even when factoring the $90 tariff fee I paid.

Overall, I'd say these are only OK, since they have some notable shortcomings. First is, they run a half-size longer than other Northwave MTB shoes I've bought in a 44, sizing more like their road shoes in length, which I typically wear their 43.5.

Secondly, the single Boa-style dial isn't sufficient for a properly snug fit from forefoot to ankle – in part because the tongue and sides of the uppers don't come up close to the ankle enough – but also because i found you can't cinch the cable tight enough at the top, near the ankle, without it being too tight in the middle-third to forefoot area of one's foot.

This makes the upper feel a fair bit sloppy when pedaling vigorously, esp. climbing, causing a lot of fiddling to attempt a good, secure fit. I could never get them to feel sufficiently snug at the top for my liking, in the two rides I've used them on so far.

Another element that could use improvement is the sole design. Because the cleat plate isn't very recessed compared to other shoes I've owned, and the side lugs near the plates aren't very deep, there isn't great lateral grip in that area to the left and right of the cleat channel, because the side treads are slightly lower than the channel and cleat when installed. This was noticeable when scrambling off-bike on smooth rocks and talus on technical trails here in New England.

These aren't quite as stiff as I expected, not the 7 Northwave describes these as, but more like a 5. Power transfer is passable, but not as stiff as I like and the splashiness is more noticeable when combined with the amount of sole flex in the forefoot around the cleat plate and that of the upper, so these feel fairly sloppy when pedaling vigorously.

On the plus side, these have a nice wide forefoot area to allow different sock thickness and support normal to mildly wide feet. The Gore-tex breathes well on warmer days. Entry and exit is easy. The exteriors seem likely be durable, given the abrasion-resistant fabric.

Scarpe MTB Northwave Rockit Plus GTX - Nero

Tutto, ma veramente tutto ok dallarticolo alla spedizione e quindi tempistica….soddisfatto grz e alla prossima