Submitted by
cherub
a Weekend Warrior
from Melbourne
Date Reviewed: February 21, 2010
Strengths: All black was a good colour choice for MTB trails. Fit well. Good for narrow feet.
Weaknesses: Soles failed catastrophically over a distance of 5km and not on a rough trail either. Compound between the sole and the rest of the shoe upper crumbled away leaving the sole with nothing to adhere to. I sincerely hope that NW have changed their shoe raw materials.
Bottom Line:
Sad to say that my first pair of MTB shoes have failed dismally. I have really looked after these shoes and not mistreated them. They are now 4.5yrs old but still in mint condition except for the sole failure. Problem appears to be the breakdown of the rubber compound between the upper and the sole. Definitely not due to rough treatment and only 1000km of use. Storage indoors and away from chemicals, sun & moisture. Unlike other reviews above, the first response from local distributor seems positive. Given that I've had them for 5 years, I don't really expect to get anything out of it but THESE SHOES SHOULD NOT HAVE FAILED SO CATASTROPHICALLY. DEFINITELY A QUALITY FAULT.
Bike Setup: Reynolds 853 cyclocross and road bikes,Ti hardtail
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Submitted by
Taneli
a Cross Country Rider
from Tübingen, Germany
Date Reviewed: January 17, 2005
Strengths: IF you close your eyes you won't notice how damn ugly they are!
Weaknesses: Soles WILL fall off. Too narrow.
Bottom Line:
I bought these rip off shoes on a closeout from STP, thank god I did not pay the real price. The sole on my right shoe is now halfway detatched, read through some of the other review for Northwave here: THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. If your feet are as skinny as toothpicks then these P.O.S. might at least be comfortable.
Overpriced, about as durable as a pair of "Payless Shoe Source" shoes. Please do not buy them!!
Favorite Trail: Anywhere in the Schwäbische Alb region.
Duration Product Used: 1 Year
Price Paid:
$50.00
Purchased At: Sierra Trading Post
Similar Products Used: None, but but now I am looking for a new pair, definitely not Northwaves.
Bike Setup: Dual Susp. KHS, disc brakes...
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Submitted by
Stefan Merchant
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore
Date Reviewed: November 9, 2003
Strengths: Excellent fit for my foot. Good quality materials.
Weaknesses: Poor quality glue and construction techniques. The colours.
Bottom Line:
The right shoe lasted 22 minutes. The right another five minutes. Both soles came completely unglued from the uppers. It was a muddy day and the shoes were definitely wet but isn't that part of mountain biking. I couldn't believe the shoes crapped out so quickly. The soles were not fixed to the upper with anything except glue. No stitching or nails. I find that unbelievable. I would also note that my SPDs were set very loose and I wasn't bunny hopping or submitting the shoe to anything extreme. Had only one shoe failed I would have thought it was a fluke but both shoes at almost the same time makes me think unbeliavably bad design and construction quality.
Strengths: they might last 6 months or so before they take a dump
Weaknesses: velcro doesn't stay tight, Velcro straps come apart, sole seperates, insoles are paper thin.
Bottom Line:
After a muddy race (Lots of running up hills) I put on my shoes and they felt like flip-flops. "What the heck," I noticed that the sole on the right foot had separated. I accepted this and had them glued at a shoe repair shop. Then a few weeks later my left sole separated from the mesh uppers. Had that one glued at the shoe shop. After another few weeks the right shoe separated again. This time I glued it and put a screw through the heel and used lock tight on a nut on the bottom. This finally worked. While shopping for new shoes I was comparing these and found a crack in the sole of the right foot where the cleat is. I had to tighten the Velcro straps 5 or 6 times during rides because they wouldn't stay tight. Right where the strap bends around the metal loop is where it is glued together; I have re-glued this spot on both shoes at least twice and stapled the left one to finally fix the problem. The paper-thin insoles made my feet go numb because my big toe would hang off of the insole. I put some padding under my big toe, this worked for a few weeks. I finally fixed the problem by stealing some thicker insoles from my other mtb shoes. Its not just me, a friend of mine had the same problem with the soles and he was using epoxy. I met another racer who had the same prob and he said that Northwave basically told him that he was S.O.L. THESE SHOES ARE HORRIBLE PIECES OF MONKEY SHIOT
Submitted by
jupp
a Weekend Warrior
from Singapore, via Germany
Date Reviewed: January 2, 2003
Strengths: good fit stiffness
Weaknesses: quality (if they fall apart in mid-ride, I guess that's a weakness) tacky colors upper velcro straps close toward the inside of the shoe and easily catch on crank
Bottom Line:
Bought these shoes less than a year ago at the local Cannondale distributor, who didn't offer a lot of choice for Size 12.5 (always a problem in Asia) and recommended the Northwaves. The wacky coloring wasn't really for me, but the shoes fit nicely and were as stiff as I wanted them. So I went ahead with the purchase, which I most definetely wouldn't have done had I first consulted this forum.
Just this last weekend (after only a couple of hundred miles with the shoes) during a ride through the woods I too got to "enjoy" the quality of these shoes: BOTH soles gave way at the same time. They literally peeled off from the heel and were only held in place by the cleats. I did't notice while on the bike, but when I had to get off and jumped in some mud I noticed my feet get very wet very suddenly, and then I saw what had happened.
Before I went to nag at the dealer I checked the forum and, yeah, I guess I should have done that earlier. At least Cannondale didn't make much of a fuss. The fact that they only had one last pair of Northwaves on the shelf tells it all. I got the equivalent of an $80 credit voucher, which I think is fair considering I didn't have too much to complain about the shoes before they fell apart.
Bottom line is that while the shoes most certainly had a quality problem, and (judging by some of the other postings here) Northwave apparently fails to stand behind their product, Cannondale Asia picked up the tab without me even having to argue.
My advice would be to avoid these shoes definitely, and perhaps even Northwave products generally, at least unless they get a grip on their attitude. Anyway, I'm back to Sidi and got myself a pair of Bullets now.
Used these shoes for just over 2.5 years. Very comfortable and have had no issues with them whatsoever. Soles arestill in place ad no signs of loose stiching. Would recommend them to anyone who races XC. Not really suitsble for heavy trailriding as they have no scuff protection. Plastic heel cup alows excellent foot retention for efficiency. Soles are stiff but allow some flex to aid walking.
Perfect fit for the narrowly challenged, however, the piper must be paid in the form of duct tape, highly toxic epoxy glue, and roofing nails, yes, my soles have nails running through them. Now they are separating from the side seam. I didn't even try the "famous" customer support. I leave you with one word: SIDI.
Bike Setup: painted frame, overpriced components, steering wheel, 2 wheels.
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Submitted by
Carl Boni
a Cross Country Rider
from Boulder, CO
Date Reviewed: August 15, 2002
Strengths: Great fit
Weaknesses: Poor Quality, lack of warranty support
Bottom Line:
Wow, I thought my situation would be unique...apparently not. Used these for only ~300 miles, loved them, then the right sole peeled at Fruita. Okay, duct tape at camp, keep riding. Then, left sole delams, too. Still liked the shoes, tried to contact Northwave for warranty. Their website has no contact info--coming soon for 3 months now! Nice way to duck customers. Finally get a hold of the local rep, he agrees it is an obvious quality problem, but they will not take back, no way, no how, without a receipt, even though he agrees they are hardly used. I don't have it anymore of course. Glad I didn't waste full price on those pieces of s*$#! Now, I ride P/I Vortex and am totally happy with them.
Strengths: Very comfortable, breathable, very stiff, lightweight, did i mention theyre really comfy, and the color scheme can grow on you
Weaknesses: None that i have found
Bottom Line:
i really like these shoes, unlike some of our other testers who may have had some issues with the sole i find that they do pretty much everything well, they have a great fit and feel, and when im clipped in the soles are so perfect. love them. buy them. Im just glad i got a discount
Unbelievable! I'll let you know how awful the warranty experience is, but so far I've contacted the U.S. distributor and the local rep, so we'll see what happens. I have friends who swear by NW shoes, so maybe it's just mine, but I still can't believe that the sole falls off of a pair of $210 shoes in six months. Oh, and it was six months of the offseason, which was some commuting, road riding, and the occaisional trail ride. No warning signs, either, I was cranking up a hill and felt something weird inj my right foot. sure enough, the sole fell off.
Submitted by
Brad
a Cross Country Rider
from California
Date Reviewed: December 7, 2001
Strengths: They go great with a Ronald McDonald halloween costume (the red and yellow ones at least)
Weaknesses: Soles delaminate from the shoes after little use. Dismal customer service and a hideous farce of a warranty policy.
Bottom Line:
I have used my Northwaves less than twenty times and the soles are delaminating. I contacted Northwave regarding warranty and they refused to stand behind their product. As I work in the bicycle industry and have worked in warranty departments before I find Northwave's warranty policy, customer service, and products to be inexcusable. Looking through the other postings here my problems with both my shoes and Northwave the company seem very common. Adding insult to injury is the high price of their products...even at employee purchase. Does all Northwave's money go into marketing and paying nubile women to pose with Cipollini? How about spending some of that on R&D to make a product that could make it through at least a few months of use?
I had a pair of Sidi Dominators for 4 years of mountain bike racing and cyclocross, and beyond replacing the buckles they were still going strong. I would give my Northwaves to my dog as a chew toy, but he deserves better.
Bottom line: a)buy anything but these shoes b)MTBr should add a "zero flaming chili" rating for products like these.
Bike Setup: Easton frame, Manitou Mars Elite, Time ATAC, Truvativ Stylo Team cranks, SRAM 9.0 and best of all its SHIMANO FREE!!!
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Submitted by
Gregg Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from Chicago IL
Date Reviewed: October 29, 2001
Strengths: Nice fit, heel cup is super
Weaknesses: Don't like not being able to replace the cleat plate if something happens to it.
Bottom Line:
I got these on sale, and would never have paid the suggested retail ($200.00) for them. Nice shoes...but not THAT nice. They fit well, and as long as you aren't abusing them they seem to hold up well. The appearance? Well looking like a refugee from McDonald's isn't that bad is it?
Bike Setup: Now, 2002 Giant XTC SE2, Kona Lave Dome before
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Submitted by
Geoff
a Cross Country Rider
from Idaho
Date Reviewed: September 5, 2001
Strengths: Stiff, comfortable, good soles
Weaknesses: The fact that they are total crap. Poor workmanship and total lack of quality.
Bottom Line:
Remember the old addage - you get what you pay for. I bought the team steaths last winter on sale for $95 from Jensonusa.com. I guess that the regular price of these shoes was $210. Why, I have no idea, but I feel sorry for anyone who paid full price for these pieces of sh*t. In less than a season of riding. they have had to be repaired 3 different times. The last time, I'm on a long ride in the middle of nowhere and the right sole completely delaminated from the rest of the shoe. Hint - if you buy these or if you own a pair, make sure that you keep a roll of electrical tape with you on every ride! Northwaves are OK roadie shoes, but go with Sidi for MTB shoes.
Favorite Trail: the one where my shoe does not fall apart
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$95.00
Purchased At: Jensonusa.com
Similar Products Used: Specialized El Gato comp
Bike Setup: Gunnar Rock Hound
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Submitted by
Striker
a Cross Country Rider
from MA
Date Reviewed: August 7, 2001
Strengths: stiff, fit, comfortable, color scheme, grippy sole
Weaknesses: none
Bottom Line:
These are great shoes. They are stiff, fit well, and are comfy to the point where I'd wear them all the time. Some people hate the alternating color scheme, I use to, but after the dozens of compliments, I decided it wasn't so bad after all. Also, the sole is grippy and they have held up perfectly. I have had no durability issues and can't understand how anyone could find two velcro straps hard to use.
