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Northwave Compact 5
Northwave Freeride
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Northwave Freeride

Northwave presents a freeride shoe that crosses over into the cross-trainer realm. This raised-up shoe feels a bit funny for a bike shoe at first, but the more I wore it, the better it felt. The amount of sole stiffness is the biggest selling point, but it's still soft enough to do all the trekking, touring and backcountry kickin’ that they claim you can. Any less stiffness and you wouldn't get the support you deserve in the saddle.

Northwave also realizes that you want to keep riding - not hiking - at all costs. The double stitching and wrap-around rubber made me confident in its Italian quality. The laces provide an even pull, letting you really squeeze the meat of your feet when you know you’re gonna be outta-da seat. I received the beautiful brown and orange version and since I'm not here to care, I let others judge. The only comment I received was that the orange had one too many pixels of pink in it. Maybe she was right, or maybe she just doesn’t understand Italian fashion. Maybe neither of us do because it’s too new and hasn’t hit the states yet.

Setback: ~$115

Features: Interlocking laces allow an even, snug pull. The cute little Velcro lace cover does its job. The sole works better for riding than it does for hiking. But hey, it's a bike shoe.

Factors: The sole is raised up more than most, giving it the trekking feel. The upper is as soft as a freestyle shoe should be. With double stitching everywhere, these shoes shouldn’t blowout under normal conditions. They're strong and water resistant, but once they're wet you might as well go swimming.

Tongue 'n Groove: This shoe rides up high but never lets you down. No complaints, other than the fruity colors. If you don’t like these hues, they have the ever-fashionable black/gray and tan/brown combinations as well.