I’ve tried my best to beat up summer and winter off-road shoe offerings from Northwave this year. How has my long term testing of the Magma X Plus and the Hammer Plus gone?
Magma X Plus – A Plus for Winter Riding
Having been a cycling commuter for nearly 40 years now, quite possibly the worst thing about cycling in cold and/or wet conditions for me are wet feet. I can quite easily put up with wet legs from rain, but the squishing and sloshing of wet feet is both annoying and cold feet is often the limiting factor in how long I’m willing to be riding outdoors.
Of course, overshoes are one way to get around wet feet, but they typically work better with road shoes than with off-road shoes. And then you get into decision overload of some overshoes being more geared for rain while others are more insulative and meant for cold. Aesthetically they’re also a bit lacking for me, and can also lead to annoying crank rub.
So for me, what I would really love is a single winter shoe that can serve to protect from both cold and rain, and that I can just put on and not have to think about anything else.
I’ve been testing the Northwave Magma X Plus for nearly 9 months now across a range of weather conditions. This started with a relatively mild Canadian winter where the roads were largely ice/snow free by early February, with temperatures here in Niagara about 0 to -5°C. This was followed by a wetter than normal spring, giving me plenty of opportunities to test their water resistance.
The Magma X Plus was also my easy decision as the shoe to take for my bikepacking adventure in Iceland this summer, given the daily highs of about 12°C, high odds of rain every day, and many river crossings. Of course the name of Magma is another plus!
Real Life Feedback/Thoughts
What are my thoughts about the shoes after all this testing?
I really liked the 3/4 height design of the shoes. I have other winter shoes that go higher up the ankle, but the 3/4 height along with the flexibility of the “EasyFit Collar” meant that I didn’t feel my ankle or my pedaling being constricted.
The EasyFit Collar made it very easy to slide my feet into the shoes. The one-piece design of the shoe also did away with cracks and crannies for water to get to your feet, although the collar itself isn’t waterproof and water will soak in gradually through it.
While water will still leak inside the shoe through the collar if your legs are exposed or you go through river crossings, there was much less leakage when I wore my winter cycling pants that covered the collar.
Throughout my Iceland trip, the Magma X Plus was simply slip on and forget. Despite the innumerable dismounts, hike-a-bikes, and remounts, I never had to readjust either the SLW3 dial that holds the mid instep to the front of the shoe, nor the large Velcro strap that secures the upper arch.
The sole is quite flat, but I had no complaints with the shoe’s walkability over our many steep hike-a-bikes in Iceland. The wear on the shoes have also been surprisingly mild despite all the hiking.
The Magma X Plus features a Primaloft insulation layer through the toes and front half of the shoe. I’m usually pretty sensitive to cold hands and feet, but I’ve found that a pair of good merino wool socks was all I needed to stay pretty comfortable down to a bit below freezing.
The tongue is one piece to minimize gaps for water leakage. The Velcro strap holds the foot in place, and still works like new despite the volcanic dust/sand in Iceland. Obviously no ventilation holes in the upper!
The shoe is definitely not designed for pure stiffness, but that’s not the point for a winter shoe. At the same time, it’s not as if it’s made of soggy cardboard either, and struck a nice balance between power transfer and comfort.
I basically never had to adjust the fit of the shoe while riding, but the SLW3 dial was pretty easy to deal with even with thick gloves. The usual turn of the dial tightens the fit (pink), while a small micro-loosening of the fit happens with each push down of the top lever (red). Pull/hold the lever (blue) and reverse turn the dial to fully release the fit, which is easier with two hands.
Final Thoughts
For me, the Northwave Magma X Plus checks pretty much every box that I want in a winter shoe. Simple to put on, warm enough for as cold as I feel like riding in, as water resistant as one can reasonably expect, and comfortable to the point of “put on and forget.”
Check out the Northwave Magma X Plus ($219.99 USD MSRP)
Northwave Hammer Plus MTB shoes
I’ve also spent this summer putting Northwave’s Hammer Plus MTB shoes through its paces. It’s a mid-range shoe in the company’s range.
As is the case throughout most of Northwave’s range, the SLW3 dial is used, with one at the arch and a small Velcro strap used to secure the front.
The microfibre upper is pretty heavily padded throughout and also around the ankle. This makes the fit very comfortable even with thin socks. In contrast, this means that the ventilation holes throughout the upper don’t actually reach through to your feet itself.
The Hammer Plus can accommodate front studs, although surprisingly none were included.
The Hammer Plus is the heaviest of the non-winter MTB shoes that I’ve had, weighing 400 g per shoe with SPD cleats installed or about 50-70 g per shoe more than the others on my shelf. Part of this probably comes from the highly padded upper, but probably more comes from the very chunky tread.
The SLW3 dials are also set and forget. That for me is a good testament to the placement of the shoe’s laces and their setup, as rotating the dial results in an even tightening rather than setting up any pinch points. The micro-release push lever is a great design, but I honestly never had to use it during a ride.
The shoes are comfortable. I used them throughout the 4-day TransRockies Gravel Royale event in late August, with each day featuring about 4.5 h ride time, 1,500 m elevation gain, and relentlessly steep 40-60 min granny gear “just try to stay upright” climbs. This was of course coupled with fast and bumpy descents down fire roads. As noted above, I never felt the need to adjust my shoes, and I didn’t experience any pinching or hot feet on any day. I also didn’t get beaten up through the shoes on the bumpy descents.
Surprisingly, despite the thick upper padding, I didn’t find the Hammer Plus stiflingly hot out at TransRockies, where temperatures regularly hit the high 20s during the day.
Final Thoughts
The Hammer Plus is a versatile mid-range shoe that’s a solid choice for off-road use without breaking the bank. The heavier weight is balanced against the excellent comfort, adjustment, and retention.
Check out the Northwave Hammer Plus ($149.99 USD).
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