Long summer days mean long days on the trails, and long days on the trails ask a lot of a shoe: comfort, dependability and, if racing is on the calendar, a secure connection you never think about. We’ve spent the past few months in the Northwave Enduro Mid 2 clipless shoe to find out whether it delivers on its promise.

Northwave were founded in the small northern Italian town of Montebelluna, a place renowned as the home of ski boots. It’s fair to say that creating an excellent fit is part of their DNA.

When you’re heading out on a big mountain bike adventure, a shoe that fits properly is half the battle. At the same time, you also want plenty of protection, reliable support, confident grip when you’re off the bike, effective ventilation and fuss-free usability. These are all essential qualities for a shoe in the enduro category.

Northwave Enduro Mid 2 clipless shoe | 1,207 g per pair (size 47) | €179.99 | Manufacturer’s website

This is exactly what Northwave aim to deliver with the Enduro Mid 2 clipless MTB shoe. The quick-adjust closure, impressive level of protection and outsole inspired by tire tread immediately caught our attention. We put the Italian mid-cut shoe through its paces to find out whether it performs just as well on long days in the saddle as it does on rough, technical descents.

The Northwave Enduro Mid 2 Clipless MTB Shoe in Detail

At €179.99, the Northwave sits towards the premium end of the market for a shoe without a waterproof membrane. Even so, it feels exceptionally well made. If it stands the test of time without the bonded sections coming apart or the seams failing, and there are very few seams to begin with, the price is easy to justify. Alongside the understated black version, Northwave also offer the shoe in Forest Green, which remains fairly discrete despite the yellow logos and sole accents adding a welcome splash of colour. Sizes range from 38 to 48. At 1,207 g per pair in size 47, it’s relatively heavy, although the weight reflects the shoe’s reassuringly robust construction.

One of the standout features is Northwave’s own SLW3 dial closure, paired with an integrated Velcro strap. The closure also allows you to loosen the fit incrementally, making it easy to relieve pressure on your feet once the descent is over. The Michelin X-Fire outsole combines aggressive tread blocks in the toe and heel areas with a finer tread pattern through the pedal contact surface. This is designed to provide good grip on dirt, rocks and roots, while also offering plenty of traction on the pedal before you’ve clipped in. On the inside of the Enduro Mid 2, a thick, raised ankle pad protects the inside of your ankle from knocks against the cranks. Up front, a reinforced toe box shields your toes from impacts with rocks and trail debris. Between these protective elements, the upper features extensive perforations, which promise excellent ventilation.

Northwave Enduro Mid 2 Clipless MTB Shoe on Test

Straight out of the box, the fit impressed us, suiting our tester Ingo’s relatively narrow feet particularly well. In size 47, the shoe comes up around half a size larger than stated. However, it initially feels slightly smaller than expected, as there’s noticeably less space around the toes than in other shoes of the same size.

Tightening the forefoot with the SLW3 dial is quick and effortless, with or without gloves, and fine-tuning the fit becomes a habit, even while riding. In fact, occasional readjustment is necessary, as the generously padded interior compresses slightly as it warms up and settles over time, leaving the shoe feeling a little looser. The only real drawback is the position of the release button on top of the dial. When tightening the closure, your thumb naturally rests over it, making it less comfortable to grip and turn the dial. Positioning the button at the front would make adjustments easier, even if it meant reaching a little further to release the system. To open the closure completely, simply pull the release lever. One particularly clever feature is the incremental release function, which lets you loosen the fit step by step by pressing the release button repeatedly.

The Velcro strap that secures the rear section of the shoe is a great idea in principle. However, because the strap is relatively thick and therefore on the stiff side, it takes a fair amount of force to thread it through the loop when it’s bent back on itself at almost 180 degrees.

The sole of the Northwave Enduro Mid 2 is exceptionally stiff, bordering on the level of a cross-country race shoe. That’s excellent for pedalling efficiency, although there are better compromises if you expect to spend a lot of time walking. Equally impressive are the highly protective reinforced toe box and the genuinely effective ankle protection, which prevents painful knocks against the crank arms, something that’s particularly common on rough trails and in slippery conditions.

The heavily perforated upper doesn’t offer much protection from heavy rain or deep puddles. On the upside, it provides plenty of ventilation, making the shoe well suited to warm summer rides. In terms of temperature range, it’s a solid choice from spring through to autumn. Once temperatures drop below 5°C, however, a pair of warm socks is definitely recommended.

The Northwave Enduro Mid 2 on the Trail

When paired with clipless platform pedals, we noticed that the cleat sits quite deeply within the tread, which can make clipping in more difficult. The cleat recess is around 1 to 2 mm deeper than on a comparable Shimano shoe. Fortunately, this is easily solved by fitting cleat spacers. Shimano sell these separately, while Crankbrothers include them with all of their cleats. We didn’t experience this issue when using standard clipless pedals without a platform.

One small criticism: the cleat channel could extend a little further towards the toe for our taste. As it stands, clipping in from behind occasionally catches the sole tread on the front retention bar of SPD pedals instead of letting the shoe slide smoothly into position.

Aside from that, the Michelin rubber outsole is very well made. A finely textured section through the centre provides consistent contact with wider pedal platforms such as the Crankbrothers Mallet, while the aggressive tread blocks at the toe and heel deliver confident grip when you’re off the bike, whether you’re pushing, scrambling or climbing steep sections of trail.

Finally, a quick word on cleaning. The Enduro Mid 2 is noticeably easier to clean than shoes with conventional laces, as mud and dirt are far easier to remove from the dial’s cable system than from fabric laces.

Conclusions about the Northwave Enduro Mid 2

The Northwave Enduro Mid 2 is a comfortable, highly protective shoe that combines a well-designed outsole with race-ready stiffness. The closure is its best feature: quick to tighten even while riding, and loosenable in small increments whenever the padding settles. Two details stop short of perfect, the release button sitting under your tightening thumb and a cleat channel that could run further towards the toe, and the prominent side lugs and oversized dial give it a distinctly technical look that won’t suit everyone. At €179.99 this is premium territory, but the all-round performance, build quality and comfort earn it.

For more information, visit northwave.com.

Tester: Ingo Karb
Intended use: MTB, E-MTB
Test period: 6 months

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Words: Ingo Karb Photos: Peter Walker