Northwave Sonic SRS shoes

Northwave's Sonic SRS shoes sit somewhere in the middle of their range yet look as stylish and eye-catching as the top end race models.

Built around the NRG Air sole the Sonics have a decent level of stiffness thanks to the nylon, fiberglass and carbon mix. There is a decent sized platform to allow the fitting of any three hole point cleats plus slots for SPDs. A thicker ribbed section runs from here to the heel acting as what looks like a form of torsion bar to stop the sole from twisting under load.

All of Northwave's road shoe range uses the 'AirFlow ventilation system' which is a collection of vents designed to take cool air in through the front, run it under the foot before expelling the warm air out of the rear in a bid to keep the sole of your feet cool. Obviously this was a bit difficult to test in a wet January but on a good note the vents are positioned far enough away from the cleat that overshoes will stop water from entering.

The heel and toe bumpers are non-replaceable but they're plenty deep enough to last a good few years of short walking distance.

The upper is made from polyurethane with mesh panels thermo-welded to it. This means the whole upper feels as though it's a one piece construction with no seams to cause any discomfort. There is a reinforced toe box stitched to the front for shrugging off scuffs and scrapes.

Northwave's closure buckle is called SRS which stands for Slim Ratchet System and it is rather small compared to a lot of other manufacturers' ratchets. That's most noticeable when you're trying to stretch tight overshoes around them. It's your usual pull the tab up to tighten the ratchet to tighten and flick a button to slacken. It's very smooth to use and tiny adjustments can be made while you ride. The straps are also asymmetric with the middle one positioned more over the centre of your foot to reduce pressure on the side of your foot.

In use the Sonics are very comfortable. The insole has enough padding without being too squidgy compromising power output while the straps and buckle keep your foot in place without any pressure points at all.

The sole is stiff enough up to a point. Sprint or climb out of the saddle and you'll feel a small amount of flex around the cleat area though prolonged efforts like time trialling will result in hot spots on the sole of your foot. For general fitness or recreational riding though the Sonics are perfectly up to the job and the lack of rigidity compared to a carbon fibre sole is a bonus to those after comfort over power output.

The upper seems pretty robust after a good month of abuse with plenty of soakings and they don't show any serious scuffs or marks. We've got the red/white version but they also come in white/fluoro green, fluoro yellow/black (my personal faves) and black/white.

The size marking is a bit unusual. I'm a UK 10 and I normally wear a Euro 45 (Giro, Bontrager, DHB, Fizik, Lake all fit spot on). The Sonics are a 45 but are marked up as UK 11. According to http://www.shoesizes.co/, 45 is actually a 10.5, so rounding up to 11 isn't wrong, but it's unusual. They are spot on to what I would usually wear so either try before you buy, or buy your Euro size not your UK size. While we're on the subject of sizes the Sonics come in quite an impressive range. Starting at Euro 34 all the way up to 50 with half sizes available from 39.5 to 45.5.

Overall the Sonic SRSs are a decent entry level shoe ideal for club or fitness riding, anything where you aren't stamping on the pedals really. The comfort is good, making them an ideal choice for long hours in the saddle. One hundred quid is quite top end for a nylon soled shoe but they do have enough technology to just about warrant it with the neat ratchet and the smart looks.

The quality is worthy of the price, the Sonics have a nice finish and show impressive signs of durability. Shop around and you should easily find at least a 10% discount on that rrp.

Verdict

Comfortable shoes for the fitness rider; not cheap but just get away with it due to Italian styling and good build quality.