Northwave Galaxy road shoes

The new Northwave Galaxy shoes are a very comfortable high-end option, and they're easy to adjust on the fly .

What makes them comfortable? Well, for a start there's what Northwave call the Adaptafit design. Rather than a tongue, you get what's effectively a mesh sock inside that runs the complete width of the shoe, so there are no ridges to cause any pressure points. There's plenty of padding around the ankle and heel too, as well as underneath the closure arrangement.

The upper is made from thin, lightweight microfibre with big mesh panels to provide loads of ventilation, especially in the forefoot. They're very effective at keeping your feet cool and they don't add any stretch to the uppers. There are a couple of vents in the sole too, so if you tend to get hot feet on summer rides, it's worth checking these shoes out.

Two Velcro straps and a dial take care of closure. The higher Velcro strap is offset to the outside of the shoe 'to follow the anatomy of the foot and reduce the pressure on the side area, because it's particularly sensitive'. I can't say that I noticed any difference from the norm here, the straps doing their job just fine, although I found both a little longer than they needed to be and would possibly cut them down.

The top strap uses Northwave's new SLW2 closure system, an evolution of the original SLW (Speed Lace Winch) design, you won't be surprised to learn. The dial is now thinner and more lightweight than before with a soft, grippy material around the edge, and the cable is thinner too. Tightening is simply a matter of turning the clicky dial while you have two options when it comes to loosening: either press the side button for micro-adjustment, or lift that side button and pull on the cable to open the shoe completely.

The microfibre section of the top strap is really just a cushioning channel for the cable to run through. It always stays central because it's attached to the middle of that 'mesh sock'. I found that you have to be careful when tightening the cable if you want the strap to sit completely flat, but it's a good system that's easy to finetune one handed from the saddle.

A solid heel counter holds the back of your foot in place securely while a cat's tongue fabric inside helps avoid heel lift. I found everything very stable back there. There's a reflective logo on the heel that's hardly noticeable in daylight, but it shines out brightly in car headlights.

The carbon-fibre sole is fairly low profile and very stiff –which is the case with most higher end shoes these days. I couldn't discern any flex or twist at all even when doing my best power moves! Bumpers front and rear protect the sole and add some grip although only the rear one is replaceable. As mentioned, little mesh vents in the midfoot add some cooling. The sole is moulded for three-bolt cleats and you can use Northwave's adapter system if you want to run Speedplays.

I found the Galaxy shoes to be true to size although with a little more room in the fairly round toebox than many rivals. If you need a bit of extra width across the forefoot and toes, these might be worth a go.

At 697g the pair (in a size 46), these are lightweight rather than superlight. If you want to save the grams, Northwave's Extreme Tech shoes are considerably lighter. 

In terms of price, £200+ is clearly a lot to spend on bike shoes, but this is about the going rate for something of this level, made from materials of this quality, and with this level of comfort. Shop around and you can find them for less than list price, but that goes for other high end shoes too.

Verdict

Airy, stiff-soled and very comfy shoes that are easy to adjust on the fly