Northwave Rockit Plus shoes review

The Rockit Plus shoes promise performance and comfort on the trail

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By Robin Weaver

Published: August 13, 2023 at 9:00 am

Northwave designed the Rockit Plus shoes with versatility in mind – something many brands promise but fail to deliver.

Thanks to the impressive comfort levels, ample cleat adjustment and an impressive blend of flex and stiffness through the sole, Northwave has done a great job in achieving this.

Sure, there’s an element of compromise here, but on the trail, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The Rockit Plus shoes use a Ripstop nylon upper with a PU and TPU coating. This helps to produce a light yet tough shoe that does a decent job of keeping water splashes and rain showers out.

Once soaked, though, they’re unlikely to dry as quickly as some more slender, pared-back trail shoes.

An X-Dial SLW3 ratchet dial takes care of securing the Rockit Plus shoes to your feet. This works similarly to a Boa dial, though doesn’t pop up to release tension. Instead, you need to pull the small, hooked lever to release the shoes from your feet.

It works, but I’d argue it’s not as quick or elegant as the Boa mechanism.

Inside the upper, you’ll find a fair share of padding throughout. While the front, side and tongue padding is relatively thin, things get plusher around the stiffened ankle cuff.

Northwave has included a wraparound toe bumper at the front of the shoe, though it’s still quite flexy and doesn’t appear to offer the same level of protection as some.

An EVA foam midsole is designed to add a little more cushioning to proceedings, while the Vibram outsole is there to provide traction off the bike or when riding with your feet unclipped. The toe and heel tread blocks are quite prominent in a bid to boost grip when walking.

There’s plenty of room around the cleats once bolted in place in the recessed cleat pockets to allow for mud build-up. This doesn’t hamper the ability to get in or out of your pedals.

Considering the chunky sole and padded upper, the 748g weight (size EU 42 with Crankbrothers cleats fitted) is impressive.

Because the surface of the cleat pockets is very smooth, fitting cleats to the Rockit Plus shoes can get a little fiddly. I found my Crankbrothers cleats (which were sat on top of plastic spacers) shifting ever so slightly as I torqued up the bolts.

This meant getting them set up precisely where I wanted them was trickier than expected. I got there after some persistence, though.

That aside, slipping your feet into the Rockit Plus shoes is an absolute pleasure. The soft, subtly padded upper is very comfy, yet sturdy enough to feel supportive.

I also got on well with the neutral footbed. I found it very comfortable on longer rides, avoiding any pressure points and aches through the mid-foot, as some shoes with more arch support can cause.

The X-Dial has its work cut out when it comes to getting the Rockit Plus shoes securely locked onto your feet. With just the one dial per shoe, there’s a lot of volume to gather in, and I had to really crank it up to get them feeling tight on my feet.

Even then, when pulling up during the upward pedal stroke, you can feel your feet lift within the shoes. This is far from a deal-breaker, but does underline the fact that the Rockit Plus shoes sit at the other end of the spectrum from the stiffer-soled, super-efficient trail shoes they may be compared with.

That said, there’s still a decent amount of stiffness through the sole, meaning when you do stamp down on the pedals, you don’t feel power is being lost as your shoe flexes around the pedal.

Sure, there’s a bit of flex, but less than you might think, especially considering how comfortable and natural the Rockit Plus shoes feel to walk in.

Even paired with smaller XC-style mountain bike pedals, I found them to be stiff enough to avoid any aches or discomfort when stood up out of the saddle and really hammering the pedals.

But if you’re looking to venture into more rugged terrain on a longer-travel bike, the Rockit Plus won’t feel out of place.

There’s enough feedback through the shoe to ensure you always feel connected to the terrain. Plus there’s enough space on the cleat slots to get them slammed right back towards the middle of your foot for maximum control and avoid riding on the balls of your feet, which can feel tiring on long descents.

On first appearances, a svelte-looking shoe such as the Fizik Terra Atlas might appear to be a better high-mileage option. However, appearances can be deceptive.

While the Terra Atlas’s upper is comfortable, the Rockit Plus is more so. It might not be quite as well vented, but I’ll take the overall comfort, even if I have to live with sweatier feet.

Both have a bit of flex through the sole, but there’s less in the Rockit Plus, which feels better when putting down the watts.

Overall, the Rockit Plus shoes offer a little more versatility, too, which considering the price, makes them a better proposition in many ways.

The Rockit Plus shoes from Northwave offer lots of comfort and will work for more than just trail riding, underlining the value of the reasonable price tag.

The comfort, feel and flex through the sole, along with the chunky treads and how well they work off the bike, may well chip away at outright efficiency and performance. However, I think it’s a small trade-off for what’s on offer here.

While not totally perfect, the Rockit Plus shoes are great all-rounders and among the best mountain bike shoes on the market.

We’ve tested nine of the newest and most interesting trail and cross-country focused clipless shoes.

To identify the key differences, we’ve gone out into the wilderness to pedal mile after mile, often with a different shoe on each foot. This may look weird, but there’s no better way to highlight those all-important details.

On top of that, doing long rides around battered trail centre loops and taking part in an XC race has helped us work out each pair’s strengths and weaknesses.

Technical editor-in-chief

Rob Weaver is BikeRadar's technical editor-in-chief. Rob manages all of the testing here at BikeRadar and across our magazines, Mountain Biking UK and Cycling Plus. Rob first graced the pages of MBUK back in 2001 when working as a freelance writer and went on to start testing bikes for the title in 2007. In 2010 he joined the team full-time and has been keeping a close eye on all things test-related ever since. Rob’s expansive knowledge of bikes comes courtesy of his passion for racing. He cut his teeth racing cross-country mountain bikes in the early 90s before finding his feet in downhill. After many years competing on the UK national circuit (including a year attempting to race UCI DH World Cups), Rob realised his know-how and passion for bike setup, tech and writing clearly outweighed his racing ability. A degree in sports technology and decades of riding experience all help to give Rob a thorough understanding of what’s needed to create a great bike or product. While Rob’s a mountain biker at heart and never happier than when he’s sliding down a Welsh hillside, he’s more than happy to put the miles in on the road or gravel bike, too.