Chain Nova 2 Nylon shoe

New to the UK Chain cycling shoes are made in Italy by a company that have over the last 20 years been creating shoes for the likes of Sidi, Gaerne and Fizik. The Nova 2 is part of a range of five road specific models, well we say five but it could be counted as ten due to every shoe coming with a choice of either a carbon reinforced nylon or a carbon sole.

The man made uppers are well ventilated with mesh sections behind the reinforced toe box and along the sides while more can be found at the heel cup. The sole also has a vent channel running from the ball of the foot to underneath the bridge in a bid to keep cool air flowing across the insole. A toe cover or overshoe is going need to be worn if you wear them outside of spring or summer as things can get a bit chilly especially at speed.

A molded reinforced heel support is added to the outer keeping things from twisting under load. Coupled with two Velcro straps and a ratchet system this heel cup creates a very secure yet comfortable fit. The ratchet provides plenty of adjustment to get the fit right for the type of riding you happen to be doing.

Your feet are kept in place with a padded heel section while underfoot is a foam insole providing enough cushion to keep things comfortable without damping out the sensation of immediacy from the power you're trying to lay down.

All the 2011 'in' sheo colours are catered for, as well as the silver tested there is a white and a shiny black version. The sole is drilled with the three hole configuration used by Shimano, Speedplay, Look etc. A stack height of around 9mm, while not as low as some, keeps your foot pretty close to the pedal face, but while the carbon reinforced nylon sole is reasonably stiff you can notice a bit of flex when under hard acceleration or climbing compared to a carbon sole, this can produce a few hotspots as well.

Verdict

The price is at the top end for a shoe with this level of features and a nylon sole. The Nova 2 looks good as well keeping up with the bling levels of most shoes today and along with the fit should provide many miles of trouble free riding. The ratchet system does feel a touch fragile but no matter how hard I cranked up the tension nothing broke, spares are availiable on Chain's website at least. Comfort is good with the sole producing just enough flex to stay on the good side of harsh, if you are going to be doing a lot of sprinting though go for the carbon model. All in all a good quality, well designed shoe but just lacking that little bit of something to match performance with the looks.