Northwave Mistral White Road Shoes

The Northwave Mistral shoe has been designed around getting as much air in as possible, favoured by athletes in summer stage races apparently, or for indoor training use. I don't actually find them any cooler than the huge number of other road shoes in my collection, but I'll give the Mistrals this, they are very comfortable and offer plenty of stiffness.

The Mistrals have a stiffness index of 12, which doesn't mean much on its own – many brands quote their own stiffness levels, but it is by no means an industry standard. To give it some context, Northwave's goes up to 15 – that's found on its top-end performance shoes like the Extreme Pro, and believe me it's stiff!

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The Mistrals aren't as outright stiff, but they're hardly what you'd call flexible. Full-on efforts don't feel spongy, but they don't transfer road buzz like those Extreme Pros do. If you're not competing and going for the final sprint, the Mistrals won't let you down.

The sole is carbon fibre, and you get an insert (which is very thin) added to the cleat area to increase stiffness (and to look cool).

Speaking of cleats, the Mistrals have the usual three-bolt pattern for the majority of road cleats but also come with holes specific to Speedplay's four-bolt system. This does away with the need for the adaptor that would usually fit between the metal cleat and the sole, keeping your foot closer to the pedal and the stack height low.

There are plenty of markings for alignment too.

The synthetic upper is soft and moulds well to the foot. Laces on road shoes have been superseded by Velcro, ratchets and Boa-style systems, but still have their place. True, you can't tweak how tight they are as easily while riding, but they do give an even pressure, and I think they look cool too.

To stop them getting sucked into the chain or wrapped around the cranks, Northwave has included an elasticated strap on the tongue to keep them out of harm's way.

Ventilation is taken care of by the large hexagonal mesh section that runs from the front to the back of each shoe, and over the tongue. Over the test period I had a couple of rides where the thermometer was nudging the high teens, but most of the time it's been in the single figures. Wearing normal cycling socks, I could feel the cold air funnelling through – good for summer use, but for cooler times you'll definitely need to invest in some thicker socks or overshoes.

When it comes to sizing, these are an EUR 45 which Northwave has down as a UK 11. I'm a UK 10 in my normal everyday shoes and the various running shoes that I own. Like running shoes, cycling shoes don't need a whole lot of room for your foot to move around in, so I'd definitely say err on the slightly larger side if you are buying online.

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The overall quality is good. The join between the sole and the upper is neat, although the solid layer of the upper is obviously laid over the mesh fabric and on this review pair there are a couple of little wrinkles and imperfections. I may be being a little harsh here, but this is a pair of shoes costing just under £150.

With an rrp of £144.99 they are a touch more pricey than the Rivelo Penbarras, but you are getting a carbon sole rather than the nylon of the Rivelos.

The Northwaves are also cheaper than the lace-up Rapha Classic shoes at £180.

If the white is a bit bling for you (they are really easy to wipe clean), the Mistrals are also available in a gloss black finish, and if you'd prefer a Boa-style system using Northwave's SLW2 dials rather than laces, you could go for the Mistral Plus for £179.99.

But if you're keen on lace-ups, the Mistral is a good stiff road shoe with a comfortable and supple upper that contours to the shape of your foot.

Verdict

Well-vented summer road shoes with a good balance of stiffness and comfort – just check the sizing