Northwave Hammer Plus review: Flexible gravel shoes for all-day comfort

Non-carbon fibre-soled cycling shoes can be seen as something of a backward step or even a downgrade at times. I know I've been guilty of thinking this in the past. Once the 'upgrade' to a carbon-soled shoe has been made, why would you need a nylon or rubbed-soled shoe?

I've been testing the Northwave Hammer Plus shoes this summer. They don't have a carbon sole but I've been really impressed with the comfort they've provided both on and off the bike. 

Although Northwave says it has borrowed from its MTB XC heritage to produce a shoe that will appeal to gravel riders looking for all-day comfort, the Hammer Plus sits in both the MTB and Gravel sections of the Northwave website and I think this is apt. These are off-road shoes that you could use for mountain bike, gravel, commuting or anything else you want to. 

The shoes are priced at a competitive £121.49 / $149.99 / €134.99 and are available in four colour options. They use a single velcro strap and Northwave's own SLW3 dial for closure and will accept two-bolt pedal cleats. 

If you want to read about more gravel shoe options, head to our best gravel shoes buyers guide. 

Design and aesthetics 

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A key design feature of the Hammer Plus is what Northwave calls the 'Jaws Evo' outsole. The sole is designed to be flexible and offer solid comfort and walking performance without sacrificing pedalling efficiency or feeling on the bike.

The toe box area of the shoe flexes easily, in the same way a walking shoe or boot might, and you can see a change in the rubber on the sole itself in this area. It's certainly far less rigid than race-orientated carbon MTB or XC shoes. The sole features a chunky rubber tread and two replaceable metal studs in the toe area. The rubber has some give to the touch but has proven to be tough in my testing. 

The only seam on the perforated, grippy-feeling upper of the shoe is on the heel which keeps things neat. A protective and tough TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) layer runs around the bottom of the shoe and in particular, protects the toe area and heel from rubbing or scuffs. 

A small velcro strap and single dial closure take care of tightening. The dial-in question is the SLW3 dial, the same that can be found on the range-topping Veloce Extreme road shoe used by Filippo Ganna. The dial tightens things down nicely, you then lift the small tab and rotate the dial clockwise to release tension. It takes a little getting used to, but is fast once you're familiar. The velcro closure tab feels a bit redundant and the dial is doing most of the work. I don't think I've adjusted it much since I started testing the shoes if I'm honest.

Branding-wise, Northwave has kept things pretty subtle. 'Northwave' is printed onto the velcro strap, and there's a large 'NW' on the outer heel. Hammer Plus is printed on the inside ankle and that's it. I tested the white version which is actually a sort of light grey in person. It isn't too bright and there's enough black on the shoe to balance things and give an off-road aesthetic I think. If it's not for you, there's a plain black option as well as a green and dark silver with yellow detailing. 

The shoe's ankle and tongue have a nice amount of padding and there are zero sharp or rigid edges anywhere on the tongue which is important. The upper section of the heel is fairly malleable which fits their USP. If you're looking for rock-solid heel retention you're probably in need of a different type of shoe. 

Performance 

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I've been testing the Hammer Plus for several months now, they have gotten plenty of use and I've worn them whilst testing the Canyon Grizl:ON e-bike, SRAM Red AXS XPLR, and even in Spain for the launch of the Ridley Grifn RS. 

If someone asked me about the shoes, the first thing I would mention is comfort. They are a really comfortable pair of shoes. The flexible sole and one-piece flexible outer create a shoe that really is very comfortable to walk in. There is a good amount of flex in the toe area as your foot flexes and if you're used to rigid off-road shoes it makes for a refreshing change. This comfort extends inside the shoe, just in front of the SLW3 closure dial is a different, softer fabric that creates a cosy feeling, something I've noticed on a few pairs of Northwave shoes. 

Walking around in the shoe really feels great, the flex at the toe box is noticeable and the grippy rubber is a nice pairing for this flex. I preferred to remove the metal toe studs after a while, they feel slightly at odds with the flex and I feel removing them boosts comfort and feel further. 

But all this talk of comfort and flex doesn't mean they underperform elsewhere. Inf fact, I feel a real strength of the shoe is the balance between comfort and on-bike performance. I'd be the first to complain if they felt soft and mushy on the bike, but they don't. I've ridden hard in the Hammer Plus, on the road and off it and not once have I thought 'I need a stiffer shoe' or that I didn't like how things felt. 

You can cinch them down tight if you need to and they still provide good performance and feeling when making any kind of effort. They have reminded me that I probably don't need a super stiff off-road race shoe. This is possibly what a lot of us look to at times when eyeing up new shoes at a certain budget. There are stiffer and more rigid shoes on the market if that's what you want, but I'd have no qualms about riding a cyclocross or gravel race in them. If anything, it would be nice knowing my feet were going to be comfortable. 

Racing aside, lots of riders enjoy social gravel riding, myself included. I've spent plenty of summer evenings mucking about on gravel bikes with my friends this year and the Hammer Plus have been perfect when carrying my bike, or walking around when stopping at a pub or for food. Jumping over a barbed wire fence on a ride recently tested the shoes' durability, and as the wire scraped down the side of one when I got a bit too close, the upper material dealt with it well though and didn't tear.

Living with the shoes has been easy and apart from getting them dirty and the wire scrape incident, they are still in excellent condition. The uppers are hardy and seem tough and the rubber heel and toe tab that extend up from the sole have done their job well. 

Cleaning the shoes is easily done. The uppers wipe clean very easily with wet wipes or bike wash sprays and a cloth. I haven't needed to do more aggressive scrubbing to get them looking good again. Of course, heading into a British winter may change this when - not if - they get covered in mud. 

Northwave does offer the black version of the shoes in a wide fit option, good news for riders looking at the best cycling shoes for wide feet. Our feet are all different and mine are on the narrow side. The shoes aren't super narrow though, they have a reasonable amount of volume but the toe box does taper slightly at the toes. 

A slightly rounder, more open-toe box I think would take the comfort to another level. On a hot day after several hours of riding, I was more aware of my toe position in the shoes. 

On the topic of heat, the Hammer Plus are a touch on the warm side in the heat for my money, so bear this in mind if you live somewhere hot or suffer in hot temperatures. 

Verdict 

The Hammer Plus have impressed me this summer and made me think about what I want in an off-road all-around riding shoe. 

I like the styling of the shoes and the design is functional and well executed. Comfort as mentioned is excellent and I think for the price, the Hammer Plus are a good value buy for all kinds of off-road riding that should last a long time.