Our discovery of products dedicated to winter continues. After testing the xMagma core, we are still at Northwave, focusing our attention on a product dedicated to an audience that has its natural home in all mountain and enduro.
The Kingrock gtx combines many technical characteristics making it a reliable and protective product in the most extreme situations.
The technology
The outer membrane is made with koala Gore-tex, in order to ensure maximum protection from atmospheric agents. Combined with excellent breathability, the entire structure is built in heat-sealed layers to increase protection while reducing overall weight. The toe and heel areas have a TPU coating, which ensures greater impact protection. Insulation from bad weather is also ensured by the easyfit collar, which wraps around the ankle in a very elastic way.
Double closure, with a velcro at the neck and the SLW3 device which distributes the tightening well on the front.
Finally the sole, is the Wolftrax by Vibram, with a structure capable of ensuring maximum grip in all conditions



The test
The days in which I tried this shoe were intense, especially for the weather. Cold and snow were the constants that accompanied me. Unlike the Magma core, the Kingrock has a more massive structure, designed to withstand even long portages and conditions more suited to all mountain use. However, a common thread remains with other winter footwear; the easy fit collar, which thanks to its elasticity ensures excellent protection without sacrificing pedaling freedom, an important element also in this Kingrock.

The combination of Velcro and SLW closure is very good, which ensure maximum precision. The Gore-tex membrane ensures insulation even when you are forced to push the bike in the snow and the Vibram sole has a design that gives you safety both when you have to push and when you have to go feet downhill. In fact, it must be remembered that the scope of use of this footwear also embraces enduro, so when you need to view a passage, having a shoe that guarantees you a secure grip can be a much appreciated plus.
The ride
One quality that I have found in almost all Northwave footwear is the sole stiffness. Even shoes intended for all-mountain use maintain this feature, an element that gives excellent results when pedalling. The massive structure stands out and in terms of weight it goes up a bit. The easy fit ankle brace, also present on this model, guarantees protection while leaving excellent ankle mobility, a feature that gives optimal pedaling roundness. The double Velcro closure plus SLX3 completely wraps the foot, resulting in a firm fit even in the traction phases. The only note to highlight concerns the moments when you don't pedal; the Velcro band seemed a bit high to me, which made it a bit annoying in situations where you kneel or in the more technical sections of portage.
Downhill driving
This shoe was born as an All Mountain shoe, so it is also important to judge its downhill behavior, where the sensitivity of the foot is becoming increasingly important in order to best ride your MTB. The mobility of the ankle and the sensitivity that is transmitted to the sole of the foot are two important elements, which can allow the biker to absorb bumps better, to move more precisely even in the roughest sections, thus being able to have a more active and a greater freedom of lateral movement of the ankle in the conduction of the curves.
The stiffness of the sole somewhat limits the feedback transmitted by the ground, but the Kingrock manages to position itself well also from this point of view, while the easy fit collar is also able to ensure lateral movements of the ankle, which are important for rotation of the basin in the pipelines
The thermal insulation
The foot stays warm at any temperature. With this shoe there is no extreme condition that can stop us. Humidity, snow and mud are no problem. The insulation is excellent, as is the protection offered by the Gore-tex membrane.
The walk
The stiff sole could suggest a shoe that is difficult to walk. Instead, the design of the Vibram sole allows for a good roundness of step and the tessellation gives sensations of reassuring grip in portage situations in which this shoe must be synonymous with guarantee.
Conclusions
A very good winter shoe. A necessary choice for the agonist who does not stop in front of any condition, but also a good solution for the hiker, whether muscular, electric or flat pedal user.
