Inside Northwave Shoes
While Northwave may not be a name too familiar to those of us who follow the gravity side of mountain biking, yet on the lycra side of things they are something of a legendary brand. Having launched their first mountain bike shoes in 1993, they were one of the first brands to inject some colour into proceedings and their footwear has been ubiquitous at the sharp end of international XC racing since. Soon after an apparel line followed and their style pretty much defined the "Euro" look for much of the 90s and 00s. Recently they have begun to turn their attention to the less lycra-clad side of things, and we were impressed with their forthcoming Enduro Mid shoe that they developed in partnership with Cedric Gracia. We took a look inside their headquarters near Asolo, Italy, to understand the craftsmanship that goes into these technology-packed shoes.
While their focus was always XC and road, that doesn't mean they haven't had the occasionally dabble in the gravity side of things over the years - Missy Giove ran Northwave while she was on the Cannondale team. The advert translates to "shoes of fable."
One unique thing that Northwave do is offer customers the chance to buy fully customised kit, so they can pick from a number of garments, then fully personalise the graphics and colours. This is all done here, in-house in Asolo.
The first step of designing a new model begins with the raw sketch, the design team then add styling to the layout.
Northwave have a unique foot form they base all their shoes on, this is then wrapped in art tape and the layout of the shoe is then hand-drawn onto the surface. This basic outline is defined by the elements that the shoe will need to have - like closures and protection.
The details from the template are then digitally traced to be uploaded into the CAD software.
One thing that Northwave are incredibly proud of is their technology - they design and develop all the components that go to make their shoes. For instance, the closure system is proprietary to Northwave - designed in-house it is markedly different from other closure systems on the market. One detail they like to draw attention to is the thread that actually closes the shoes - it is a very specific material that is both incredibly light, flexible and strong. This is actually their older system the SLW, on their newer shoes they have the SLW2 which now has a more user-friendly release system that uses a single button to tension and release the closure.
All of Northwave's prototypes are produced here in Asolo (as well as their custom shoes for athletes). The CAD drawings of the design are loaded onto the laser cutter - laying out the elements is like a jigsaw puzzle, the operator needs to arrange them on the material in the most efficient way possible, then the laser works its magic to quickly create the precise, complex shapes.
The freshly cut elements are then hand-sewn together to form the shoe's upper.
The soles are sculpted by Franco here in his secluded corner of the building.
Developing the sole and tread pattern is real artisan work, with everything crafted meticulously from epoxy resin. Every element is made by the same process, even the moulds are made in the same way - they always start with an existing design, then begin refining. The resin is mixed, then placed into the mould, left to cure, then finished with a knife to remove and imperfections.
With the upper and the sole ready, the next step is to join them together. First the upper is heated and pressed around a foot form, the underside is heated and pressed onto the sole, before being sanded ready to take the sole. The sole and the upper are glued together, then machine-pressed together. Finally, the foot form is pushed open so it can be removed, and you have the finished shoe.
MENTIONS: @northwavecycling
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dv65 0.051266
I love them.
(Bringing out the oldies!)
The article states this is where the custom shoes are made.
But the article does not state where all the rest are made.
Where are all the rest made?
Great adverts in the 90's as well, any body remember the Mario Cipollini Musketeer one?