Review: Etnies Number Mid

I've spent a good 2 months, trying to wrap my head around what kind of shoes I would get for mountain biking. There are VERY few companies who make shoes marketed specifically towards mountain bikers that use flat pedals. Of the ones that do exist, they always gave me the impression that the upper was overly built to the point where they'd turn your feet into a sweaty mess.

Suddenly it hit me. I should be looking to see what's geared towards the BMX crowd as surely they are looking for similar features. That's when I discovered the Etnies Number Mid. The next day I went to my local skate shop and found the exact pair I was looking for; the green ones. Yes, it had to be the green ones. They were the ones that were going to make me feel 14 again, bringing me to ride in skinny jeans, which I'll leave to you to argue if that's a good thing or not.

To get to the point, these are by far the most comfortable shoes I have ever owned. My feet tend to get way too hot very quickly. With these, my feet always feel like they are the right temperature. This makes me very happy indeed, as nothing will get me more vexed than a screaming, inflamed pair of stinky feet.

The other thing I noticed is just how cushioned the sole is. While riding at a skatepark one day, I had to bail from a jump and land hard on my feet onto concrete. I was impressed with how well these shoes absorbed the impact. I'm certain that with any other shoe, I would have woken up with a bruised heel the next day.

An important feature every bike rider looks for, who sports the flat pedals, is the grip. Not grippy enough and your feet are unexpectedly thrown from the security of your pedal. Too grippy and trying to slide your foot from the pedal to prevent an awful outcome becomes challenging and also makes it difficult to move your foot to make slight adjustments. Thankfully I have to say that the herringbone grip on the Etnies Number Mid is ideal; my foot stays and disengages when I want. Wet or dry, it doesn't matter. On top of having just the right amount of grasp, the sole seems to withstand any sort of tearing which has plagued many of my previous skate style shoes used for biking.

The bonus? These shoes costed less than any of the mountain bike specific shoes. Although I must say, I wasn't impressed that I paid $15 more in Canadian dollars than the American MSRP. Come one, our dollar is damn strong, now.

The only negative thing I can say about these shoes, is that they are not waterproof. However, in retrospect, I have failed to come across a bike shoe that can deflect water. I find this surprising, considering the amount of riders in the world that spend 60-70% of their riding in the rain. Those that ride in the Pacific Northwest or the UK, for example. Not that I've actually been to the UK, but I've listened to enough people from there jabber on about "how damn wet it is" all the time.

I can easily say that the Etnies Number Mid is the perfect amalgamation of style, function and price. It was the first shoe that I looked at, which blended everything into one really great shoe; I didn't have to give up on one feature for another. This shoe just gets it right.

Now I just have to push my riding to warrant such a fun green coloured blur on my feet!

Website: Etnies Number Mid
MSRP: $84.99 USD
Available In: 6 different colour ways, sizes 5-14 including half sizes.