Fizik Terra Nanuq GTX shoe review

The Fizik Terra Nanuq GTX shoes are insulated, have a waterproof Gore-Tex membrane, a single BOA® Fit System, cold-stopping fleece lining, and an aggressive Vibram sole for off-road adventures.

• Brand: Fizik
• Product: Terra Nanuq X2 GTXF
• From: Extra UK
• Price: £289.99
• Tested: by Amanda for 3 months

Pros

• Easy to get on and off regardless of how cold your hands are/wet the shoes are
• Impenetrable by the cold, wind, puddles, snow
• Generous toe box without feeling bulky on the outside

Cons

• The zippered ankle cuff is a tad baggy on me, I’ve had mud/stones come in
• BOA cables don’t like to slacken off sometimes, they would benefit from a two-way BOA
• ‘How much?!’

Having tested the Fizik Terra Artica GTX shoes last winter, I was pleased to get my hands on a pair of the new Fizik Terra Nanuq GTX as they appear to have ‘fixed’ all the niggles I had with the Artica. My main complaints were that the ankle strap was too short, and there were far too many perforations in the shoe which had a negative impact on the weatherproofing. In contrast, the Terra Nanuq is a Gore-Tex vault that successfully protects the fleecy inner liner from pretty much any weather.

The shoes feature a Vibram sole with a chunky tread, Gore-Tex membrane, BOA dial and a zip fastening ankle cuff and a fleecy lining. They are entirely waterproof.

Sizing

I am wearing EUR 41, UK 7 ¼. For reference, I wear the following sizes in other brands:

• Adidas/FiveTen EUR 41 ⅓, UK 7.5
• Ride Concept EUR 40, UK 7
• Specialized EUR 41, UK7
• Bontrager EUR 41.5, UK 7.5
• Salomon EUR 41 ⅓, UK 7.5
• Merrell EUR 41.5, UK 7.5
• HOKA EUR 41 ⅓, UK 7.5

The Nanuq are truer to size than other shoes in the Fizik range. I found the Artica to be a very close fit, yet I can wear much thicker socks with the Nanuq.

In Use

There’s a decent range of cleat placement and the tread doesn’t come too close into the channel, so I haven’t had to faff with spacers when using my Hope or Shimano pedals. The tread is quite an aggressive Vibram rubber that feels grippy to the touch and offers great traction when walking whilst not being uncomfortably stiff. The stiffness is rated at 3 out of a possible 12 which tells you how comfortable these are to walk in and makes them a great off-road shoe for any potential hike-a-bike or pushing up trails.

The ankle cuff has a small zip that I’m on the fence about. I do wonder if a tighter and more elasticated cuff would have been a better solution – it would create a more secure fit and remove the potential for water to come in via the zip. This could make them quite hard to get on and off though, so maybe the zip was a compromise. Regardless of my feelings about the zip, getting these shoes on and off isn’t hard work, which given the stiff upper materials is quite impressive. The ankle cuff is slightly loose on me which has resulted in small stones and chunks of mud entering the shoe, but throughout the entire test period this has happened a handful of times.

The big selling point for the Fizik Terra Nanuq GTX is the weatherproofing. Fizik have successfully created a shoe that can stand up to hours and hours of minus temperatures. I’ve experienced an 8km road descent in -6deg (Cragg Vale, Calderdale) with strong winds and my toes remained toasty. I’ve walked around in the snow, trampled through bogs and puddles, ridden in sideways rain, and the only part of my body that hasn’t been a concern is my feet. The only time water has entered these shoes is through the top, and if companies made women’s trousers long enough to reach their ankles I doubt this would happen as often.

Overall

Winter comfort comes at a high price, and these shoes are top-end in both price and comfort. If you struggle with cold feet, the Fizik Tera Nanuk GTX might be the shoe you’ve been waiting for. Gear designed for extreme conditions can be bulky, clumsy and sometimes lacking on other performance specs if the main focus is on keeping the cold out, however the Fizik Terra Nanuq GTX shoes show no sacrifice on comfort (on and off the bike) or performance, whilst being consistently reliable in all the weather recent storms have thrown at the UK. They are not cheap, but I’d say they’re a good investment if you can’t avoid going out in extreme conditions.

Review Info

Brand:	Fizik
Product:	Terra Nanuq X2 GTX
From:	Extra UK
Price:	£289.99
Tested:	by Amanda for 3 months

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