The Nucleus GTX Riding shoes from Sidi are a waterproof version of their Nucleus shoe, here is what we had to say about the Nucleus (All will apply to these shoes as well as the only thing different is the price, and the addition of the Gore-tex® waterproof liner).
The Nucleus motorcycle riding shoe from Sidi is an urban/casual style riding shoe designed with on and off the bike comfort in mind. The majority of the shoe (the upper section) is made of a Ripstop material, it features a EVA and Vibram Rubber sole, and has a primary closure that is an asymmetrical lace closure with a webbing lace holder (I love that Sidi adds this feature, a great way to tuck in your tied laces and keep them from getting caught on your bike) for additional comfort the Nucleus shoes also have an inner mesh lining. The Nucleus shoes also feature Fortex technology which is basically Sidi’s shank design that meets CE standards to withstand forces that can happen on a motorcycle while still remaining flexible allowing for a natural movement of the foot and all day comfort. Speaking of CE, these shoes earned a CE 1 1 1 1 rating.
Additional features include shift gear protection, heel and toe reinforcements, stabilized TPU on the heel, reflective inserts on the heel, reflective laces as well as a rear loop pull tab to make it easier to put the shoes on (this is a small detail but and important one, I strongly feel that all riding shoes should have pull tabs, it just makes it easer to get them on). Lastly, the Nucleus shoes feature D3O technology at the ankles to offer ankle protection but this, is my only real complaint with these shoes. Yes the D3O is protective, and yes it with the other safety features combined make an overall protective riding shoe that is leaps and bounds better at protecting you than a regular pair of shoes would be, but I think that it is just too thin. I had a similar issue with Sidi’s ARX line of shoes in that I feel that the D3O is too thin and could have been made both larger and thicker without impacting comfort and flexibility much while greatly increasing protection and safety. As a person that is “safety first” minded when it comes to moto gear I would change that, but other than that I think the shoes are great!
Overall I am a big fan of the design of these shoes, there are three colors to choose from (I am partial to the green ones, they look really good in person), they look good both on and off the bike and can completely pass as casual/non moto shoes. At the time of this writeup they retail for $189.99 which puts them right in line price wise with other shoes in this style/protection level. Overall Sidi is a solid shoe brand and this is a solid design/model, definitely worth checking out if you are looking for this style of a riding shoe. Speaking of this style, if you like this style but need something that is waterproof, check out the Sidi Nucleus GTX, basically the same shoe, but with a waterproof Gore-tex® liner. :: Damir 9/7/24
