Posted on August 18, 2022 by Steve Fisher

The 2023 Leatt MTB gear is planned to officially launch in November, but they brought a bunch of pieces to show off at Crankworx Whistler… after also teasing us a bit at Eurobike. We were allowed to shoot some sneak peek shots to give you an idea of what’s coming, but please note this article is pretty light on details, as Leatt requested. Watch Bikerumor for the launch announcement, when we’ll have all the info on the new clothing and gear.

At Crankworx, Leatt treated the journalists to a special edition pair of their Velocity 5.0 goggles! These goggles are not available to the public, but I’ve included them because you might spot some of Leatt’s athletes wearing them, and they feature their newest single-layer MTB lens.

Here are the special edition Velocity 5.0 Goggles Leatt handed out to the media crew at Crankworx. As the title shot shows, the strap bears the signatures of Leatt’s sponsored athletes, and the goggles get some flashy gold accents. There will be four colorways of the Velocity 5.0 goggle available to consumers as part of next year’s collection.

The lens Leatt included is their new single-layer Bronze Iris lens. The biggest news here is really that all Leatt goggles share interchangeable lenses. When we reviewed the Velocity 4.0 MTB goggles that debuted the single-layer, vented lens last year, only a clear vented lens was available – now there will be at least four different shaded & mirror MTB-specific lenses that can be interchanged!

These lenses have a permanent anti-fog coating on the inside, which won’t wear out like other lens coatings can. And of course, they’re bulletproof! Leatt has a lens to display that shows deep depressions, but not holes, from being shot at!

Here’s a pic of Leatt’s 4.5 neck brace for 2023. This new model is easier to open, more adjustable than lesser models to offer a better fit, and it’s foldable for easy storage.

There are also some new light, comfy & ultra-breathable AirFlex kneepads coming that bring the total number of options up to 5, for everything from all-day trail rides to big days in the bikepark. More info soon!

Leatt has now divided their protective outerwear into three categories; 10k, 20k and 30k. These numbers of course refer to the garment’s degree of waterproofing & overall weight, and make it easy for consumers to decide which piece suits their needs. Pictured above is one of the Hydradri Max 30k jackets, which apparently breathes even better than the 20k models, despite being more waterproof and feeling a bit heavier.

Here is one of the upcoming Hydradri Evo 20k jackets. If you don’t need all-out waterproofing, this jacket is a bit lighter than the 30k models and will still fend off a good amount of rain – just with less attention to fully-taped seams everywhere. There’s even a super packable Hydradri 10K that’s superlight to protect you from unexpected cloud bursts.

When the weather’s super bad, nothing keeps out the rain and mud better than a trail-onesie. So Leatt, has sewn together a pair of waterproof pants and jacket, and taped the seams for maximum protection. Leatt will again have a heavyweight 30k and a lighter weight monosuit to suit different degrees of downpour. Although like the jackets, the heavier 30K is also said to be the most breathable.

We’ve been assured that a huge amount of development time has gone into tailoring a relatively few sizes to fit a wide range of riders, with plenty of adjustability to secure it in place while pedaling whether you are short or tall, skinny or more round-shaped.

There even will be a slightly lower-cost junior version of the lighter suit (with a few less taped seams to keep costs down) to keep trail kids protected from foul weather too.

Leatt has already made quite a number of great women’s pieces of gravity and enduro apparel, some cool kit that isn’t even available for men (just ask Cory’s wife!). But in 2023 their women’s line expands across the board, adding new trail lines, too.

Here’s a cool pair of shorts for women; You might notice the waistline looks a lot like the ever-popular yoga pants that are dominating women’s fashion these days. I’ve never worn yoga pants, but that waistline looks pretty comfortable!

Leatt also has a thin, lightweight tank top on the way for women.

Back for those men who like a casual look, Leatt has created a normal looking pair of jeans that were designed to ride well on the bike. This pair was a nice dark grey color, and they include waist adjusters and a small carabiner to clip on keys, etc.

No one likes wet feet, and this pair of Hydradri shoes look like they’ll solve that problem. The inner shoe already has a sock-like liner with a drawstring closure, but they’re then wrapped with a high-cuffed outer layer for ultimate weather protection.

Lurking underneath that new waterproof shoe is also a new sole, with upgraded RideGrip Pro rubber compound that’s 20% softer. Plus, with a new pattern dubbed WaffleGrip Pro, it inverts Leatt’s classic skate-inspired waffle tread pattern for better grip on platform pedals with shorter traction pins.

This shoe is shown to let you know that its MOZ dial will be appearing on more models of Leatt’s five new 2023 shoes. The dial pulls or releases its cable with no need to pull it upwards – one direction tightens, the other loosens.

Steve Fisher is a staff contributor for Bikerumor. Steve has been writing about trail, enduro and downhill mountain biking (plus a few commuter bikes) for seven years. Prior to that, Steve wrote for Whistler Traveller Magazine and Mountain Life Magazine. Steve is based in Pemberton, British Columbia, an area that offers plenty of challenging world-class singletrack and makes for great photos!

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