I'm going to put an end to my cold, wet feet once and for all. I think I'd prefer a MTB shoe since I want something with good traction for walking on snow/ice. Here's what I've found:


I found a good thread on winter MTB shoes.

Do you know of any other winter cycling shoes? Where can we try these out in Chicago? Do you own any of these? What do you think?

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skip them all. buy several pairs of good wool socks, some regular season mountain bike shoes if you dont have any, and some very good neoprene shoe covers (expect to spend at least $50 for a good pair). This is a much more versatile setup you can use all year round.
Neo over boots will toast you. they look dorky but you'll have very happy feet
I have really cold feet. Great in the summertime. Not so much the other 11 months of the year. (Lol)
The Sidi's weren't warm enough and too true to regular size thicker socks don't fit.
Had some Gaerne many years ago, they were ok, but not below 35degrees.

Swear by the Lakes; they are waterproof, you have to maintain them with Nikwax. That is to say that out of the box, apply to all surfaces and seams, then gently heat with blow dryer to get the wax into the nooks and crannies. However, no shoe can keep the water from dripping down your leg and into the boot - that is why people say they're not waterproof. But, I've ridden in forty degree soaking rain with wool socks and been amazed to have warm feet.

Plenty of room for thick socks, and the insulation is throughout, not just in the toe. Perhaps that reviewer was describing the neoprene cuff at the top? The toebox is built up and is a bit bulbous. But I prefer warm over fashion!
We have Lake boots to try on (at Turin)
Since I haven't ridden clipless through the winter, I've used leather winter boots and Neos overshoes - they are great, but mine have worn out a couple of times and been replaced (thanks to just making it within the year warranty and getting them at Uncle Dan's).

For clipless, I've heard from friends that the Lake shoe is the warmest, most waterproof available. I have cold feet/toes and I'd try them.
Hello Wild Bill,
Good topic to start talking about, because it's here once again...
Well, I have never owned any of these shoes, so I don't know what to say about them.
I can not agree more with neoprene covers. I had worked as a bike messenger for three winters and the neoprenes were a toe saver indeed. For those crazy cold slushy days, I wore:
a pair of light wool cycling socks on the bare feet, then covered this with a waterproof sock(sometimes kind of pricey--$50, but lasted me almost three winters), then I covered these with a thick wool sock, and finally I would put my Lake spd(clip in style)shoe on. The shoes were $45 and where comfortable to walk in, because of the rubber soles. After all those layers, I would finally pull on my Gatorskin covers. I'm not sure if they still manufacture these, but they still work! I believe I paid about $40 for them. They had a cut out sections in the front (for spds) and the back for your shoe heal. They wrapped over my entire shoe nicely. This combination worked great for those serious, I want to stay in side kind of days. It might seem pricey to gather all of these just to ride your bike in the winter, but when those expensive shoes rip of tear, your out the whole shield. You might not need all of the layers, either, but the covers where great. Even when wet, they kept my feet worm, because they were blocking the wind. Give it a try! Good luck out there.

Adam

E A said:
Since I haven't ridden clipless through the winter, I've used leather winter boots and Neos overshoes - they are great, but mine have worn out a couple of times and been replaced (thanks to just making it within the year warranty and getting them at Uncle Dan's).
For clipless, I've heard from friends that the Lake shoe is the warmest, most waterproof available. I have cold feet/toes and I'd try them.
I have two pair of neoprene socks (performance and stormstock) and love them

just my $.02
No offense, but a shoe that cost $270 and is not waterproof until you apply a waxcoat and then use a blowdryer? It better be goldplated for that kind of money

I wear some ugly-as-hell Land's End insulated winter boots that I got for $65. I made them waterproof with some silicone spray and wear some serious wool socks. I am quite toasty in the winter.

I might replace these shoes next year. I will likely go for an waterproof ankle high boot like this one.

My winter bike does have platform pedals

Anne said:
I have really cold feet. Great in the summertime. Not so much the other 11 months of the year. (Lol)
The Sidi's weren't warm enough and too true to regular size thicker socks don't fit.
Had some Gaerne many years ago, they were ok, but not below 35degrees.

Swear by the Lakes; they are waterproof, you have to maintain them with Nikwax. That is to say that out of the box, apply to all surfaces and seams, then gently heat with blow dryer to get the wax into the nooks and crannies. However, no shoe can keep the water from dripping down your leg and into the boot - that is why people say they're not waterproof. But, I've ridden in forty degree soaking rain with wool socks and been amazed to have warm feet.

Plenty of room for thick socks, and the insulation is throughout, not just in the toe. Perhaps that reviewer was describing the neoprene cuff at the top? The toebox is built up and is a bit bulbous. But I prefer warm over fashion!
We have Lake boots to try on (at Turin)
Platforms and winter boats are the way to go. Especially if the weather dips down around -30 again. I bought a pair of north face boots last year because I was tired of my toes freezing, and they are rated for 40 below. they are toasty!



Duppie said:
No offense, but a shoe that cost $270 and is not waterproof until you apply a waxcoat and then use a blowdryer? It better be goldplated for that kind of money

I wear some ugly-as-hell Land's End insulated winter boots that I got for $65. I made them waterproof with some silicone spray and wear some serious wool socks. I am quite toasty in the winter.

I might replace these shoes next year. I will likely go for an waterproof ankle high boot like this one.

My winter bike does have platform pedals

Anne said:
I have really cold feet. Great in the summertime. Not so much the other 11 months of the year. (Lol)
The Sidi's weren't warm enough and too true to regular size thicker socks don't fit.
Had some Gaerne many years ago, they were ok, but not below 35degrees.

Swear by the Lakes; they are waterproof, you have to maintain them with Nikwax. That is to say that out of the box, apply to all surfaces and seams, then gently heat with blow dryer to get the wax into the nooks and crannies. However, no shoe can keep the water from dripping down your leg and into the boot - that is why people say they're not waterproof. But, I've ridden in forty degree soaking rain with wool socks and been amazed to have warm feet.

Plenty of room for thick socks, and the insulation is throughout, not just in the toe. Perhaps that reviewer was describing the neoprene cuff at the top? The toebox is built up and is a bit bulbous. But I prefer warm over fashion!
We have Lake boots to try on (at Turin)
Anyone tried the brand called Bog. Seems like these would allow for easy pedaling plus keep the road spray off of you, too...
According to their site, they are:
• 100% waterproof & warm
• Comfort rated from +60 degrees to -40 degrees.
• Non-slip non-marking outsoles
I got the Specialized Defrosters recently--they were on sale at Kozy's, so it ended up costing $170 including tax. That makes them the most expensive pair of shoes I've ever bought, but if I get three seasons out of them I will consider it money well spent. It hasn't been too cold yet, but so far I've been very happy with them. A couple of times my feet were a little too warm, which was fine with me because I tend to have cold feet.

The past two winters, I paired my specialized MTB shoes with two pairs of socks, a plastic bag on each foot, Neoprene shoe covers, and on really cold days, heat packs inside the shoes. This whole setup was kind of a pain in the ass, and sometimes all those layers don't fit very comfortably inside a shoe. The shoe covers were a good addition, but they weren't waterproof so if it snowed or rained, they were often still wet when I put them on to go home from work.
leather is not inherently waterproof, and wherever there is stitching there is a hole in the leather. Plug the holes and condition the leather to retain its oils.

Duppie said:
No offense, but a shoe that cost $270 and is not waterproof until you apply a waxcoat and then use a blowdryer? It better be goldplated for that kind of money

I wear some ugly-as-hell Land's End insulated winter boots that I got for $65. I made them waterproof with some silicone spray and wear some serious wool socks. I am quite toasty in the winter.

I might replace these shoes next year. I will likely go for an waterproof ankle high boot like this one.

My winter bike does have platform pedals

Anne said:
I have really cold feet. Great in the summertime. Not so much the other 11 months of the year. (Lol)
The Sidi's weren't warm enough and too true to regular size thicker socks don't fit.
Had some Gaerne many years ago, they were ok, but not below 35degrees.

Swear by the Lakes; they are waterproof, you have to maintain them with Nikwax. That is to say that out of the box, apply to all surfaces and seams, then gently heat with blow dryer to get the wax into the nooks and crannies. However, no shoe can keep the water from dripping down your leg and into the boot - that is why people say they're not waterproof. But, I've ridden in forty degree soaking rain with wool socks and been amazed to have warm feet.

Plenty of room for thick socks, and the insulation is throughout, not just in the toe. Perhaps that reviewer was describing the neoprene cuff at the top? The toebox is built up and is a bit bulbous. But I prefer warm over fashion!
We have Lake boots to try on (at Turin)
More ideas/suggestions at the Icebike site - http://www.icebike.org/Clothing/footwear.htm

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