Are all overshoes useless??

rodgers73

Reading the reviews on Wiggle they all seem to either leak or shred straight away. I'm quite wary of spending £20-30 on something that's a total waste of money!

unixnerd

I have a set of Planet X overshoes with a velcro fastening. Used them on and off road and love them to bits. Had them about 18 months.

Keep my feet warm well below freezing. In very, very wet conditions (torrential rain and ploughing through lots of deep puddles) they sometimes feel mildly damp inside at the toes but I never get wet feet.

flyingbanana

I'm on my 3rd pair of overshoes.

Pair 1 - Nike neoprene bought whilst at uni. Kept feet warm. Useless when even slightly damp. Fell apart around the front and the holes for the cleat and heal. No reinforcing whatsoever. 2/10

Pair 2 - Dhb ones. look horrible. fitted horrible. Kept the rain out but there was no stretch in the material so it all just ran down my legs and into the gaping holes around the ankle. Apparently reinforced toes and sole fell rapidly apart. Fabric ripped when taking them on/off as there was no stretch. No thickness in the material so provided no warmth. 0/10

Pair 3 - BBB Aquashield. Look nice. Fit nice. Keep the feet warm. Keep the rain out the top and the bottom. Neoprene material began to fall apart on first use (c. 6 mile commute ride) where there was a slight rubbing on the crank. Cleats repositioned to give more room and hiking / tenting patches applied to the damaged areas (in black, v. discrete) to see if that solves the problem. Not had a chance to try out in anger since the patches applied. 8/10 for practicality. 1/10 for durability of the material - they are a road shoe fit so should be designed with the shoe being close to the crank in mind, particularly as the fabric is 3~4mm thick and should have a chafe strip where it is likely to contact the crank.

I think something cheap and disposable, akin to a condom, would be both useful and practical. Most of the time I can't be jiggered with the hassle and just accept wet feet. When it starts to get proper cold I might change my mind.

greg66_tri_v2.0

+1 to the Planet X ones. Cheap, and they work.

dav1

Cant fault my endura MT500s. In 1 year of use I have had wet feet once when the road flooded and my feet wound up taking a dip.

DiabloJoe

One thing i have found from speaking to the commuters at work, the ones who complain about overshoes leaking usually don't have mudguards. So they get excessive water on there legs to dribble over the top when there turning corners.

Agent57

I've had a couple of pairs of Endura ones, and been very happy with them. They keep my feet toasty and dry. The heels and toes can wear out quite quickly if you walk around in them a lot, especially on rough surfaces (e.g. pavements, asphalt). I just bought a 3rd pair that are large enough to go over my MTB (commuting) shoes, but haven't had to use them yet.

singlespeedexplosif

Big thumbs up for both Planet X and Endura. Never a problem here.

spasypaddy

i gave up with overshoes last winter and got winter boots. much much better

gs3

Endura MT500's used for two years now both on and off road with no complaints at all. I've managed to keep them in really good condition by remembering to remove them when I reach my destination in town. They've always kept my feet warm even when the odd dunking has soaked them through (off-road).

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Crapaud

+1 for Endura. I've had mine for ~6 years now and they're still working fine even if they're getting a bit tatty. In winter I use them in conjunction with a pair of Seal Skinz waterproof socks. I've also got mudguards.

Canny Jock

I've found overshoes work fine if you have something to cover the top of them, tights or trousers. The main problem with them is water getting in the top.

captain_chaos

For me last year - Aldi overshoes + skull cap - £6.99 for both

Overshoes worked ok and just about made it through the winter before the zips failed. They're about 1/3 price of most other makes. Can't fault them.

Got another pair for this winter a few weeks ago. Got the next size up so not quite so tight on the shoes - might last a little longer.

Kept my feet dry and warm enough except in the worst weather.

greg66_tri_v2.0

DiabloJoe wrote:

One thing i have found from speaking to the commuters at work, the ones who complain about overshoes leaking usually don't have mudguards. So they get excessive water on there legs to dribble over the top when there turning corners.

Not me. No 'guards, and PX overshoes work a treat.

They are pretty thick neoprene. At the beginning of last year I bought some thin ones (can't recall the brand now) which I thought i'd be better using on wet days which weren't also cold days.

They were shite. They'd have been more waterproof if they had been made of towelling.

cjcp

Greg66 wrote:

DiabloJoe wrote:

One thing i have found from speaking to the commuters at work, the ones who complain about overshoes leaking usually don't have mudguards. So they get excessive water on there legs to dribble over the top when there turning corners.

Not me. No 'guards, and PX overshoes work a treat.

They are pretty thick neoprene. At the beginning of last year I bought some thin ones (can't recall the brand now) which I thought i'd be better using on wet days which weren't also cold days.

They were shite. They'd have been more waterproof if they had been made of towelling.

I'd completely forgotten about the PX overshoes, despite owning a pair, because I didn't think they sold them anymore after checking last winter. Looks like GB Cycles do them.

+1 for the PX overshoes. The section under the toes on the right foot eventually wore out after two years, but it's possible to bind this back together with a safety pin. If you give in to any pikey tendencies every now and again, like me.

Butterd2

Canny Jock wrote:

I've found overshoes work fine if you have something to cover the top of them, tights or trousers. The main problem with them is water getting in the top.

+1, only benefit is that with overshoes my feet are warm and wet rather than cold and wet.

sc999cs

-1 to the Endura.

Numerous reports of faulty zips at the back and / or the velcro tabs breaking off. If one fails they can still be worn but when both fail the shoes are only fit for the bin.

Soles tear in no time, mine (2 pairs) were used only to walk around 10 metres from the bike sheds at work to my office across tarmac, and ended up as rags within a few weeks.

They might be good for using on an MTB when riding off road, but if you have to walk at all on your commute then they really do not last. Surprising as everything else Endura makes is generally really good quality.

Stevo_666

Canny Jock wrote:

I've found overshoes work fine if you have something to cover the top of them, tights or trousers. The main problem with them is water getting in the top.

+1

Got a pair of Endura overshoes and they probably saved my feet from dropping off on several occasions earlier this year. As said above, make sure water can't get in the top of them.

SimonAH

I've a pair of cheapies off t'bay (I'll dig up the name if anyone's interested). They're neoprene and Velcro and work a treat (entering 2nd year good as new). I do wear them swapped over left and right to make them easier to fasten though!

No point without overtrews though 'cos water would just run down them otherwise. I ride with street shoes and straps and they keep my feet completely dry.

salsajake

2 pairs of enduras, zips failed on both, both sent back, can't be bothered now, just get wet/cold feet! I would go for decent thickness neoprene and velcro attachment rather than zips

cjcp

salsajake wrote:

2 pairs of enduras, zips failed on both, both sent back, can't be bothered now, just get wet/cold feet! I would go for decent thickness neoprene and velcro attachment rather than zips

Spot on.

Bassjunkieuk

May have to give GB Cycles a visits (cheers CJCP!) as my dhb have worn really badly on the bottom. Seem to remember they kept me "fairly" dry but I think I'd literally have to remove them once off the bike to walk......

CXXC

Pro H2O, have served me well since Oct'09 and still going strong