Are winter road shoes worth it?

TakeTurns

So today I had the first taster of below 5c temperatures and remembered the grueling weather of last winter.

I wear overshoes over my road shoes, they're not nylon, they're supposed to be 'winter' ones. Windproof and all that. But I still had cold feet.

So my question is, are winter road shoes more beneficial than the road shoe + overshoe combination :?:

inseine

100% yes.

andyrr

Yup from me too - have always just used my normal shoes with overshoes and maybe trying to squeeze in a 2nd pair of thin socks but last winter I got a pair of boots (Diadora Chili) and I have not had any ride where my toes end up painfully cold as would have happened when the temp is under 0.
These have Goretex-type material on the uppers so have some waterproofing too but the main advantage is the warmth. I bought tehm giving sufficient space to totally avoid any restrictions as being too tight is a big reason for coldness too and I love them, wish I'd had simialr years ago. Mine cost under £50 so were well worth it, I wear over shoes on the top also to both add that extra insulation/waterproofing and to keep too much crud off them.

danowat

inseine wrote:

100% yes.

+100%

Overshoes and normal shoes are shite in comparison (IME of course)

unixnerd

5C! Tropical! I had to drive through 2" of snow to get home today!

I find my Planet-X neoprene overshoes with my Shimano road shoes (with Highland weather inspired mesh top!) are OK down to 0C. I find the soles of my feet get cold and rest is OK. Below that I tend to mountain bike due to icy roads and I find the same overshoes with Shimano MTB shoes are a lot warmer.

giant_man

you mean boots, not shoes. Best get them one size too large, coupled with some decent (such as woolie boolies) socks to create 'warm air space', = ultimate warmth

Philinmerthyr

Sounds like they are worth it.

Which ones would you recommend?

amaferanga

I'd say no they're not worth it. Heavy and restrictive and don't add much in the way of warmth compared to regular shoes (perhaps a size bigger than normal) with good socks and good overshoes. Some folk like them, but I've had two pairs (Diadora Chilli Extreme and Northwave Celsius) and hated them both.

paulg99

Northwave Celcius GTX are reduced to £108 at present on CRC.

inseine

I've got the Northwave Fahrenheits and they're great. Admitted I paid less than 100 euros. The problem with summer shoes is that they usually super ventilated and a snug fit so no room for winter socks so you ideally need another pair of shoes anyway, which means you might as well buy boots.

mattshrops

You say you've got winter overshoes -but are they neoprene? These are good down to 0 degrees for me and i wont ride any colder than that.

Philinmerthyr

PaulG99 wrote:

Northwave Celcius GTX are reduced to £108 at present on CRC.

What is CRC? :oops:

rando

Philinmerthyr wrote:

PaulG99 wrote:

Northwave Celcius GTX are reduced to £108 at present on CRC.

What is CRC? :oops:

Chain reaction cycles (shop/website)

Philinmerthyr

Philinmerthyr wrote:

PaulG99 wrote:

Northwave Celcius GTX are reduced to £108 at present on CRC.

What is CRC? :oops:

Worked it out. Chain reaction cycles :oops: 8)