# Cold Weather Shoe Covers: Recommendations?



## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

I've got an older pair of shoes I'm going to demote to "winter status" - taping up the vents (bottoms in particular) and I'd like to find a good pair of warm shoe covers. 

My Pearl Izumi shoe covers are showing their age. And, I haven't been too impressed with them...
- They're a pain in the ass to stretch over my 48s and get the velcro aligned and secured
- They don't seem terribly effective - I still have to use the Little Hotties (don't Google that) stick-on toe warmers
- They do nothing for the bottom of the shoe - but that may be common to all brands

Any recommendations for covers? 
Thanks!


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

OldZaskar said:


> I still have to use the Little Hotties (don't Google that)


  Too late.




> Any recommendations for covers?


What temps do you intend to ride?

What I've found is peoples ability to tolerate the cold varies quite a bit. No shoe cover works for me when it gets below 32-35°. I use winter shoes. Sometimes with _Little Hotties _too if it's going to be several hours. 
But I ride with other people who just use shoe covers below 32° and they don't have a problem with the cold.


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## OldZaskar (Jul 1, 2009)

Yep. ^That^ is true. It's odd - my toes get cold below 50 degrees, but my hands are fine with light shells and liners down to the teens. I can't use the heavy lobsters - too warm. Maybe it's my disproportionally long legs and big feet - the blood runs out of heat by the time it gets to my ankles.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Agree. People vary in their sensitivity to cold. A common suggestion for those experiencing cold feet/toes is first to ensure that shoes are loose enough so as not to restrict circulation. wearing bulkier socks for more insulation my increase the room needed in the shoe. Two things toe and shoe covers do is block wind and provide some insulation. PI shoe covers I have mainly block wind. Neoprene types provide some nominal insulation. I have some neoprene toe covers that work find for me down to ~40. I use the PI shoe covers below that. If your shoes have vents in the bottoms you might cover them with tape in cold weather.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Tape the vents in your shoes if you haven't already.

I like Mavic's toe covers but they pretty much just block the wind so perhaps not the thickness you're looking for.


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## wgscott (Jul 14, 2013)

Wool socks. (Put them between the shoe and your feet.)


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## ColaJacket (Apr 13, 2015)

Jay Strongbow said:


> *Tape the vents in your shoes* if you haven't already.
> 
> I like Mavic's toe covers but they pretty much just block the wind so perhaps not the thickness you're looking for.


What type of tape do you use? I don't want to use tape that is too sticky and leave a mess on the shoes.

GH


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

ColaJacket said:


> What type of tape do you use? I don't want to use tape that is too sticky and leave a mess on the shoes.
> 
> GH


Take out the insole. Put duct tape inside over the vents. No worries with sticky mess.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

ColaJacket said:


> What type of tape do you use? I don't want to use tape that is too sticky and leave a mess on the shoes.
> 
> GH


I use any tape I happen to have which is usually electrical. I'm crazy like that. No concerns over messing up my shoes. That seems odd to me. How do you figure putting tape on carbon or plastic is going to mess up your shoes?


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## David Loving (Jun 13, 2008)

Baggies and duct tape to match your shoe color. :idea:


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

Typical road shoes have insoles which are defacto heat sinks, which is part of the problem.

Try replacing your insoles with insulated ones, available at may pharmacies.

The uppers of road shoes don't help much either. I use a lower tier SPD mountain bike shoe which has more suede and less ventilated nylon/leather. It helps.

A looser fitting shoe, or at least loosened straps with bulkier socks, will help. Form fitting or snug shoes will reduce circulation.

I use Sidetrak shoe covers, which are neoprene, over the SPD shoes above. I buy the shoe covers a size large. They might be hard to find as they might be out of production, but I'll bet any neoprene shoe cover will suffice.








The Velcro gets weaker with age so I wrap reflective Velcro straps around the ankles to keep everything together.

Lastly, I recommend wearing leg warmers over your tights or even an extra pair of tights. Even better, wear an extra base layer, even if it makes you sweat. The trick is to keep your core body temperature warmer so warmer blood is available for the extremities.


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## 9W9W (Apr 5, 2012)

I tried a whole bunch of shoe covers over the last two years. I buy them used and give them a spin or four and try something else out. The conclusion I reached is that they're all not as warm as would like them to be. However, the best I've tried were Castelli Estremo covers. I like their fit, I like the zipper clearance and they were some of the warmer ones to boot. 

One brand to stay away from is Mavic. Their covers were a joke. I actually complained to rider services and found tons of negative reviews complaining of the same thing. The entire line of shoe covers had zippers which wouldn't clear the heel when you're putting them on/off. I would hear the cover tearing and seams letting go just getting them on. The Castelli's have nearly full length zippers back there, which is imporant. 

Mavic summer shoes, no vents at bottom but very mesh'y throughout, woolie boolie socks, Estremo covers... that combo on a 2.5 hour 30F-35F blustery (dry) ride and my toes were kind of numb and just short of burning. I think I'm layering good equipment over the wrong shoes.


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## bikerector (Oct 31, 2012)

I've become a fan of endura prodcuts lately because they seem to have stuff priced well that works almost as good as castelli gear but much more affordable usually (castelli gear is my benchmark nice stuff). I really like the mt500 for winter because of the extra reinforced bottoms and they're waterproof. I live in Michigan so I ride a cross bike with studded tires and melting snow is a big problem for the feet at times. The mt500 is a mildly stretchy neoprene with a warm backing so they're super warm. My feet sweat like cray if I wear them in temps above 45 or so Fahrenheit. 

Endura Men's MT500 Overshoe Shoe Cover


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## dcorn (Sep 1, 2011)

I bought some Castelli Diluvio neoprene covers last year. I wore them once when it was really cold at the start and warmed up to the low 50s. My feet were sweating by the end of the ride. Neoprene should provide wind blockage and insulation to keep your natural warmth in. 

I find chemical toe warmers are the best for super cold temps. I used to wear just toe covers and thicker wool socks, but my feet would still freeze. The chemical warmers on top of my sock worked perfectly. 

As far as taping vents, I used clear packing tape on the bottom of the insole to block the sole vent in my S-works shoes.


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

If you're going to ride a lot in the cold -- especially commuting -- think about a pair of winter shoes. They're not much warmer than neoprene covers, but a whole lot less hassle. And in the end, probably cheaper. It was rare, when I used them, that I got two seasons out of a pair.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

pmf said:


> If you're going to ride a lot in the cold -- especially commuting -- think about a pair of winter shoes. They're not much warmer than neoprene covers, but a whole lot less hassle. And in the end, probably cheaper. It was rare, when I used them, that I got two seasons out of a pair.


This^^^^^^^

You might spend $200 on the shoes and that may seem like a lot. However, nothing ruins a ride more than cold or wet feet. That cash you dropped on your rig will be wasted if you are sitting home with your bike in the garage.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

Peter P. said:


> Lastly, I recommend wearing leg warmers over your tights or even an extra pair of tights. Even better, wear an extra base layer, even if it makes you sweat. The trick is to keep your core body temperature warmer so warmer blood is available for the extremities.


This is a myth. A myth that is perpetuated by the "90% of your body heat leaves through your head" myth and the "Putting on a hat will warm your feet" myth. In reality, less than 40% of your body heat leaves through your head. Putting on a hat primarily warms your head. Putting on warmer socks and shoes primarily warms your feet.

More to the point, putting on an extra pair of tights or base layer will certainly help keep your core and legs warm, but will have negligible effect on keeping your feet warm. And I would certainly stop at the "even if it makes you sweat" part. While a certain amount of sweat can't be prevented during any strenuous activity, excessive sweat due to overdressing will only make you catch cold in the long run regardless of how wicking your clothing is.

One thing I have found on my own is that staying hydrated is very important to keeping your extremities warm. You can't have good circulation without the necessary volume of blood to get there.


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## Lombard (May 8, 2014)

tlg said:


> Take out the insole. Put duct tape inside over the vents. No worries with sticky mess.




This actually sounds like a great idea. I will try this out this winter! Any sticky mess will be under the insole where I don't care.


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## idun (May 9, 2015)

ziscwg said:


> This^^^^^^^
> 
> You might spend $200 on the shoes and that may seem like a lot. However, nothing ruins a ride more than cold or wet feet. That cash you dropped on your rig will be wasted if you are sitting home with your bike in the garage.


+1

I went for a ride yesterday, around 40F lots of wind... I was wearing a base layer under my tights and winter shoes (Louis Garneau Glacier RD). I bought them on sale for 99$ CAD...


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## Trek_5200 (Apr 21, 2013)

I find wool socks work well enough until the temperature drops to roughly forty degrees, if sunny maybe thirty eight. Problem is shoe covers don't work very well when the temperature drops below the low 30's. The math just doesn't work very well for most situations. Usually I prefer to wear a warm boot once the temperature starts dropping. Another added benefit is not worrying about whether the boot hole is lined up with the cleat.


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## J-Flo (Sep 30, 2015)

I have a problem with cold feet too. I need toe warmers if it is below 50, and below 40 those just don't cut it. I have tried several types of shoe covers and am giving up. Going forward I plan to wear my mountain winter SPD shoes and switch the pedals out when it is really cold or raining.


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## dnice (Jul 12, 2012)

Performance Bike toe covers, bar none. I have used them down to 38 degrees. A big art of this is how many vents are on your shoes. Mine don't have vents in the soles, like some do, so YMMV.


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