anyone use the endura mt550 overshoes?

do they work well?

Well, since you brought HH into it, here's your answer:

WINTER SHOE

Which, for mtbing, I definitely agree with.

though a google fight might come out.. lol

thoughit is wrong as it says eccles cakes are better than chorley cakes… this is clearly not the case!

Definitely winter shoe. Although much depends on your budget.
£20 – waterproof overshoes
£120 – decent winter shoes

Best of all, winter boot.

Overshoes do not work that well and the price comparison is deceptive; overshoes do not last, they get quickly damaged from chaffing for the crank arm and, dare I say, any walking. You will easily get through a pair of overshoes in one winter if you ride regularly.

was think of these ones:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Endura_MT500_Overshoes/5360028124/

got two pairs of non winter mtb shoes – not sure I want to fork out for some winters ones plus cleats….

In my experience:

If you commute overshoes are great – mostly dry / mostly warm shoes when you get to work. Combined with some seal skins my toes stay happy all winter long. I get about a year out of overshoes until they fall apart. Good value for money I think.

Actually MTBing – overshoes last until the first muddy section you have to work. Then it ends in tears, dummys spat, overshoes cursed, etc.

Although I have never had winter shoes for MTBing as I'm too cheap well hard.

David.

I used the Endura overshoes combined with Sealskinz socks with ordinary SPD's all through the Scottish winters and it works really well. Need to find a new strategy now I've gone for flats though

If you commute overshoes are great – mostly dry / mostly warm shoes when you get to work. Combined with some seal skins my toes stay happy all winter long. I get about a year out of overshoes until they fall apart. Good value for money I think.

Actually MTBing – overshoes last until the first muddy section you have to work. Then it ends in tears, dummys spat, overshoes cursed, etc

I would whole heartly agree with this. I use some neoprene ones for my commute and Norhtwave boots for off road. they have the advantage that you can walk through a few inches of water with out it making your feet wet as well.

Depends where you ride. And whether you get off and walk a lot, they're not good for walking in, but you're a biker not a walker, right? 😉

Rocky & rough => winter boots

Muddy & deep puddles => overshoes

Overshoes do get trashed but they're cheap enough to be expendable – I get through a pair every winter but they keep my feet dry in the worst Mendip conditions and I can hose them down afterwards…

You will easily get through a pair of overshoes in one winter if you ride regularly.

You'll easily get through a couple of sets of brake pads and maybe a set of tyres as well. Both of which will cost more than the overshoes.

As a side question, how well do overshoes work with caged spds?

I have a set of overshoes which I have only ever used on the road bike, just considering if it's worth attempting to use them on the trail bike or not…

I think overshoes are great for commuting (I have the Pro neoprene and they're ace) but I don't think they would last too long mtbing imho.

As a side question, how well do overshoes work with caged spds?

Worked okay for me…

This is my debate, I have the Pro "Blaze" (only sold as being wind proof, but do keep some water out) they also claim they are suitable for MTB use. I might give the MT500 a go

seeing as the weather has been pretty good up to now and we're being predicted a mild winter, I'm hoping I can put off buying winter boots till the summer sales and have them to use next winter, basically muddle through the next 4-5 months and save a couple of quid in the process…

but it all comes down to weather or not I can use them on my M424s or not…

elliptic – Member
Depends where you ride. And whether you get off and walk a lot, they're not good for walking in, but you're a biker not a walker, right?

Rocky & rough => winter boots

Muddy & deep puddles => overshoes

I would disagree with you on the muddy and puddles one as the mud forces the overshoe up and gets insdie of it plus they offer no protection from walking in water.

The MT500s are by far the best ones.

the mud forces the overshoe up

Not had that problem (but you do need to get them with a tight fit).

no protection from walking in water

Only issue I've had is from using them with summer shoes that leak around the cleat when you stand in a puddle – not a problem when actually riding. So, ummm… don't stand in puddles?

Owen – how do Northwave boots size up compared to a Shimano? I regularly buy size 45 Shimano shoes, should i go for the same in northwave? Just wondering if you've used both and have any experience or knowledge to hand on! Thanks!
BTW, on the original post question = winter boots every time for off road. I've had lots over the years and they have all worked very well. Only downside has been the weight, a bit like pedaling in lead boots. You get used to it though and it make you feel dead fast going back to normal shoes!

I've got Northwaves and Shimanos – 45 in both with the Northwave's being a bit roomier.

If I could justify the price of winter boots, I would probably get them, but I can't so use overshoes instead.
As already said, overshoes get wrecked quite quickly by walking in them – mine are looking a bit tatty where the hard knobbles on the sole have pushed through the underneath at the front of the overshoe.
The main advantage I see of overshoes over winter boots is with overshoes you take them off at the end of the ride & your shoes are nice & clean. You let the mud dry on the overshoes & it falls off, whereas I imagine that if I spent £120+ on a pair of winter boots, I wouldn't be happy to let the mud dry on them & would be forever cleaning them.

As above it depends where you ride. I use a pair of mt500 overshoes for commuting and they've been excellent in the past month I've had them – much sturdier than the normal endura overshoes. Wore them this morning on my commute and although the rain wasn't too heavy there was a lot of standing water and my feet were bone dry after my 20 mile ride. Wore my shimano winter boots on a ride yesterday and my feet were soaked on a 25 mile ride, when I got home my feet were like blocks of ice.

The problem with winter boots is that the water runs down your legs then into the boots and because they are 'waterproof' then it can't get out so you end up with your feet sitting in a pool of cold water.

But from experience overshoes don't last off road, not tried the mt500's off road yet as I don't want to destroy them.

Just as another pointless addendum to this subject, I normally use a bit of Gaffa tape to try and seal the back of the cleat plates in summer shoes (works quite well), I generally find it’s the upper toe box area that seems to get the wettest if I’m riding my summer shoes off road in the wet, so I guess a bit of Gaffa tape to cover the (Suede) upper Toe area and vents coupled with some overshoes could be a viable “poor mans winter boot”, I shall be trying it this weekend I reckon (if it’s wet)…

Did I read someone else on another thread suggest using dry suit cuffs for sealing sock tops?
Is this another option for trying to keep overshoes drier perhaps?

Just try to keep your feet warm TBH, In 15 years of off road cycling, I've yet to come across either a winter boot or an overshoe which is actually waterproof in any real sense of the word.

I've tried both and have found winter boots the best. Not that either helps much on a day like yesterday. In weather that bad boots might even be worse as once the water gets in (from the top) it doesn't get back out.

You will easily get through a pair of overshoes in one winter if you ride regularly.

You'll easily get through a couple of sets of brake pads and maybe a set of tyres as well. Both of which will cost more than the overshoes. [/quote]

You missed my point; you can get a pair of winter boots for < £100 if you shop around, which is about 4 sets of overshoes. Chances are you will get at least 4 years of cozy winter riding out of the boots.

So winter boots are fine unless it’s wet (which it tends to be in the UK during winter), in which case they let in water and freeze your feet?
Does make them sound a bit unfit for purpose… this can’t be true for all winter boots, does anyone have a particular pair they’d swear by? Just out of interest like…

So winter boots are fine unless it’s wet (which it tends to be in the UK during winter), in which case they let in water and freeze your feet?

When wearing shorst or tights mine let the water in though in the middle of winter i tend to wear trousers off road. I have yet to get cold feet in my northwave boots as even if the water gets in the cold air doesn't. My over shoes that i use on my road commute also let water in the top but again as they keep the wind out my feet stay warm.

So winter boots are fine unless it’s wet

The boots aren't the problem, it's what you wear on your legs that causes the problem. If you wear waterproof trousers or longs then your feet will stay dry as the water gets into the boot by running down your leg.

So winter boots are fine unless it’s wet (which it tends to be in the UK during winter), in which case they let in water and freeze your feet?

Mine are usually fine at keeping my feet dry but yesterday the puddles were so deep that water entered the boots from above. If I'd had overtrousers on, fitted over the ankes of the boots, that might have worked but it wasn't cold enough for that.

over shoes about £30 and last a season

boots £90 this is going to be the 4th winter in my northwaves

overshoes= false economy.

hmm i've just forked out for shimano winter boots £99.49 from tredz online

however riding round afan they do indeed fill with water. my feet didnt get cold – it just takes about a month to dry the bloody things out!

In retrospect normal shoes + mt500s an sealskinz are just as good – having ridden with both, i'll keep the winter boots for frosty/snowy days!

I wear winter boots to give me a bit more ankle\foot protection too, on a big day out with some walking its pretty easy to turn an ankle in race type shoes.

A couple of weeks ago I realised it was time to get new overshoes, my MT500's had lasted well but were tatty. Then I read a thread and stopped to think and weigh up things. My current boots have been worn summer/winter for ~ 8 years, so they don't owe me anything and possibly time to get new. The overshoes are warm but i find the toes flip up if i walk in them, which, being steep where I live, means i do walk.
So….. in the end, I treated myself and I've got a pair of Spesh Defrosters winter boots. By all accounts not the warmest, but are waterproof. A plus side to the lack of insulation means they can be used in Autumn/Spring without cooking your feet. I haven't encountered real wet yet, but they feel comfy and much stiffer through the pedals.
….and I don't have to keep stopping and flip the ( muddy ) toe covers back down!
my tuppence
Q

DezB – thanks for the sizing info mate!

If you can afford the initial cost get some decent winter boots. You'll probably find a pair of overshoes won't last more than one winter, less depending on the riding you do. I had some BBB overshoes and they were pretty good whilst they lasted.

I use normal shoes and goretex boot liners over a sock layer…http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Army-Surplus-Gore-tex-Boot-Liners-Grade-1-Size-9_W0QQitemZ280406879311QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Collectables_Militaria_LE?hash=item41498d6c4f
Never had wet or cold feet since…and for under a tenner!