I started off clipped in and then when riding new unfamiliar stuff I lost my bottle and this time of year my local riding is in deciduous woodland which is covered in leaves with a clay based soil making it very slippy, I can say for sure that I would have come a cropper many times this winter had I been clipped in.

I ride in a pair of old goretex merrells but the metal pins on my flats have worn a hole in the sold of my shoes and they now leak if I have to push/carry during a wet ride.

What are my alternatives for a waterproof shoe for flats that is not going to get chewed to bits by the metal pedal pins? and…. are ok to be surefooted in whilst pushing/carrying!…

Cheers
Col

alright pal, i’d go for some 510’s, i have the Freeriders which are great, and then get some Sealskin socks, the shoes stick like glue to pedals, wet rocks, wet roots basically anything you walk on and ride on! should be able to get both for about 70-80 quid…waterproofing is really the preserve of the clipped in brigade, but this is probably the only way to get anywhere close on flats.

Sealskin socks, thick merino.

Any cheap flat-soled shoes from your local sports outlet, cheapest you can find.

My £25 quid Vans get totally covered in mud then hosed down with the bike, dry them on the radiator.

Gravity does a good enough job keeping me attached to my pedals and sticky rubber is a bit pointless and expensive imo.

I’m finding AM41’s and sealskinzs good. The shoes are not waterproof but they deal well with splashes and I like them as xc shoes as the soles are pretty stiff. I find them grippy enough even on the dirt cheap moulded metal pedals on my off road commuter.

I bought a pair of Hi-Tec something-or-others from Go Outdoors for about 29.99 that are waterproof, and have lasted me two years soo far.

I’d say make them your first stop.

As much as I love my 5:10s they are shit when it’s wet, hold so much water it’s unreal.

I’ve been using my old DCs that I picked up from TK Maxx through winter, they don’t soak up as much water and dry out lots quicker. Not as grippy as 5:10s but still more than enough.

+1 for AM41’s and thick Sealskinz, winning combo imo.

Five Ten Freeriders blasted with Nikwax waterproof spray and then Sealskinz, works well for me.

5 10 Impacts for all out grip, or Freeriders/Danny Macs for looks, comfort and feel. I’ve been using Impacts since they were first released and love them. Only switched to Greg Minnars this winter to try to learn clipped in.

Tom KP.
Although the Teva Links are getting good reviews but no where near as grippy

I had some 5ten Sam Hill, I then purchased free rider, I held on to the Sam hills, for when I go away biking so I had 2 pairs, after I was forever getting wet and cold feet with the free riders in winter I started looking into waterproofing, I now have my Sam hills which I have completely covered in a beeswax waterproofing for winter, feet are always dry and warm, and use the free riders in summer well 1 week a year when it’s dry 😉

Love my am41 but do destroy the sole in little patches where my pedal pins are
Cope with water far better than I ever though and happy with them in all but coldest weather

any flat shoes are good, and all skate shoes are flat, the leather ones are waterproof too

Better tyres?