Winter boots (road)… worth it?

Worth it over the usual neoprene overshoe? Which ones are good? Any to avoid? Specialized shoes usually work well for me so I’d probably be looking at their Defroster Road. Thanks.

Yes. I use NW celcius artic (sic).

I personally use the Shimano MTB shoes on all my bikes through winter. Road shoes are precarious enough to walk around in without wet/icy surfaces.

I personally use the Shimano MTB shoes on all my bikes through winter. Road shoes are precarious enough to walk around in without wet/icy surfaces.

I’m riding, not walking 🙂

Would need to be road for cleats too.

Shimano MTB boots here, too.

Well worth it.

Definitely – Sidi Hydro here – warm but not waterproof. Mine are the megas and too wide, but my feet do stay warm on very cold days.

EDIT: Buy used if you can, I bought mine for £65 on EBAY. Pay a little premium ad see what you think. That’s two sets of overshoes for reference.

Northwave Celcius here, had them years. They’re excellent except the soles are so much thicker than my S-Works shoes I have to adjust the saddle height. Newer ones are probably better.

Yes boots are the way to go. I use the Shimano road boots.

Buy boots big enough to take a decent sock

I went to two pairs of overshoes last year 🙂

I have Northwave Arctic’s which I’ve had for 3 years now and they’re excellent. On really, really filthy days I put overshoes over them and have very toasty feet!

Big fan of the speshy MTB defrosters, old and new versions.

I like the speshy as the soles/insoles agree with my feet/knees better than shimano.

NW Fahrenheits – generally fine most of the winter but have also worn them with neoprene overshoes when it dipped below freezing.

I much prefer Winter boots over shoes + neoprene overshoes, less sweaty, less hassle, less chance of ruining your shoes, no need to tape soles if your normal shoes are ventilated etc.

So a big collective thumbs up!

I like the speshy as the soles/insoles agree with my feet/knees better than shimano.

Much the same here, and don’t want to be messing about trying different shoes, shall pop down the concept store in town and have a look.

Northwave Celcius here, had them years. They’re excellent except the soles are so much thicker than my S-Works shoes I have to adjust the saddle height. Newer ones are probably better.

Hmm good point, my s-works soles are super thin. Would be used on a different bike though so probably not too much of a pain.

I keep meaning to buy a pair every year but just end up buying another £25 pair of overshoes that last half of winter commuting before they start leaking or break.

just got an email off CTBM with some 45nrth Japanther things, they look decent, no idea on price though, MTB boots as well

I have s-works road shoes and don’t need to adjust the saddle height when switching to NW Celsius (there’s is a bit of a difference in stack height but nothing I actually notice, good thing to as the bike has an ISP). The NW’s are a similar fit to Spesh to, I size up one from trainers on both.

Like I say, mine are original Fahrenheits, 10 years old or so now (durability is good!), so I suspect they’ve got thinner. Or I’m running my saddle comparatively higher, or I’m more susceptible to such things.

Dunno, just something to bear in mind.

I bought some 45nrth fasterkatts, sized up from my usual and they were still too small so my wife has them now. Shame as they were nice looking boots. Another SPD cleat user here in the winter. Just bought some Mavic Drift shoeboots to use and replace my ageing and battered NW Celsius Artics

Shimano mtb boots here too. I used to just keep spds on my winter bike but not being Tour standard I have given up on road pedals ( too many nuts/crossbar interfaces) and have spds on all road bikes

Yup, Shimano road boots & Woolie Boolie socks..
Happydays.

my winter road bike is my touring/cx/gnarmac Croix De Fer so I have Time mtb pedals on it and use Spesh Defroster MTB winter boots – lovely and toasty.

Other road bike has Time Xpresso pedals so once it gets too cold for white road shoes it goes away for the winter 🙂

My mw02s just gave up in spring after 7 years and countless miles/strathpuffers

Replaced mine with mt91s for this year. – i use spd pedals on all bikes and do walk when out mtbing in the hills

Winter boots are so much better than overshoes for warmth ease of use and comfort. , and reasonable value for money.

Another vote for the Northwaves. I got a size up from summer shoes to allow for thick socks. I don’t remember adjusting saddle height, so maybe the soles have got thinner since njee20 got them.

Oh and although I have those cafe covers for the cleats, I found they stop working when its really cold and just fall off.

Excellent thread, thanks OP. This has been my thought of choice of late as the commutes get that little nip. It’s a few minutes faff that I hate getting overshoes on/ off. Might have to go and try a few, I’ve NW Arctic for the MTB but are too big really, toasty feet mind. I noticed Sidi do different versions, warm, warm and waterproof.

use my Spesh defrosters oh yes warm and dry

For the sake of a balanced discussion, boots for the road no frickin way 🙂 An evil necessity for winter MTB but the bulkiness & lack of movement in the ankle is horrible. I use Grip Grab hammerhead over shoes, coated neoprene waterproof (seriously) & they have a shark logo on the side !

Is there something wrong with your current setup, MrB ?

Unless your feet are freezing or soaking in your overshoes, why change ?

(I use winter boots because I’m a big nesh pansy 😀 )

Wanted another pair of shoes as the sole on ones I used last winter and on the turbo have broken and I just have my summer race shoes. Just wondered if I’d be better off with some decent boots instead of the usual shoe and overshoe combination. Only really had cold feet on a couple of long cold rides last year, don’t generally suffer with cold feet.

If it’s too cold and wet I’ll be on the turbo anyway as I really am a big nesh pansy 🙂

I have s-works road shoes and don’t need to adjust the saddle height when switching to NW Celsius

exactly the same shoes as me and yes, they are worth it.

Only really had cold feet on a couple of long cold rides last year, don’t generally suffer with cold feet.

I’d not bother. A pair of non-race shoes will be much more versatile, use them with light/heavy overshoes, on the turbo, when it’s just a bit grimey out etc. Boots are only useful when it’s proper cold but you don’t want them the rest of the time.

Plus you can wash overshoes much more easily than boots.

I’m sure boots are lovely for a cold winter ride but overshoes and merino socks are also fine for this and many other things.

Another one with Shimano here. Easier and more effective than neoprene overshoes in my experience. Cost a fair bit more, but I’m glad I bought them. Just makes the whole thing more of a pleasure. And they’re pretty good for spring and autumn too. Only get really stuffy during summer.

I’ve found the waterproof Shimano MTB boots good for winter road use if it is very cold and dry. They also worked well for commuting in the wet with goretex cycling over trousers that come down over the ankle.
However, they’re not so good if it is very wet with bib longs or leg warmers, because the water inevitably gets down the ankles, and because they are waterproof it can’t escape, so you end up cycling with very soggy feet. In those conditions, I think conventional shoes with overshoes are probably better, because although they wont’ keep your feet completely dry, they can at least drain a bit.

Northwaves here too, both road and MTB flavour

I’m a died-in-the-wool roadie (sorry) and I have the Northwave Extreme Winter GTX boots. I opted for the SPD versions so that I could commute and MTB with them too. The soles are very stiff and in the conext of winter riding I don’t feel any power loss over conventional road cleats. As others have said, water will always trickle down so in certain – very wet – instances, shoes and overshoes is a good option. My deepest bad weather get-up is a pair of Gore Windstopper tights, long Sealskinz, Northwave boots AND overshoes.

Boots! You know you want them. You want them for the reason Brakes gave above. Overshoes wear out. I was just about to by my 4th set when I thought spend yer money wisely on something that will last.

Northwave Celsius. Warm, dry, comfy. I shudder to think of going back to summer shoes with overshoes. They leak and your feet get cold. Then you feel miserable and your ride is ruined. NWCs are going strong after a couple of years. I do look after them well (as I do with walking / climbing / winter mountaineering boots.) I hope to get plenty more years out of all my boots.

Buy boots! Try them with mini-gaiters when it’s really gash. In the past I’ve had leakage into the boots down the legs of tights. I have Endura trousers over gaiters then gaiters over boots. Bone dry in pretty much everything Winter has thrown at me.

I got a bargain pair of Sidi Gore Hydro boots from on one last year and I have to say they’ve been awesome. I went up a size so I could put thicker socks on.

Water still runs down my leg into the boots but there’s not a boot that will stop that.

Other than that I’m enjoying having dry warm feet. I used to use overshoes, I won’t go back.

there’s not a boot that will stop that.

madethe mistake of wearing my mt91s to work today to check cleat position before i go on tour next week…..

big mistake.

Never had such sweaty feet in all my life they are Warm.com – postie rich did warn me – but i thought i got cold feet easy(in winter i can still have (not uncomfortably) cold feet with woolie boolies , mw02s and neoprene overshoes on ! )

NW mtb winter boots on my road bike using Shimano touring pedals has worked well for me in recent years – though I do rub the cranks a bit so switch to older ones for the winter. Cheaper/better than overboots. MTB ones save wear on the road cleats and nicer when walking around at cafe stops.

Has anyone any experience of the Lake CX145? They look kinda cool, like something Morten Harket would have worn…