Winter boots for flats

Don't know what else is out there but I found the trailcross sole to be much less grippy than most other Five Ten shoes to the point where I got rid of them.

Vaude AM Moab Mid Winter?

I've not tried them.

Columbia fairbanks are as grippy as any mtb flat shoes i have used. and far far warmer.

Keen targhee high polar boots are far far warmer than any winter cycling boots i have ever used.

warm good winter cycling boots do not exist IMHO.

Vaide moab mids are my go to. If anything i find them a bit warm. But still far better than freezing water hitting your toes

Don’t know what else is out there but I found the trailcross sole to be much less grippy than most other Five Ten shoes to the point where I got rid of them.

Whilst I agree to an extent, with the right pedals there is still plenty for me. Maybe I'm not rad enough....

I don't think the trailcross are any less grippy than any of my other fivetens.
They are a much stiffer sole though with a bit less feedback.
I found them a little odd for the first ride but now actually prefer the stiffer sole.
Combined with long troos they are pretty good at keeping your feet dry.

I bought some leatt boots last year. Have made a massive difference to warmth (fingers and toes are always cold). However the grip isn’t amazing. These:
https://www.mbr.co.uk/reviews/shoes/leatt-7-0-hydradri-winter-boot-review

Shame that there are so few competent options out there compared to spds.

I love 5/10 impact pros, my go to. Wanted to love the trail cross, got the gore tex boot assuming would be ‘the answer’ - ludicrously narrow. Balls. Sized up to a 13.5 from a 12, still too narrow, and now the length of a longboat. And when you have big wide feet the neoprene cuff thing is nigh on impossible to get over your foot. Balls again.

Do the Vaude’s have a decent sized toe box does anyone know?

A vote for the Trailcross here - have found them plenty grippy paired with Nukeproof Horizon DH pedals.

@big_scot_nanny
As far as i can tell my moabs have a similar if not slightly bigger toe box than my 5 tens.
I have the slightly older ones with the laces and velcro strap. I think the new ones have a boa.
If you do get the lace ones, some one on here recommended the elastic quick pull laces as my ones can be a massive arse to get on your feet. The elastic laces made it easy

I have been using the VauDe Moab mids now all year round for the past 4 years. Never had wet feet, which equates to never having had cold feet. Fit is great for all day comfort too. And whilst not quite a sticky as a 5-10 they grip well both on and, importantly, off bike. The other day I forgot my walking boots but luckily still had the Moabs in the van. Did a 5 hour hike through long wet grass in the Brecon Beacons without any issue at all and still had dry feet at the end.

I find my Trailcross Goretex just as grippy as all the other Five Tens I've used, but as said above the sole is thicker, so much so that I have to adjust my saddle height to compensate when swapping between shoes.

I've also got some Columbia Fairbanks, not so grippy IMO and very warm, I've only worn them a couple of times as it's rarely cold enough!

I've got size 10.5 feet. I'm riding size 11.5 5:10 Trailcross Goretex, and even then they can be a little tight to get on. However that has improved with time.

They are not as sticky as normal freerider pros, but I've ridden them in some pretty gnarly conditions (Dyfi and Antur in mid-winter) and found them to be fine. I am using DMR Vault pedals though.

I'd say that combined with a Dirt Suit, and Sealskinz gore-tex socks they've transformed winter riding for me. At both Dyfi and Antur, it's felt like I've had a private uplift service at the end of the day, because almost everyone else has gone home and I'm still warm and ready to keep going.

+1 for the Columba Fairbanks, love mine though they are very warm, for me they're proper cold weather only. The five ten goretex are alright, and do deal better with water from above, but the lack of sole feedback is for me really bad, I'd rather have half as much grip and twice as much feedback. Between those two you'd absolutely think that the Columbas were the bike shoes and the five tens were walking boots. Likewise the old Guide Tennie, not designed for bikes but for me feels better on the bike than these newer ones do.

(apparently really stiff flat soles are a legitimate choice but really, does <anyone> like it? Especially on a bad weather shoe? Like, I'm probably doing shorter rides, I want all the control and assistance I can get while riding down a vertical innerleithen swamp, and I'm probably more likely to have to do some pushing too. Maybe it's a requirement for the way they made the uppers but other shoes prove it doesn't have to be that way)

shimano are releasing a waterproof boot for flats. they have a new rubber in the bottom. may be an option

shimano are releasing a waterproof boot for flats. they have a new rubber in the bottom. may be an option

are they? Interesting, as always liked every pair of shimano footwear (spd and flat) I’ve had…prefer their normal (not bad weather) flats to five tens

I've got the Trailcross Goretex boots and they're great on NP Horizon or Spesh Bennies.

The top of the Trailcross narrows up into a leg-hugging neoprene cuff which you can put under waterproof trousers, even ones with elastic bottoms. This works ok to keep water out, but can be made even better using GripGrab CyclinGaiters to cover the trouser-shoe joint.

The Vaude AM Moab STX Mid by contrast has a thick spongy top like a normal hiking boot. I've found it impossible to keep water from getting in via here. Once in it pools up in the bottom of the boots. They feel very heavy after an all day wet ride.

The Vaude shoes are comfy and  do a good job of keeping your feet warm and dry everywhere but the hole at the top. Which because it doesn’t have any sort of snug cuff seems to actively pull any cold water off your tyres into your shoes. The top of the shoe also seems to have been designed to ensure trousers sit in it, not over it, further ensuring all water ends up inside the shoe. In dry but cold weather or with a set of those little fell running ankle cuffs to bridge the gap they’re great, but my god they need to sort out an ankle cuff.

That’s probably unnecessarily harsh, I pretty much got back into riding flats because I found them comfy to ride in in winter, it just drives me to distraction that they’re close to being capital G great and fall down on something that feels like it would be a given on wet weather spds.

On grip- they’re not in the super sticky camp but coming from spds I found them grippy enough compared to older shimano flat shoes I remember. The grip is more mechanical than sticky. I’ve found I get a really nice grip on them with slightly longer pins on the rear edge of the pedals only- seems to interface with the tread well.

Edit- what bikesandboots said ref the cuffs! Got distracted halfway through. That said, just looked and there’s apparently a ‘winter’ ankle cuffed and boa fastened version now which would be pretty high on my list. https://www.vaude.com/int/en/20546-am-moab-mid-winter-stx-cycling-shoe.html#?colour=451

That said, just looked and there’s apparently a ‘winter’ ankle cuffed and boa fastened version now which would be pretty high on my list.

That's a nice looking boot tbf

trailcross gtx are plenty grippy, even to go so far as saying they are difficult to change foot position mid descent they are that gripped.

i was always a shorts wearer, but trousers are the answer to dry warm feet in winter. keep your legs warm and the blood going to your feet stays warm.

the vaude moab mid stx have been dropping to the £90-95 mark on amazon, i got a 9.5 but returned as were absolutely massive, i'm a 9 in regular shoes.. so wanted to size up for winter..

looking now 10.5 are £109, other sizes are £150 plus

I don’t think the trailcross are any less grippy than any of my other fivetens.
They are a much stiffer sole though with a bit less feedback.
I found them a little odd for the first ride but now actually prefer the stiffer sole.
Combined with long troos they are pretty good at keeping your feet dry.

+1

Ridden by pretty much all the folk I ride with in winter - and for a goodly amount of rides this 'summer'...

I've been riding the Ride Concepts Hellion shoes and been really impressed with how well they keep the water out.

Not felt the need for winter-specific booties. But then I don't usually go wading through deep puddles.

Can anyone comment on sizing for the trailcross gtx? I have CRC vouchers so need to order from there, I would normally get a 10 but they only have 10.5.

I was going to get the leatt hydradri, but having tried, I now know I need a 10.5 or maybe an 11 in those and they're out of stock.

+1 for the Columba Fairbanks, love mine though they are very warm

FWIW the Columbia Fairbanks are £65 on amazon this morning. Just ordered myself a pair for winter general stoating about / dog walking / riding.

Re: Trailcross - can the lace knot be tucked behind the flap, or not?

Just found some Ride Concepts wildcat mid shoes for £40. Might be ok for winter.

Only 6,7,8 sizes left though

https://www.merlincycles.com/ride-concepts-wildcat-sam-pilgrim-mtb-shoes-219539.html

Trailcross are ok, but no more than that. As with posters above I don't understand why nobody seems to make decent waterproof boots for MTBing on flats.

I'm summoning up the courage to spend 170 quid on some sportiva TX Tops, which look like they should be reasonable. Possibly combine them with sticky tape for any rare very cold but still wet days.

I bought some Columbia Fairbanks after a previous thread. Like them for dig walking but not on the bike. The sole is too soft and I don't think they grip well.

The GTX is the best winter shoe I've owned since the MT90.

A lot warmer than the mid & easier to get on & off. The flap is on the side, so you won't get the lace under there, but it has a loop on the tongue to stop it flapping around.

I just got the Leatt 3.0 for summer down here & the 10.5 is comparable to the 11 GTX.