Winter SPD boots

Winter boots are amazing! I have the Northwave Artic GTX ones which I love (with some gaiters over the top for proper sealing)

I've got a pair of Lake MXZ304s on my Christmas list. Expensive but my 303's have lasted ages.

I like the fact the leather provides the waterproofing (with the odd treatment) rather than a crap goretex bootie that rips after couple of years and renders them useless.

Going back at least 10 years, the pair before the 303s were Northwave Celsius (pre GTX) and they were ok but I remember getting cold toes and the cleat plate used to transit the cold into the ball of my foot and it would go numb!

dont waste your money on Wolvehammers. i did and they were crap.
a mate in Cochrane in Canada swears by Northwave Himalaya. minus 24 there last week.

can be has for cheaper.

https://www.northwave.com/en/bike/shoes/mtb/trailall-mountain/himalaya

Northwave Celsius Arctic GTX Boots here. At least five years old and so old that they have "Artic" on the side, which is not evidence of a fake but the Italian spelling of Arctic.
Don't ask me how I know this 🙂

Lakes - wide enough at the toe for me - go up one size for a prefect fit with some Woolie Boolie type socks.

North wave are a very narrow fit, absolutely the opposite of wide toe box.

The current model of specialized defroster is a nice wide toe box. I have a size 50 wide lake mx 241 endurance as my normal mountain biking shoe and still find the toe box a little narrow (the way it still cuts in towards the toes rather than the width at the widest point), but the specialised defroster in size 49 has plenty of toe wiggle room even in a thick ski sock.

North wave are a very narrow fit, absolutely the opposite of wide toe box.

Not IME, YMMV

i have a fused right ankle i.e my foot dont bent. all the little bones in my fore foot bend and have spread. my foot is very very very wide.

Northwave enduro are the widest shoe available.
look at the pic of the sole from below.

https://www.northwave.com/en/bike/shoes/mtb/trailall-mountain/enduro-mid-2

Northwave toe box is too narrow from toes, like most MTB shoes if you have ’straight last’ shaped foot.
Shimano MW-701 is wider at front of the shoe.

Northwave Artic GTX are indeed awesome,once you get the fekers on,I bought mine before they added the extra front pull on loop 😠

On the Northwave from the Artic pics they seem to look wide mid foot and then go all pointy close to the end. Quite different to the Enduro ton posted a link to, which is more rounded.

I'm normally be a 45 but can see some last year 47s in stock at reduced price.

Wondering if they'll work with thick socks. The length should keep toes back from the point.

Might be worth a punt at the price but does anyone know how they size up?

The Lakes look awesome but £250 might take some domestic explaining if I haven't tried the Northwave first.

Anyone tried the Lake MX146?

I found the Northwave a bit tight/narrow, Lakes come in normal and wide fit and have a detailed fitting guide online

Northwave Celcius are good, but I had to go up a size to get the width I needed.

Expensive but might be a option to spd boots
https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/mobile/leatt-7-0-hydradri-flat-pedal-shoe-2023/rp-prod211904?gs=1&sku=sku868838&utm_source=google&utm_term=&utm_campaign=&utm_medium=&gclid=Cj0KCQiAj4ecBhD3ARIsAM4Q_jGxUU-nt5rayIwl4KQ_Odetx5bJQfVDs-jUzk0KnYgBmfs8LiZEawkaAgPBEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

I recently got some fizik artica and not only are they ace, keep water out but also a lit easier to clean post ride.

James

Shimano MW-5 for me last winter and was dry and toasty. Mate also has wide feet and swears by his Lake boots.

If you want to stick with flats then columbia fairbanks omni heat are a snow boot with a reasonable sole (not 5-10 grippy obvs), insulating/heat retaining upper and paired with waterproof socks they've got me through the past couple of winters. I've not got them out yet this year as it's still too mild.

columbia fairbanks omni heat

Tick

If you live near Chorley, Merlin have plenty of sizes in the Sidi Frost winter boots. I bought a set of size 50 (now sold out) a few months ago, after freezing my toes off the last few winters. Can't comment on them yet, hasn't been cold enough to wear them, but fit is half the battle, and with Merlin having a physical store you can actually try a bunch on.

The current model of specialized defroster is a nice wide toe box

Yes, threw me a bit - Spesh sizing is pretty consistent as were the old Defrosters but the new ones are quite a lot bigger for the same size, even with double socks.

I’ve got the Lake MXZ200s. They’re awesome. Very comfortable and very warm. The laces are a bit too long though but they do have an elastic band to tuck them into. You can keep them as flats or there is a cutout that reveals the cleat attachment.

This past winter, here in Tassie, I swapped from the 5:10 Trailcross mid to the GTX.
They've been brilliant at keeping my feet warmer & dryer.

I've two sets of winter BOOTS. Shimano mt91 with laces and some Scott heater with a pull over storm flap that covers the laces.

They are both warm and waterproof but the Scott boots are easier to clean and tend to have less mud trapped on them. This means they dry quicker.

I'd avoid open laces for use in wet mud.

Pretty Cold - shimano mw std size +1 plus furry dexshell/sealskinz socks

Properly cold cold - as above but with bontrager omw

Never have external laces, always std size +1 aka extra sock space, keep zips well cleaned.

Bontrager old man winter. Wow, they are lovely and warm. Don't agree about Shimano MT91s. I persevered with these fellas and their predecessors for years. Miserable. Then I got the Bontragers three years ago. What a difference!

I’ve got 2 pairs of 45Nrth - one pair for use down to zero and another that go down to -25C. Size-up so you can wear a thicker wool sock and leave enough room to wriggle your toes. For really cold conditions an extra insulated insole really helps too. When it gets seriously cold, there’s also a risk of your boots freezing at night and having to thaw them out in the morning - Nescafé coffee tins filled with hot water make great boot warmers.

My Specialised Defrosters are dying after about 5 winters solid use. Down south here in Surrey it’s more about dry feet than warm feet most of the time. Defrosters seem either discontinued (anyone know where I can get some size 43!) or not longer sold by Specialised in the UK. I’ve moved on to the Shimano Goretex boots and they are pretty good although maybe a little wise for my feet. Good value for my too, at least compared to the competition. Good for the OP? Seem pretty warm and keep my feet dry (although I ride with trousers for much of the winter which helps with dry feet).

Specialized no longer make the Defrosters, which is a shame as I've got through the last 12 years on 2 pairs. I liked the fact that they were just waterproof, no Gore-Tex. This meant that they stayed waterproof pretty much up to the point at which they completely fell apart. I like the look of MW-7s but they are GTX, so how about the MW-5s? What is 'Dryshield'?

MW7's and RW5's here (RW is road). Love them. Dryshield is just the waterproof coating.

And recommendations for non-SPD boots - or just use walking boots?
It's for MTB use

Dryshield is just a waterproof membrane, it's not just a dwr. There are lots of waterproof membranes on the market. Some better than others, some more expensive than others.

Its probably milatax or isotex just rebranded

@tonyg2003 They're not officially dead until you lift your foot off and the sole stays clipped to the pedal #AskMeHowIKnow

@onewheelgood They seem to be current, just not in the UK, which given our climate seems... odd.

I like the look of MW-7s but they are GTX, so how about the MW-5s? What is ‘Dryshield’?

Half the price of Gore Tex.

And recommendations for non-SPD boots – or just use walking boots?
It’s for MTB use

See my post above about columbia fairbanks omni heat

some are asking about flats and for those i'd suggest the black 5-10s my mate uses. he's not one for splashing cash around when a cheaper alternative is good enough but he's made the switch from pair after pair of karrimor KSBs and and is mega happy with them.  there's a decent price on sportshoes.com i think.

i have a pair of lake mx146 sitting in their box. i haven't yet got around to fitting cleats. they are a size 47. i am typically a size 44.5 in trainers and shoes. think i got them from leisure lakes or winstanleys. the fit is good for me but obviously not used them yet. i'm going to imagine they are not fully waterproof as they suggest re-applying proofer to them. i have a pair of their predecessors (145?) and they've been good year round but are starting to fail now. not waterpoof. i think i've had them about 5 or 6 years and ride 3 times a week. i also have a pair of 303s and the build on those, and their performance generally is bomber, though the boot is quite high on the pedal due to a thick sole. throwing some wax on them and buffing them up a bit is easy and works well. the standard fit on the lakes is wide enough for me and i would have previously put my feet on the wider side, though not abnormally so, however lake also do wide fit if you really think you'll need it.

OK, so I bought the Northwave Raptor Arctic GTX that were on offer at CRC/Wiggle. Sent them back because even though I went a size up they were far too narrow, and the neoprene collar is just a joke - not going to keep any water out unless you have ankles like an elephant.

So I'm digging deeper into my wallet and the short list is now MW7 (only MW702 available now so an extra £50 over what I could have bought 701s for 2 weeks ago), Lake MX146 and 45NRTH Ragnaroks. All are nearly £200 so help me choose!

Bontrager old man winter again. Need to wear to believe.

"Anyone tried the Lake MX146?"
Yes, i have both Lake 146 and 303s.
The 146 are waterproof but not particularly warm. The 303s are VERY warm, and W I D E ! Before I bought them I tried just about everything on the market and none were as wide and/or warm.
They are well worth the investment!

MW7

I've got mw5's.

They're warm, comfy, wider than my summer M089 Shimano's. The collar velcro is an odd and poorly thought through design - but with some care when putting on they stay in place and work well. I do like them a lot.

Really like my MW7s - Comfortable, good sole, roomy, easy to clean (no laces/good flap). They're not super insulated but have space for warm socks (and that means you can happily wear them through the mud seasons of autumn and spring, and even in summer if somewhere with a lot of splashing water)

old man winter again

Sadly, like the Spesh Defrosters, the Old Man Winter boots are no longer available. Which, given our climate, is just weird.

Are they not? Jeepers. Why the heck not? They are amazing.

MW7’s. Same sort of problems as OP. Damaged nerves in right big toe area. Nice wide toe box. I sized up 1 size. Never any problems with cold feet now. Only problem is like any boot the big hole in the top lets on water which has nowhere to go. If it’s really soaking wet I’ll wear cheap gaiters.
If you want some really warm boots the Northwave Himalayas are brilliant. I’ve only ever had the need to wear mine once or twice a year. Heavy and probably overkill for around here though.

Shimano XM9, basically a Gore-tex hiking boot with a slot for cleats. Paired with long Sealskin socks your feet should be warm and dry, riding all through winter.

I have a pair of 10-yr old Shimano MW501s.
Have finally fallen apart (and the cleats need drilling out) and so have bought another pair.

Also have a pair of Specialized Defrosters but they are too big (size 44 like the Shimano boots but they feel a size or so bigger).

About to punt the Defrosters on the classifieds if anyone wants to make an offer. Used just once in the street.

My Shimano boots (mw91 I think) lasted only a few years.

Northwave ones seem to be doing better, though the boa suffers in peak grit (gets jammed so I can’t get the boots off with cold hands). Mine are really roomy around the toes, and in fact just generally quite roomy - I don’t quite understand why others seem to have the exact opposite experience.

Mine are really roomy around the toes, and in fact just generally quite roomy – I don’t quite understand why others seem to have the exact opposite experience.

my thoughts too. like i said,my Northwave enduro's are the widest fitting cycle shoe available.
as were the Himalaya winter boots my mate has.

Thanks everyone, but the problem is now solved. Just waiting for STW to send me the MW7s I'm bound to win in todays comp.

Oi, I need a second pair of MW7's. Old ones for the commute, don't you know.

And recommendations for non-SPD boots – or just use walking boots?
It’s for MTB use

Five Ten Trailcross GTX Gore-Tex.
Wear with waterproof trousers and no water gets in. They are great and the soles stick to the pedals extremely well. Trousers are obviously essential to stop water getting in over the cuff.
Last winter my feet never got wet once. Size up and add a good pair of winter socks and thats your feet staying warm and dry. In really cold temps I wore a sealskinz merino liner sock with a waterproof sock over that and my feet were borderline too warm even in the snow.

You can usually find a adidas 20% off voucher online for the adidas store too.

I suffer from cold feet terribly & find the NW Artic GTX absolutely bang on - expensive yes but they work a treat.

Bit of thread closure... I ordered some Troika shoes from CRC for £40 based on them being described as wider on another thread. The telly has packed up today, Xmas is coming and these, as great as the Lakes looked, plus some thick socks and overshoes has got to be worth a punt before spending £300 on winter only boots at the moment and I might have bought some thicker gloves with some of the difference. 🙂

I bought some of those Troika shoes for the same reason. They arrived today and are a very odd shape in size 47. Sort of rectangular, so same width for most of the length but with a pointy toe.

@painey mine also arrived today. They are going back for exactly the reasons you describe. A 45 is generally a generous fit for me. Foot felt instantly cramped with regular socks and properly squashed in anything thicker. My size 45 office shoes will take a thickish walking sock with toe wriggle room.

Having discovered my specialized defroster boots are now too narrow for my runner toes, I bought 3 pairs to try, Lake mx146 did the correct measuring technique, found they are still ridiculously narrow, I pretty sure i don't need the wide fit as its only my toes i struggled with, and my feet are low volume. Also ordered Northwave x-magna from merlin but due to royal mail strike is been 2 weeks and they havent arrived yet. Ordered 2 pairs of shimano MW7 boots, and fortunately the 47 fit well with room for toes to wiggle and warm socks, seem close to five ten/new specialized fitment

I've got a pair of Scott Heater GTX from 2018. Seemed like a lot of money at the time but still going strong. Keep me really warm in the cold, in heavy rain my feet get wet by water running into them from my tights but they still stay warm. A quick wipe down every now again, gave them a proper treatment of fabsil gold at the start of winter this year. The soles and outer look like they will keep going forever, the issue will probably be the tabs holding the plastic lace fastener. I would happily buy again.

Shame PX stopped stocking Das Boots, my pair have been great for the last few winters.

There's a Shimano pair of boots that look awfully similar.

Another vote for Bontrager OMW here - having used a variety of Lake and Northwave, the Bonts are way better.  They are similar to a snowboard boot in construction, with a separate soft insulated liner, and a more rigid outer boot.  This morning in -6 my feet were toasty.  A shame they aren't available widely any more, but a few places have limited sizes in stock online https://www.candncycles.co.uk/product/115307/bontrager-omw-winter-bike-shoe/option/ for example

I had Shimano MW5 for a couple of years & then last week the cover flap tore right across just below the joint to the neoprene cuff.
Big discounts on Northwave Raptor & Celsius from Wiggle & Merlin at the moment.

-8.5 on the way to work this morning on the CX bike and wearing my Northwave Arctic GTX XC and they were fine with a pair of thin merino socks. Not hot, not cold just right.

Another vote for Northwave Himalaya's