Hi all,

SEALSKINZ or OVERSHOES or other for commuting?

Background: I commute to work with well vented spd’s, its about 6miles each way and get quite annoyed when my socks are socked as I arrive at the office on wet days. I change socks normally but this inconvenience added to the cold weather has made me think I need to invest in some more kit.

Cheers Joe

Overshoes are a revelation, combined with a thick pair of socks = nice toasty warm feet. I got some last year and couldn’t believe the diff compared with sealskinz – it might have been that to have sealskins and socks you really need bigger shoes otherwise it cuts off the circulation causing cold feet anyway

Overshoes are a revelation, combined with a thick pair of socks = nice toasty warm feet.

Agreed. Also, don’t overtighten your shoes. It’s amazing how many people ratchet their shoes up too tightly and then complain of cold feet on a bike!

sealskins = 2 pairs of socks and a poly bag.

That’s not a bad thing, as it works incredibly well, but you can save yourself 25 quid.

Sealskins here, combined with Northwave Celsius Artic boots. Feet are nice and warm and dry whatever the weather.
Just need waterproof 3/4 shorts to ensure that water does not get in the top of the socks.
Also I wear thin socks under the sealskins that get changed daily.

Sealskins are a PITA to get dried though.
Didn’t get on with overshoes as water just ran down into my shoes.

I can recommend neoprene overshoes. They do start to get wet after an hour of heavy rain (~14 miles commute) and do get soaked if you ride through puddles, but in general they have kept my shoes dry. And I find they dry more easily than SealSkinz / fully waterproof fabrics. Also stop the wind chill; I struggled to ride when the air temp was zero without two layers of socks, whereas with the overshoes I can use one pair of socks down to about -5 air temp and then revert to wool socks.

I swear by knee-length sealskinz for commuting and mtb, as they keep all the spray away and keep my feet relatively warm. Never found they needed much drying on the outside when wet. As above, you have to be careful when it is really wet that water doesn’t dribble from your thighs, but could wear waterproof 3/4 to counter that. Never a problem if just the ground/road is wet though.

Overshoes. Definitely.

Have you got vents in the sole of your shoes? If so, take the insole out and cover the vents with duct tape to stop the water coming in the bottom.

Overshoes have the benefit of keeping your shoes clean too.

I’m not a fan of neoprene overshoes – they always get damp eventually, which then makes my feet clammy and cold.

Sealskins and vented shoes here, 3 pairs of ordinary socks under the sealskins and my feet are still cold, waterproof? – yeah, apart from the big hole in the top of each one! Wouldn’t recommend them.

I’m not a fan of neoprene overshoes – they always get damp eventually, which then makes my feet clammy and cold

but long after they’d be wet and cold if you weren’t wearing them ❓

If its really cold and wet, both. Water will always get in from the top eventually but the sealskinz will at least allow it to warm up and keep your toes reasonably warm. Ive got some cheapy BBB speedflex overshoes and they are excellent, despite the budget price tag.

but long after they’d be wet and cold if you weren’t wearing them

Depends on the weather. If it’s very wet, they’re a benefit, but if it’s just cold, I find they get very clammy after a few hours, and they take an age to dry out after it’s stopped raining. In those circumstances, ordinary shoes with some decent merino socks feel more comfortable.

Less of an issue for commuting though, so the OP may be fine with them.

I’ve decided vented shoes and overshoes are the best thing for commuting. Winterboots still get soaked anyway if it’s bad enough and then will be soggy for quite a while. Vented shoes have a decent chance of drying out at work or overnight and overshoes will keep you warm enough – just a bit crap for walking in.

Normally have extra reflective bits too

For drying shoes I’ve found that my ski/snowboard boot warmers work a treat. No damp boots for me on a morning, no matter how wet I got the night before, especially if I place them near a radiator too.

£10 PX 3mm Neoprene overshoes bought in October (I think), still going strong (Wish I’d got another couple of pairs now), perfect for my ~1h commutes (with the guards keeping spray to a minimum) in all but the worst deluge they’re OK, a wet weekend road ride it’s about 2-2.5 hours and saturation will overcome them and you start to get cold wet feet, not tried with sealskinz or polybag and two pairs of socks though, …

+1 for not over tightening shoes, good blood flow makes a big difference to your comfort…

Also if your shoes/overshoes do get wet on the way into work, take them apart (Don’t leave damp shoes in damp overshoes all day, they’ll just be damp for the ride home and freeze your feet) and stuff both with newspaper or tissues or whatever absorbent material you can lay your hands on… try to leave them near a radiator to dry if you can.

TBH the main route water will get into your shoes is by running down your calf, and that only really happens if you’re getting a proper soaking.

But yeah, Overshoes are the commuters friend…

sealskins = 2 pairs of socks and a poly bag.

I’ve tried this and I’m not sure whether it was the physical feeling of slipping around in your shoes or the fact that I felt like an axe murderer that made it weird wearing plastic bags on my feet.

Overshoes can be stupidly expensive – and the expensive ones don’t last any longer!
So, here’s a link for you:

http://www.planetx.co.uk/c/q/clothing/footwear/overshoes

Oh yeah I tried poly bag over my socks, id did prevent windchill for about 10mins tilll my feet got all clammy then they got very cold very quick.

Re DezB’s link, primo are a bit small for their stated size (well the pair I bought were) the planetX neoprenes are great for commuting, get tatty fairly quickly (no reinforcement so walking scuffs them up) but keep your feet warm and dryish for a good while and a very easy on/off. Got a pair last year, got a replacement pair couple months ago but still using the old pair yet

Had some Endura overshoes which lasted three rides before rubbing and the bottom sticthing going

Have got Sealskinz knee high socks now, fantastic stuff. Ride through puddles etc to test and they erm work! Go for a bigger isze as well.

Use wool socks under for warmth.

My commute is 25 miles round trip once a week, the other four 6 miles round, plus ride on Sunday.

Good thing is you pull the socks off and have your normal socks ready to go.

I am currently using some BBB Arctic Duty overshoes for my 17km commute each way. I have been riding daily for about four months in the Northern Irish weather and they are excellent. A bit of a snug fit the first time you put them on but they soon ‘gave’ a bit and are not showing any signs of wear despite daily use. I think I got them for about £44 from CRC but they are a good investment and seem like they will last a great deal longer than the Endura MT500s or the Lumite overshoes I have had in the past. A pair of On-One Thinnies under a pair of Thickies completes the system and my feet are toasty.

Dogsby