What’s the consensus?

Without spending mad amounts of money, should I get some proper winter riding boots, or do with good waterproof socks and, possibly, overshoes too?

I don’t find cold feet such a problem, and a getting a bit wet has never bothered me. Also I find my shoes that I use are just right and very comfortable.

I’m of the mind that waterproof socks and o/shoes give me a bit of flexibility of choice too.

It depends on the temperature, where you ride, terrain and muddyness, how often and for how long.
I tend to ride more over winter than summer so I prefer to get the best kit available as I tend to ride similiar moorland peaks and Pennines routes

Spds can’t go far wrong with northwave winter gtx Boots, keep feet dry and warm
Get a size bigger with a good wool sock or two with toe wiggle room

Flats/ pedals I’m still looking for the perfect pair, I currently wear an adidas terrex trail protect with a sealskinz thick sock, feet get wet and cold depending on weather.. many people use proper walking boots
A waterproof boot with gusseted tongue would be the ideal.

I’ve had endura overshoes I found they damaged easily and fell apart.

Hmmm…

I don’t ride a huge amount, TBH, so wear and tear on my kit is relatively light. Rides are up in the Pennines, so reasonably chilly, and often wet, with occasional muddy boggy bit to deal with.

Normally using SPD’s, but might switch to flats for trail centre stuff

I like that overshoes keep my shoes clean, which is good if you commute and need to walk to your desk in them. They do fall apart, I get about 18 months from a pair.

For me winter boots are the way ahead. I spent years messing with the cheaper ‘winter’ boots (really just wet weather boots), over shoes, sealskin socks & ended up wasting more money & still having cold/wet feet. Investing in some lake Mxz 303’s was the best thing I did, as there a fanatic winter boot & 4/5 years on there still a fantastic winter boot, & showing no signs of wearing out

Winter boots here, also Northwave.

Winter boots had northwave which convinced me now in 45nrth japanthers (bargain from Charlie the bikemonger because I have small feet) a notch above.
Used them last winter for gravel road and enduro riding barely look worn.
We have a habit of getting a bit geographically embarrassed on gravel rides it’s great slogging through peaty loam in the forests with dry feet.

Flat-pedal compatible warm dry feet for the winter

Dry, warm feet can be the difference between a good ride and an unpleasant experience in winter. I have some Japanthers and some Wolvhammers having tried various Northwave, Gaerne and Shimano efforts previously. Overshoes are fine for road, but simply don’t work offroad

The problem with most waterproof socks is that water gets in the top eventually.

The solution?
Really long ones!

I’ve got some Sealskinz knee length, and with a pair of waterproof shorts that overlap them slightly you stay warm and dry in any weather.
Just been out on an extremely wet and muddy ride.
A few trails were basically 1-2 foot deep stream beds!
Hosed down my legs and feet when I got home, peeled off the socks inside and the thin pair of trainer socks I had on underneath are still bone dry.

I just wear a pair of cheapish Shimano SPD shoes sized up one size so they’ll fit thick socks in.

Offroad its northwave winter boots all the way. Couple them with gripgrab gaiters that prevent water getting in the ankle they’re impervious to anything short of total immersion.

On the road Ive got a pair of PRO PUcoated fleece overshoes which are great with wooly socks this time of year. Then the thicker overshoes come out when the temperature is going to be consistently <5C.

Might give the endura flat pedal overshoes a try, but im not holding my breath.

Overshoes on flexible shoes are tricky to do as the flex of the shoe causes the overshoe to slip off.

Look at road shoe overshoes and you’ll see that the toe area is completely encased and there’s a strap under the shoe around what would be the instep. The cleat on a road shoe (or SPD) sits between the two areas under the sole so it’s not a problem. With flat pedal shoes that instep strap is just where the pedal sits so the pins would shred it within a ride or two and with the flex in shoes like Five Tens the toe area would just lift off.

Berghaus had some of their Yeti gaiters for use with walking boots that had a very tight rand to help hold them in place but they still relied on an instep strap.

Edit: to keep warm feet it helps if you keep your legs covered as well – no point in having your legs chill the blood before it gets down to your feet.

https://flic.kr/p/2hDYya8

£180! Suppose its not much more than Northwaves, just that SPD boots tend to last pretty much forever so seem like good value.

just that SPD boots tend to last pretty much forever so seem like good value.

My SPD Specialized Defrosters are from 2006…

+1 for knee length sealskin socks with thin WOOL ‘office’ socks underneath for warmth.
And regular flat shoes over the top -shimano stormtroopers with the lace flap keeps the worst out.

Wish it was as easy to keep a warm dry bum.

Did my first ride in some sealskinz cold weather mid lengths with hydrostop today. My feet were damp after the first few puddles so they’ll be going back. Probably OK if you also have waterproof boots on but that’s not really the point of them.

Will save up and get some proper winter boots.

All the winter boots I’ve owned have let in water and not even been especially warm. All last winter, I used mid length Sealskinz with an SPD shoe one size up from my summer shoes. Warm (ish) and dry feet all winter including 70 miles a week commuting plus off road stuff too. Best solution I’ve found so far 🙂

Northwaves are good. Water will get in from the top eventually, but my feet stay warmer when wet than in non waterproof shoes.

I have shimano winter boots which are very warm and completely dry and also use gore tex socks with ordinary shoes – again warm and completely dry

I think the reason why I remain dry and others do not is twofold. Mudguards and also wearing long lycra that goes over the top of the socks / boots and stops water running down into the socks / boots

Water will get in from the top eventually,

Gripgrab gaiters, trust me!

I think the reason why I remain dry and others do not is twofold. Mudguards and also wearing long lycra that goes over the top of the socks / boots and stops water running down into the socks / boots

Doesn’t work for me. Obviously different mudguards/lycra/boots may produce different results (I’m using Shimano winter boots too) but it’s not a simple foolproof solution.

It actually took a long time of being incredibly puzzled to work out how the water was getting in, since they’re pretty much sealed at the top. Eventually I worked out it was only ever from water on the ground, spraying off the wheel (despite mudguards) and running in copious amounts down my legs. It can be raining cats and dogs and my feet will always stay bone dry, unless there is lot of standing water. Conditions usually have to be pretty extreme to get wet feet. MTB is a bit different when any ride can have you submerged in a bog.

Gaiters may well be the answer.

Endura winter bib tights have (or did have) a completely waterproof shin section, so as long as that was tucked over the top of the boot you could fire a hosepipe at your shins and still have dry feet.

I’m thinking of getting some Northwave raptor gtx. Do you need to size up or is that just for extra room for thick socks?

I’ve got some other Northwave shoes for summer use which fit perfect with my normal size, so not sure whether to size with the winter ones or not?

Endura winter bib tights have (or did have) a completely waterproof shin section

I had a pair of those, they had clip braces and zips at the ankles. MT 500? I wish Endura would bring them back they were excellent.

I gave up on winter boots. As someone has already said, my feet were getting wet from front wheel spray. Because they’re so chunky, they’re difficult to dry in time if you ride regularly.

I’ve settled on trail shoes with as little mesh as I can find and knee length seal skins (which are way better than the things I had 15 years ago!). Then my knee pads go ontop. I’m basically waterproof to the knee, and generally seems a much better solution than long lycra.

I had a pair of those, they had clip braces and zips at the ankles. MT 500? I wish Endura would bring them back they were excellent.

Yep, those are the ones, mine are from 2005ish….

I’m thinking of getting some Northwave raptor gtx. Do you need to size up or is that just for extra room for thick socks?

I found them to be big enough already. I got the ‘artic’ version which has a fleece lining and is warm enough with normal socks, or at worst (beast from the east) my normal winter cycling socks. They’re warm when its 10C midday this time of year, but make up for that over the next 6 months of toasty feet on night rides.

And gripgrab gaiters.

I am surprised nobody has mentioned GripGrab gaiters ,so much better than cut down Marigolds 😉

Yeah but…GripGrabs aren’t available in pink!

🙂

Cheers TINAS. Going for the non arctic ones as I don’t ride in the snow too much. Evans are selling them on Amazon for £130, but not on their own site for some reason?!?!

Gonna get some of those, what were they called again…..Grip Grab Gaiters as well.

Gonna get some of those, what were they called again…..Grip Grab Gaiters as well.

😂

I felt it needed repeating as every other post afterwards was “but the shoes let water in the top”!

Didn’t know about the grip grab gaiters, they look great. I could use those with normal boots (for flat pedal riding) as well as normal SPD boots presumably?

Do you wear them under tights, rather than over, so they stop the water wicking down underneath?

Didn’t know about the grip grab gaiters, they look great. I could use those with normal boots (for flat pedal riding) as well as normal SPD boots presumably?

as long as they’re not too bulky they should work, they’re stretchy, but not infinitely so. It’s basically just the cuffs off a 1.5mm wetsuit.

Do you wear them under tights, rather than over, so they stop the water wicking down underneath?

I’ve tried both, both work. I guess they’re tight enough, and tights are generally water repellent enough that the water takes the path of least resistance outside. I usually put them inside the tights if it’s wet, outside if it’s cold to keep the fleecy roubaix layer closer to the skin.

Okey dokey, I’ve gone for the socks and overshoes plan. Mainly because I found that Sport Pursuit are knocking out Sealskinz at around half price.

Mid length socks and Neoprene overshoes, with a fairly open sole for plenty of off pedal grip.

Not bad at £42 for both.

Once I’ve been out with them, which won’t be for a few weeks yet, I report back!

Mid length is not long enough IMO.

You definitely don’t need winter boots and overshoes. Winter boots negate the need for faffy restrictive overshoes.

Living down south winter isn’t really that harsh TBH so Overshoes over “Summer” shoes are my general preference.

The thing that tends to get you (IME) isn’t so much the cold, it’s cold in combination with moisture, so having something waterproof as part of the layering up of your feet makes sense. The best compromise I’ve found between cost and keeping the wet out for a few hours riding has been to put on my shoes, and then clingfilm my feet into them covering the whole lot including my ankle and then stick the overshoe on top.

Overshoes will inevitably let the wet through eventually. Having that extra barrier to keep the wet out for a bit longer helps a lot, it also traps a bit of heat inside the shoe too.

A bit Heath Robinson perhaps but it’s very cheap and has kept my feet drier for longer and saved me from having to dry out the whole pair of shoes several times, very often you can just pull off the overshoes and either dry them more quickly on their own or simply have a second pair ready to go… PX cheapy ones FTW (IMO).
I’m not sure this would work in a harsher environment but for my location and use it’s about right.

If you’re using them with SPDs I recommend Specialized Defroster boots. Pricey but mine have lasted for years and still keep my feet warm and dry in most conditions.

Flat pedals, the jury’s still out. Waiting on a pair of RocketDog’s Vaude boots showing up and being tested in the wild. I got them for £130-odd on Amazon last week.