Viewing 40 posts - 1 through 40 (of 62 total)
  • Winter SPD boots
  • garage-dweller
    Full Member

    Sorry if it’s been done lately but been off the forum for a few weeks.

    Winter boots (ideally)
    Wide toe box – nail surgery from narrow disco slippers is spendy and I don’t want it again.
    Wide feet generally

    I mostly ride flats in Summer/dry conditions but wet 5-10s + frosty / wet night rides is a level of cold discomfort I can do without. The current 5-10s are pre the Adidas era and the new unused pair I have seem narrower so I think the last may have changed at some point hence not my default place to look. 🫤

    Tried seal skinz, tried my old regular SPD shoes (now split) and overshoes and convinced it’s a decent winter SPD boot I’m after.

    bigdaddy
    Full Member

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

    spooky_b329
    Full Member

    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!

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    ton
    Full Member

    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

    timba
    Free Member

    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 🙂

    oceanskipper
    Full Member

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

    MSP
    Full Member

    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.

    timba
    Free Member

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

    Not IME, YMMV

    ton
    Full Member

    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

    mmannerr
    Full Member

    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.

    fasthaggis
    Full Member

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

    garage-dweller
    Full Member

    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?

    spooky_b329
    Full Member

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

    ransos
    Free Member

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

    fatbikeandcoffee
    Free Member

    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

    clubby
    Full Member

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

    thepurist
    Full Member

    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.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    columbia fairbanks omni heat

    Tick

    montgomery
    Free Member

    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.

    ratherbeintobago
    Full Member

    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.

    oceanskipper
    Full Member

    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.

    kiwijohn
    Full Member

    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.

    damascus
    Free Member

    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.

    towzer
    Full Member

    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.

    Fat-boy-fat
    Full Member

    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!

    dovebiker
    Full Member

    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.

    Boots

    tonyg2003
    Full Member

    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).

    onewheelgood
    Full Member

    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’?

    fossy
    Full Member

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

    mrmoofo
    Full Member

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

    damascus
    Free Member

    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

    ratherbeintobago
    Full Member

    @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.

    clubby
    Full Member

    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.

    thepurist
    Full Member

    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

    Del
    Full Member

    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.

    onewheelgood
    Full Member

    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!

    Fat-boy-fat
    Full Member

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

    suburbanreuben
    Free Member

    “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!

    matt_outandabout
    Full Member

    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.

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