Winter Cycling - Waterproof Winter Cycling Shoes

Is anyone making these yet? I've seen mention of the Lakes a couple times and I might just get those and some waterproof socks, but I thought I should check if there is anything new first.

I believe sidi also makes one. I was going to get the lakes but they wont work properly with speedplay frog pedal. Looks like i'll still be using booties and plastic bags this winter.

I live in Vancouver, BC. In other words im under water 7 months a year.

I just picked up the shimano sandals, woolie boolie DeFeet socks, and some sealskinz.

Bring on the rain :)

Rain is one of those things thats hard to combat. In certain body areas, its best to just let it get wet, stay warm, and dry fast. The sandals dry in minutes, my road shoes take days.

Saw a guy riding with Rubber Overshoes, Gators, and Rain pants...

Looked like the ticket for me... I can't find them dayum overshoes though... have the gators from my Ski gear.

I believe sidi also makes one. I was going to get the lakes but they wont work properly with speedplay frog pedal. Looks like i'll still be using booties and plastic bags this winter.

So would anyone recommend the SIDI shoes over the Lakes?

Rain is one of those things thats hard to combat. In certain body areas, its best to just let it get wet, stay warm, and dry fast. The sandals dry in minutes, my road shoes take days.

Try stuffing loosely balled up newspapers into your wet shoes. Replace with fresh newspaper after a couple of hours.

Works great. I keep a stack of old newspapers in my office just for that purpose.

I have a pair of the Lake Winter shoes and haven't gotten wet feet yet with them. Sometimes, as an extra precaution, I put a pair of neoprene booties on top.

My Lake winter mtn bike shoes are the most comfortable shoes (of any type) I've ever owned. They're a little heavy for roadie club rides in NJ, but would be the perfect commuter shoe for people who ride thru slush and snow. http://www.bikemannetwork.com/biking/p/SH-LAKEMXZ300

I believe sidi also makes one. I was going to get the lakes but they wont work properly with speedplay frog pedal. Looks like i'll still be using booties and plastic bags this winter.

I've run with the lake winter shoes (46.5) and frogs for several years now. They're no problem with road cranks, tho i did have to cut off one of the bumps on the inside side of the pedal to clear the much thicker truvative MTB cranks while clipping out.

Try stuffing loosely balled up newspapers into your wet shoes. Replace with fresh newspaper after a couple of hours.

Works great. I keep a stack of old newspapers in my office just for that purpose.

Ive done the newspaper trip before.
But why bother when i just let my sandals lay on the floor and 10 min later their dry :)

How about saving some moolah and just getting shoe covers. The performance ones work HUGE wonders.

It's funny that this thread has come back up today as I am pretty much decided I will order the shoes tomorrow. It's not as cold here as it is a lot of places, but I commute year round so it is worth it to me to pay the extra money for the shoes if for no other reason than to not have to deal with the covers.

Thanks for all the advice.

Lake MXZ300 Winter Mountain Bike Shoes
Sidi Storm 2 Winter Mountain Shoe
Answer - Kashmir Winter Shoes
Northwave Celsius GTX Winter MTB Shoes
Gaerne Polar MTB Competition Shoe


just a few..

Newbie here...to the forum anyway. New job in Memphis and I have found the 20 mile round trip commute is very doable. Had one cool morning and the toes got cold in normal Specialized shoes. No room for the heavy wool sock and never used booties. Is it a good idea to pick up a pair of cheap shoes from Nashbar/Performance and go with them in the winter with room for socks or should I stick with what I own and try booties? And what type/brand?

Thanks in advance!

Why not just get neoprene booties?

Why not just get neoprene booties?

Agreed... I got mine off of eBay for 12.99

I have got the neoprene booties but I have also sprayed my shimano MTB shoes with silicone waterproofing spray (for tents I think) and filled the cavity underneath the cleat with bathroom silicone sealant (the rubbery stuff you use to seal the edges of baths with).

They were just like sponges before. How can they sell these as MTB shoes?

I have the Lakes, and they are fantastic. Yup, they are pricey, but the payback is warm, dry feet! You can check out http://www.mtbr.com/ the reviews for both the Lake, and the Sidi offerings.

Why not just get neoprene booties?


Ok, now would you consider it? :)

Ok, now would you consider it? :)

??

I've got two pair of neoprene booties and one pair of nylon booties. I've also got neoprene waterproof socks and neoprene ankle wraps.

When I'm cycling, I take the warmth and dryness of my feet very seriously.

??

I've got two pair of neoprene booties and one pair of nylon booties. I've also got neoprene waterproof socks and neoprene ankle wraps.

When I'm cycling, I take the warmth and dryness of my feet very seriously.

Im sorry, I meant to be implying that to the OP. :o

Timberland has a line of shoes that are wind- and water-proof. They are still fairly expensive compared to booties or shoe covers. But they look like a good-quality shoe.

http://www.timberland.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=1770272&cp=1779791.1761081

Guess I need to hunt down some booties and just stay a one shoe family for now! Last week I completed by first 100% commute week for a total of 100 miles. Got down to 48F and WINDY. Went out this Sat and rode 38 miles with the crew. I need booties and a decent wind jacket. This cold (I just moved from TX) weather riding is a science unto itself! I think I can spend more money on gear than I save on gas?!?!?!

The following refers to winter/wet ROAD shoes.
I use neoprene toe warmers on cool days, they cover the (breathable) material of my road shoes and they work good on cool dry days.
On cold or wet days I use my Northwave winter road shoes, I could add the toe warmers on really cold days for extra warmth.
I tried booties (that cover the whole shoe) but didn't fit into my "get onto the bike as quick as possible" morning commute routine, as they take some time to stretch them over your shoe and leg, if I wasn't in a hurry, it might be a different thing.
The Northwave shoes are not as good a shoe as my normal (Pearl Izumi) shoes but they are OK and not too expensive. As more winter/rain road shoes are designed, I may switch in the future, but for now the Norhtwave are a fair choice.
I think gators have some potential for rain days as most of the moisture, oil and grit from the street lands on my shins, but they would need to be tighter than the snow gators I own now.

I believe sidi also makes one. I was going to get the lakes but they wont work properly with speedplay frog pedal. Looks like i'll still be using booties and plastic bags this winter.

Hmmmmm... I've been using the Lake winter boot (MZ 300 or something) for the last two winters with Speedplay Frogs here in Minnesota and they work just fine!

Hmmmmm... I've been using the Lake winter boot (MZ 300 or something) for the last two winters with Speedplay Frogs here in Minnesota and they work just fine!

You're right they do work with speed-play frogs.

I tried the Lake mxz300 today and they're definitely not water resistant. At $189 dollars you would think they would make the ankle part of the shoe water resistant. Also the sole is way to flexible and on a small platform like the speed-play your feet will feel the pain. I'm lucky i bought these shoe used and didn't pay full price.

Gaerne Polar MTB Competition Shoe



Anyone know where I could try one of these in the seattle area?

TIA

i am looking to get the lake mxz301's this year..
but have a decent set up with an old pair of lake single strap road shoes, and a pair of rubber soled neoprene booties.. with a twist.. I mounted the look cleats over top of the bootie sole... this keeps me from getting wet feet, and minimizes the transference of cold from the metal pedal to the plastic cleat to the plastic sole and to my feet.. there is still room to flip the back of the bootie down over the heal and provides enough room to get in and out ok.. as good as this set up is tho, it still doesn't offer as much toe room as the MXZ301s will... the more room for the toes and thicker socks the better.. I will still use the lake perma-bootie setup as back up for days when the MXZ301s are still wet and drying..

You're right they do work with speed-play frogs.

I tried the Lake mxz300 today and they're definitely not water resistant. At $189 dollars you would think they would make the ankle part of the shoe water resistant. Also the sole is way to flexible and on a small platform like the speed-play your feet will feel the pain. I'm lucky i bought these shoe used and didn't pay full price.

Hmmm, I don't know what's going on with the pair you have but mine are water resistant and has very stiff soles. I have crumby feet and need very stiff soles and I've had no problems. I'm truly sorry you had such a bad experience with them. Maybe the other brands will work better for you. Good luck!

I'm new to the whole bike shoes thing and this is a really dumb question. But how do I convert regular US shoe sizes to these sizes?? I'm a 7.5 in US...what is that in bike shoes??



EDIT: Nevermind....they're European sizes....duh.

I'm new to the whole bike shoes thing and this is a really dumb question. But how do I convert regular US shoe sizes to these sizes?? I'm a 7.5 in US...what is that in bike shoes??



EDIT: Nevermind....they're European sizes....duh.

I would go to the Shoe Manufacturer Web Site you are thinking of buying to check out Sizing.

I have found they tend to be different.
(Answer 48 = 13.5)
(Shimano 48 = 13.0)

And.... it does matter if you want MALE or FEMALE size shoes.
(Hard to tell what sex your feet are from here)

I would go to the Shoe Manufacturer Web Site you are thinking of buying to check out Sizing.

I have found they tend to be different.
(Answer 48 = 13.5)
(Shimano 48 = 13.0)

And.... it does matter if you want MALE or FEMALE size shoes.
(Hard to tell what sex your feet are from here)



Bleh....looks like you're right.


This seems to be a conversion chart for shoe sizes....

http://www.i18nguy.com/l10n/shoes.html


But the manufacturers seem to completely ignore it. Here's the Lake page:

http://www.lakecycling.com/2005/size1.htm


I'm a dude BTW :)

Anyone know where I could try one of these in the seattle area?

TIA


http://www.gaernebike.com/contact.asp

Call/E-mail the main guys and see where the Shoes are in your area

I got a pair of Northwave Grizzlys from my lbs for $130. We had a very nasty Noreaster hit a couple weeks ago. It was their first test and as far as waterproofness, and they kind of failed. Water can get in from above because the neoprene on the ankle isn't nearly high enough. Another problem is that the zipper has a "storm flap" underneath it, but the open side of the flap faces DOWN. This renders the flap useless. Once water gets through the zipper, it runs straight down on top of the foot. Granted, this was a driving rain with 40+mph winds. My feet didn't get completely waterlogged, and they stayed warm, but water the socks were very wet nonetheless.
The good points are that it definitely has a lot more toe room than any other shoe, winter or regular, I've ever tried. More toeroom than my Carnac Legends and my Carnac Platinums. The sole is nearly as stiff as my road shoes. It's only gotten down to the high thirties so far, but with one pair of old worn out Craft wool socks, my feet were completly comfortable. Not hot, not sweaty, but not cold and no drafts. To try to minimize any future wet feet, I decided to try gators as well.
I recently purchased these gators
http://www.basegear.com/raptorgaiter.html
I did a lot of research. I had several must-have criteria
1. Must be waterproof
2. Must cover as much of the lower foot as possible. This means it dips down on both the sides of the shoe and as far forwards towards the toe of the shoe.
3. Must be full gators, coming to just below the knee.
These appear to the be tightest gators available. They're made of stretch Gortex XCR. They're expensive, but hopefully worth it. Without having actually worn them in the wet, they appear to be very very well made. The top has the usual cincher with quickrelease. Beneath the front velcro flap is a zipper that's has a very sturdy and very tight zipper seal. All seams are taped. By punching out an additional hole for the buckle allowing it to be secured way lower than normal, the bottom of the gators form a near perfect seal with the shoes. I'm still trying to think of some way of attaching a metal ring near towards the front of the top of my shoes so I could make use of the hook designed to stretch over lower boot laces. This would help stretch the front bottom of the gators over the entire zipper of the Grizzleys. Barring that, I'm thinking of seeing if I can just put some ShoeGoo over the first inch of the zipper and see if I can still get into the shoes with the limited opening.
I'm still waiting for the next Noreaster to hit so I can field test this setup. Meanwhile, I got a pair of Gill Freedom pants arriving soon, along with an REI Coldfront jacket (on sale for $20)so they'll get a testing as well. Once the real main winter temps hit, I'll get to test out a pair of Mountain Hardware Headwall XCR gloves. http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=39191341&memberId=12500226
If this Gortex XCR is all hype and not effective, I've really thrown some money down the toilet.

Is anyone making these yet? I've seen mention of the Lakes a couple times and I might just get those and some waterproof socks, but I thought I should check if there is anything new first.

I have the shimano ones. Would swear by them. Pair of gortex socks for the really really wet days.
I wear a nice pair of merino wool socks which covers most days.
I commute every day - I just find that overshoes are just one other thing to wear and carry. They tend to wear out quickly and are not cheap over here for a good pair.
I figure I will get 4/5 years out of the Shimano which given that I commute 1.5 hours a day is not bad value.

Shoe covers wear out from walking on concrete. Sometimes I need to walk as much as 1/4 mile to get from bldg to bike parking spot.

Wow the Polar Competitions look great. Anyone have experience with these. Are they decent to walk in?

http://www.gaernebike.com/contact.asp


Edited: These look very good too...anyone know where you can get Northwave Celsius GTX Goretex Winter shoes. They probably have a differant name here in the USA
http://www.westbrookcycles.co.uk/acatalog/Shimano_MTB_Shoes.html

Bumping an old thread as much to show that I've searched as anything... :)

I'm looking for waterproof shoes for use in the Irish winter. This usually consists of a mild but very wet and windy season. We get temps ranging from anything in -5C to +20C but mainly around +4 to +10C with a lot of rain.

I'm tired of my feet being warm but soaked from both rain and sweat thanks to the neoprene booties. I'd love to have waterproof shoes. Can you guys recommend anything for me?

Bumping an old thread as much to show that I've searched as anything... :)

I'm looking for waterproof shoes for use in the Irish winter. This usually consists of a mild but very wet and windy season. We get temps ranging from anything in -5C to +20C but mainly around +4 to +10C with a lot of rain.

I'm tired of my feet being warm but soaked from both rain and sweat thanks to the neoprene booties. I'd love to have waterproof shoes. Can you guys recommend anything for me?
Seal Socks?

Not my thing. I'd rather have waterproof shoes...

I know this is an old thread, but still it's worth talking about....

I've been using the Lake 300's for 5 years and love them...They're water resistent, but NOT water proof. They're intended to be a wintertime shoe, and as such they'll keep you warm and dry in freezing temperatures. They wont keep you completely dry in a drenching rain storm or if they're submerged in water .

There aren't any cycling specific shoes that come with a waterproof membrane. If you're riding in temps warm enough for water to melt, you're better off using waterproof socks or booties. In freezing temperatures, you need warmth, not waterproofing.

Bumping an old thread as much to show that I've searched as anything... :)

I'm looking for waterproof shoes for use in the Irish winter. This usually consists of a mild but very wet and windy season. We get temps ranging from anything in -5C to +20C but mainly around +4 to +10C with a lot of rain.

I'm tired of my feet being warm but soaked from both rain and sweat thanks to the neoprene booties. I'd love to have waterproof shoes. Can you guys recommend anything for me?


I just bought a pair of Northwave Fahrenheit GTXs from Chicagoland:

http://www.cbike.com/winter_shoes.htm

They are made with GoreTex so they should be waterproof and warm! I haven't used them yet. I'll post more when I actually get to use them.

Perhaps I'm too cheap, but plastic Walmart bags in my shoes work better than the fancy socks I got from REI. I just put the shoes on the heat register when I get to the office.

Lake MXZ300 Winter Mountain Bike Shoes
Sidi Storm 2 Winter Mountain Shoe
Answer - Kashmir Winter Shoes
Northwave Celsius GTX Winter MTB Shoes
Gaerne Polar MTB Competition Shoe


just a few..

Gaerne Polar MTB Competition Shoe - This boot is ugly but works great. They block the wind and water but are not too hot.

I've got the Lake 301's. Comfy, warm (for me until about 0*f), and ALMOST waterproof. Even with proper sealing, last year I had a few--very few despite daily wear--occassions where my tootsies got wet. Remember: all cleated shoes have holes in the bottom. Every shoe has a big hole in the top.

I'm thinking about getting one of either the Gaerne Eskimo MTB Shoe (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?Main=ProductDetail.aspx&W=0&Manufacturer=&UberCatName=&Cat=cycle&CategoryName=Shoes%20-%20Cycle%20MTB&ProdID=5360019842&UberCat=0) or Shimano SH-MW02 Shoe (http://www.wiggle.co.uk/Default.aspx?Main=ProductDetail.aspx&W=0&Manufacturer=&UberCatName=&Cat=cycle&CategoryName=Shoes%20-%20Cycle%20MTB&ProdID=5360020445&UberCat=0).

Since I'm not worried about temperatures below 0C I think the Shimano might be the better option since it's slightly cheaper. The Gaerne looks more waterproof.

Don't shoot me, please. This will be my first winter using clipless on my road bike. In previous winters, I just used some waterproof shoes I ordered from Lands End on my platforms. I purchased what were supposed to be waterproof booties. They are warm (really warm!), but, I would not call them waterproof. You can go five miles or so in heavy rain without leakage, but, longer than that, and water gets through around the zipper. I also found that water wicks up the outer fabric under the pants leg of my rain suit wets the lower portions of my trouser legs.

I am thinking of just purchasing a pair of high-topped totes, slipping them over my MTB clipless shoes, notching out the bottom to allow the cleat to protrude.

Any one ever try this? Thoughts about it, anyone? My platforms/Lands End combo wasn't stylish, and of course, not as fun to ride as clipless, but it was always bone dry.

Comments welcome. Thanks.

Caruso