Winter Cycling - Recommendations for socks with Lake MXZ 300 boots

I picked up a pair of Lake MXZ 300 shoes and I think I may be over compensating in the sock department or not using the right type of socks.

The ride this morning was 16°F. The commute is 15 miles each way.

I wore a pair of Thorlos :: http://www.thorlo.com/datadriven/view_product.asp?s=JLM

And a pair of these over the Thorlos :: http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=139&subcategory=1216&brand=&sku=7642&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=

My toes still got cold after about 45 min. on the bike. I think it may be because of sweaty feet.

Are there better socks out there?

I also have the MXZs, and they are awesome. I wear one pair of ski-socks underneath. When the temps dip well below freezing, and I'm going to be out in the cold for many hours, I also use chemical toe warmers.

I wonder if you're not cutting off circulation by using two pair of socks? That would account for the cold. However, sweat could also cause your feet to get cold. I'd try the ride sans the Nashbar wet-weather socks. They may be too clamy for your set-up. The Lakes are pretty much water-proof, so you really don't need that type of sock underneath.

Good luck, and please let the group know what you find out. :)

What size Lake did you wear, relative to your normal cycling shoe size?

Toe compression is my problem, and I hope it will be fixed once I get the SPD sandals I ordered. The Lakes look great, but I don't have the $150 to spend on them right now.

I would certainly ditch the nashbar socks to try to cut down on sweat.

I would consider a wool hiking sock and, if still too cold, a lightweight inner sock (cycling sock or hiking inner sock) to help move sweat from your feet.

I normally wear a 47 or 48, but I went ahead and got a size 50 (the largest they make) to allow for more toe room with thicker socks.

I wear medium weight Smartwool hiking socks down to around 20 without chemical warmers and I'm good for 3+ hours. Below that and I'll use toe warmers...

Most of the I wear my lightweight summer time Sock Guy wool socks with my MXZ 300s. The MXZs have enough insulation that I don't need winter time socks. On a two hour ride at 15 F, my feet will be fine. Colder than that, or longer than that, and I'lll consider thicker socks.

I usually just wear my run-of-the-mill thin wicking socks inside my Lakes. I've been quite comfortable down to about -10°F as demonstrated by my coworkers "I Dare You" ride of yesterday afternoon.

Everybody's comfort levels gonna be different.