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I got a pair of Shimano MW80 winter bike shoes for Christmas and CCrew asked me how they were. At the time, we were having mild weather, so I said I would post a mini review once the weather turned colder again.
We're back to winter weather now, so I thought I would post my thoughts. First, a little background... My toes seem to be particularly sensitive to the cold as it's the only body part I can't keep warm when the temps are below freezing. I've tried double (and even triple) layer socks, wind-proof socks, loose fitting shoes, neoprene booties, hiking boots with platforms, you name it. My toes are fine for the first hour or so, but the numbness eventually settles in during the second hour of my commute. Double socks in my loosest fitting SPDs with neoprene booties was the only combination that worked for me, but I hated putting on the neoprene booties each time I rode.
So, with that in mind, I was eager to try out the MW80s. They're a little bigger than my normal shoes to accommodate extra socks. I've ridden about 200 miles in temps ranging from 15F to 40F (yeah, I know, that's not cold for some of you, but it's typical winter here). About 50 of these miles were in the rain, 50 in dry weather below freezing, and 100 in the snow.
Positives
These shoes are very comfortable both on and off the bike. They walk like normal shoes with the SPD cleats recessed enough that they don't contact the floor.
They kept my feet mostly dry in the rain. Eventually water did get in, but even then, my feet were warm. Snow was not a problem at all, as my feet stayed dry while walking in the snow.
With double socks, they work about as well as my other shoes with neoprene booties. That is, I can ride in 15F for about 90 minutes before my toes get cold, and after 2 hours, they're cold but not numb.
Negatives
The top of the boot has a velcro flap where the "hooked" side of the velcro is on the inside. This flap always manages to fold down when I put my feet in causing the velcro to attach firmly to my socks. Not a big deal, but it makes putting on the boots slightly annoying.
If you get these boots wet, it takes a LONG time to dry them out. After a 2 hour ride in the rain, it took about a day before they were dry again (with insole removed and placed on top of a warm radiator).
Conclusions
They're certainly a better solution than what I had, but I was half expecting my toes would be "toasty" on a 2-hour ride at 15F. They're not quite that warm (at least, not for me), but all in all, I like them.