OhMyGawd! Shoes!?
 

I'd love some advices on winter commuting shoes. I'm in NYC, fresh out of Chicago, and the wife and I are going car free while we are here. I'd like something like a light hiking boot or high top basketball sneaker, that's fully waterproof. I have gaiters to wear with them, so I can seal the ankle pretty well.
I use old timey toe clips so something that will last in the clips is important. Something with long wearing soles too. I've been doing a lot more walking while in New York!
I almost think some hi-top skate board shoes would fit the bill?
What do you guys think?

I have these in the low cut non waterproof and I ride with them all the time. I'm considering the higher Goretex version for rainy days. They aren't cheap, but I have worn Danner boots for years and have always been happy with them. They come in 2 colours, this is the drab green. Not sure how they would be with toe clips as I ride flats.

https://global.danner.com/men/hike/t...olive-gtx.html

I commute in Colorado Springs year-round with toe clips. I find low-top skate-board shoes with a firm sole to be just fine. Low-top, to keep my ankle roating free.
In the snow and rain I wrap a plastic grocery bag or two over my socks, and that seems to work fine for snow up to 3-inches...my limit.

Over the years I have found toe clips will wear a little on the front of the shoe. And simple, uncomplicated smooth-toe shoes work better. Any extra stitching or layering will eventually catch on the clips and be tougher to pull-out.

I once tried a sneaker with some plasticy fake-leather upper and those cracked after a few weeks in the clips. I find canvas or rubberized canvas to work better.

I also put inserts with rigid heel supports in the shoes which helps firm up the soles even more.

I decided to buy fairly inexpensive shoes because I commute most days, and shoes last about a year for me.

Except the last two years, the shoes have lasted longer because I use a different pair of shoes in the winter...a pair of LED lighted sneakers.

I don't have any specific recommendations, but good luck in your search! :thumb:

https://media1.tenor.com/images/4a61...caa5/tenor.gif

I did some more digging and found a Buy It For Life sneaker review and one of the ten recommendations where the Chrome commuter sneaker

https://www.chromeindustries.com/pro...lor=GYBL&cgid=

Since it made it onto the “durable shoe list” and it was the only cycling specific shoe on that list I looked it up, and the black and white color is being discontinued, so instead of 75 bucks, it was 30.
Nothing to loose there!
When they come in I’ll put up a mini review 👍

For future reference, I really like UGG shoes for their warmth and waterproof qualities. NOT the boots -- I forget what these are called, but they're no longer made. Going on 11 years, and my feet still come out dry when I wear these in the rain.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8e0ab011b.jpeg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3a891ec7f.jpeg

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I unboxed them this afternoon and walking around the apartment is great. More substantial and comfortable than Chucks, and a smidge wider, which is awesome.

I just ordered a second pair, since I'm assuming they're ending those models, and for my feet, I like 'em.

Once I wear them on my 17 mile commute I'll have better info, but they're basically skate shoes with a stiffer sole made from 1000 denier backpack nylon, what's not to like.
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...e06dcac4a4.jpg
Some reviews say they are hot/don't breathe. I tend to put out both heat and moisture so I'll have more info after a few rides.
The reason for the second pair is to rotate, so I don't get any odor build up! :thumb:

Very nice... I like the lace retention, too.

Chr0m0ly heck yeah! I'll have to see if those are still around by Thursday when the paycheck hits

I use mini, aka 1/2 clips & used some light hikers a few times this winter. they're not insulated or water proof but they have room for socks & chemical toe warmers

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fd7cc5b61e.jpg

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4679107d79.jpg

these are on my wish list Columbia Men's Peakfreak Venture MID Waterproof Omni-Heat Hiking Boot

That's a great photo, how'd you do it?

hand held sport cam (wide angle makes that easier & then cropped). if I think something is worth remembering like which shoe I wore that day, snap, what glove was good, snap, how dumb I looked dressed the way I was, snap, fell on bike in this spot, snap etc etc. I have 3 of these, 1 set to single frame, 1 set to burst (10 FPS) & 1 set to time lapse (every 5 sec). they do video of course too. got a cpl mounts on bars, helmet, stick & small pod. usually tho just have one on the helmet & 1 in a pocket. not the best quality but good enough for my foolishness

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9dd22d4933.jpg

currently I'm curious about wheels & tires & what goes on at the ground level while moving w/o killing myself :/ (too much time on my hands, I guess)

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Having room for socks is my second most important factor when buying shoes. The first is having room for feet. :lol:

Search for "bike shoes police." You'll see some listings specifically for use by police as well as some Zappo listings, including a medium-high-top shoe that looks promising.

Sno-Seal is usually a good treatment for any winter shoes used for cycling.

Dig how the perspective makes it look like you're riding a comically small bike. :thumb:

oh haha yeah that's funny & weird! the 170 degree wide angle lens must be to blame for that, but also might be the angle of the camera & proximity to the shoe. it's fun to stitch a cpl frames together

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The second pair arrived last week.

They’re a little different, the Vans knock off instead of the Chucks. The Vans pair fit a little snugger, Probably because they don’t have the rubber toe cap.

A few differences, other than fit and toe bumper... the reflective strip on the heel is larger on the Vans, but the Vans doesn’t have the elastic “lace garage” and the aglets on the Vans are normal plastic, while the Chucks have a pair in steel.

It seems like the Chucks are the heavier duty shoe, with the bumper, steel lace ends, and lace keeper, while the Vans are slightly lighter duty, with fewer bells and whistles.

I have a slight preference for the Vans style, I think the snugger fit will break in better, and the lighter weight will be better in warmer months. But that means I can relegate the Chuck style to cooler weather and the slightly roomier fit will accommodate some wooly socks.

I’ll check in later with any durability issues as they come up, but so far so good.

I didn't even notice the lace thingy, thanks for pointing that out.

I got the Chucks in size 10 - on most shoes I've long worn 10.5 but these feel big.