Epicus07 

I'm commuting with Nashbar's commuter sandals which i love but my toes have been freezing in the pacific northwest. I typically run a light weight wool sock with a bigger warmer wool over it. So far i haven't been caught in the rain too bad (i'm planning on buying water proof socks for this) but my toes get way too cold during the ride.

I'd hate to buy new shoes when warmer weather is only a few months away. Does anyone else commute with bike sandals during the winter?

cpach

That sounds rough. I'm in Santa Cruz, CA, and I'm not sure how the weather quite compares, but I wouldn't really want sandals. They make some pretty fatty wool socks, but I'd think the lack of any sort of vapor/wind barrier would result in a lot of cold. You could get a waterproof breathable over sock. Then again, very nice socks and oversocks and such aren't super cheap, so I wouldn't dismiss the idea of a cycling shoe. The cheap varient would of course just be a bag or something, but it won't breathe.

Personally I've been rocking neoprene overshoes on cycling shoes recently on colder rides. I did a ride in December where I couldn't feel my feet for hours, and couldn't warm them at all on the side of the road, so now I'm paranoid.

hshan

Hey! Someone else wearing the Nashbar sandals. I bought these specifically so that i could ride them in colder weather. I can't remember where I was reading about some hard core winter commuter that wore sandals and wool socks. So, I went the sealz skins method wearing them over my woolies with pretty good results on cooler rides . Feet stay dry and no wind. But after about 15 miles, I find perspiration can't totally escape and feet slowly become cold. maybe it is also because of decreased circulation as the sealz fit rather tightly?!

But, I 've found another solution that works really well for me. I've bought Neoprene overs (Endura MT500) in an extra large size so that I can wrestle my sandles into them. They zip up from the back, so now i enter the sandal/overshoe from the back using only the back sandle strap to secure and also the Endura zipper and velcro lock.

Perfect! My feet feel very roomy (I am wearing only one pair of smart-wool socks), totally wind proof and water proof. And, after 15 miles still warm and with good circulation. I can wiggle my toes and feet around in there.

I did a 40 mile ride with my son over the holidays and did a nice A-B test. He wore the sandals with smart-wool and sealz skin, I the smartwool/Endura. He was cold around 10 miles and very uncomfortable around 15. The temp was 11 degrees with 20 mph winds. We stopped and swapped out (same size feet). After a couple of miles his feet started coming back and shortly there after they were fine. We had to stop again for a switch to save mine before the end of the ride.

We did find though, on a subsequent ride, that if he put (he let me wear the Endura combo being they were mine and i'm older) on another pair of socks, his feet stayed warmer. So perhaps a layer to trap the moisture away from the skin was enough.. and maybe it wasn't a circulation issue.

Still, we both agreed that the roomy feeling of the sandals/Endura was much preferred.

Blues Frog

Leave room in the cycling SHOES; 1 to 1.5 sizes larger than summer shoes. Wear medium weight wool socks and you will be warm in most weather. DON'T tie them tightly. The trapped air space is heated air. It makes you feel warm. In extreme wind use waterproof shoe covers. Or go the MTB high top shoes. In Misery ; 15 mph wind @ 15 mph speed in 10* F with high humidity makes you feel the cold. Then add sleet or snow.

Epicus07 

Thanks for the advice guys. It rarely gets colder than 30*F on my commute. I imagine that will work wonderfully.

Blues Frog

https://www.machka.net/whatworks/coldfeet.htm This has some great ideas. I know you aren't in Alberta but it sounds like it should get colder than 30*F in WA.

scroca

I ride in sandals year round. Last week it was 22F. I wear 3 pairs of wool socks when it is that cold. I wear large but have xl to put on as outer layer -- you want room for air to create a warm chamber, which you won't get it you squish your toes with socks that are too tight.

Get waterproof socks big enough to fit over your regular wool for when it is cold and raining.

Leebo

Uh, winter boots usually work good for me, in the winter.

Ekdog

Welcome to the forum!

I've never found the SealSkinz to be effective. I was out in a rainstorm on Saturday morning, and they leaked like a sieve--my feet were soaked after about an hour of riding. Good thing it doesn't get all that cold in this neck of the woods.

I'm looking for a better solution. Maybe some Goretex-lined shoes or something.

scroca

Not mine. I have 3 pairs and none of them leak. If your feet are getting wet, maybe its perspiration because that has no way out from a waterproof barrier. Or maybe you just got unlucky if you know they do in fact leak. In that case, I'd send them back.

Epicus07 

I have some of the pearl izumi shoe covers that keep the water out and insulate pretty well. I used them on my old mtb shoes i don't know why it didn't occur to me to use them with sandals. They do fit. I'll let you know how they work when the snow leaves.

Puget Pounder

Ditch the sandles, you fool. It's winter here!

Epicus07 

Troll lol