I grew up in Colorado. The local grocery store would donate a roll of plastic produce bags for the football team on each snow game. Worked great.

I did the same thing for cycling.

I'm going to try plaster of paris.

I just heard about a trick where you make toe covers out of tin foil to put over your socks, &/or under a thicker pair.
Its supposed to reflect the cold while you ride, & keep your warm parts warm.

My neoprene shoe covers do the trick, but my shoes have vents on the toes, so in very cold weather the cold finds a way in sometimes.

I bought some winter cycling gloves, I find they don't breathe very well. They're damp by the time I get to work.

For a couple of years I have been putting plastic shopping bags over my shoes, then wrapping in duct tape, making a duct tape toe cover. It makes a huge difference. I'm putting them over mountain bike shoes, which already stop the wind better than sneakers, but the toe covers make a big difference.

I tried the shopping bag on feet method. I had a pair of warm socks, then I put my foot in the bag and tied it loosely around my shin (to hold it for the other sock). Then I slipped a second sock over the bag. Goodness.

Unfortunately I'm lazy and I didn't undo it when I got to the office so I make a weird noise when I walk.

M.

FWIW, this morning I used the disposable shoe covers over my socks, and the shoes sprayed with plasti-dip and it was completely satisfactory at 5°, against a 5-10 headwind. I can't say more than it worked one time, for only about 7.5 miles, since we only get this once every 10 or 20 years. And in general the rubber spray tends to degrade and rub off over time. Yet if you have only occasional need for more thermal shoes this trick really did pretty well.

Also the old ratty running shoes (I was about to throw them out) look pretty good after the treatment.

+1, I'm one of those people. Foot in sock in grocery bag in shoe. Trim with scissors around the ankle if you care. That's for warmth.

For rain, it is foot in sock in shoe in bag, wrap the handles around your ankle and tie snugly. Rip one or both handles if additional length is needed. Don't worry about cleats/pedals, plastic shopping bags are thin and flexible enough to not interfere with clipping in. Bag may only last for one ride, but that's the point of being disposable.

I have never thought of that but it is brilliant. Does it really keep a lot of water out of your shoes? does it ever get stuck in your chain?

I have only done it twice myself, but it worked so well the first time I now permanently keep two wadded-up shopping bags in my pannier in case I get caught in the rain. With a snug tie around the ankles, water did not sneak down into the shoes. Depending how long your socks are, you might have to push them down.

I did not experience chain-suck. If it did happen, I'm pretty sure the bag would be weak enough that it wouldn't matter -- you wouldn't be stuck or anything, just tear away. But then you lose your water seal, so it's probably good try to sitchiate things so that the inboard side of the bag is more taut, and any flapping is to the outside.

And of course, this solution is not for everybody. You have to be pretty secure with your inner Fredliness to ride around like a homeless person.

I have used Glad "Press 'n Seal" wrap over socks in toe area to block wind. The stuff sticks to itself better than regular cling wrap. I keep a roll at work.
I have also used plastic grocery bags in a pinch.

Grocery bags, saran wrap, zip locks, aluminum foil - tried em all and they all work. Problem for me is it's a royal pain in the ass especially for commuting when I had to do it twice a day. I have neoprene socks (gator, on amazon) that I wear over wool socks. I also have heated insoles - the combo works great for me down to -4 (farthest tested). Always have to consider the PIA factor!

I use newspaper rain covers -perfect size and weight. Between two layers of socks. Important to use wool socks inside, because wool insulates even when wet. Make sure the bag is air tight or all is lost. Wet feet can be toasty if no air intrudes. I've canceled the printed paper... don't know what I'll do when my stash runs out.

My feet would overheat in alpine ski boots no matter the weather, so I finally went to a thin silk sock. If you do use plastic or whatever to cut down on the wind, I highly advise putting foot powder in your socks first to keep your feet dry. Otherwise clammy will feel ice cold eventually.

The free dog clean up bags at the dog park are the same shape, but, a little shorter. Both are very convenient.

Foot powder is a good suggestion.

I've done longer, but, so far this year I've only done one 6 hour, hard effort ride, in 23-20 F weather. Done a few shorter ones.
Using bags over my feet, they were comfortable if I kept the effort level up. They did get sweaty, they always do, but it does not feel like it. I find out when I get undressed. Maybe people feel things differently? I seem to keep myself warmer than my friends because of my arthritis. I'm used to be warm and a little sweaty. Maybe I'm just used to it? dunno.

Yeah, if you keep the wind out, you never know your feet are sweaty.

This method flies in the face of 'breathability' we've been hearing for forever. I only went there after struggling with iceberg feet for years. I had some gloves that were ridiculously warm - so warm they were unusable above ~15F. They ripped on day, and I discovered a layer of plastic between insulation layers. A bit of research on the topic, and I found a technique for warm(er) feet. I never have found a replacement for those gloves.

A friend of mine is a firefighter. They wear heavy thick like overalls boots and a heavy jacket. They are insulated and can help keep heat away from the body. They don't breath at all, they get soaked with sweat. You know what they do about it ??? Nothing. They do their job sweaty.

I have used a big trash bag with holes for my arms and head as a rain coat, in slightly cool temps. I was very comfortable on the way home.
It was just right.

Hah! I (randomly) started doing this earlier this year when it stopped warming up by the end of the day. It's good, but not perfect.