lyle.coop

I got in a ride yesterday. It was probably 44 degrees out. I had on thick socks and toe covers for my road bike shoes. My toes were cold. Not terrible - but I'm sure if it was in the low 30s, I would be uncomfortable.

Are thermal booties more helpful than the toe covers I have? I really don't need water protection. Just want to keep my toes warm.

Any model booties that you guys recommend?

Thanks

jsilvia

Wool socks make a big difference.

chaadster

A winter cycling shoe is a good investment if you prize both warmth and convenience. Otherwise, there are a buch of things you can do to keep warm.

To the specific question, thermal overshoes with windproof fronts, like the Gore Shield Thermo, are good. I have old Sugoi fleece lined ones which are similar but not totally wind-/waterproof, but I now use Northwave Arctic Celsius winter shoes when it gets cold.

Various weights of thermal socks are in most winter cyclists’ kit drawers, too, especially wool and electric heated. How thick you can go depends on how much room you have in your shoes…another good reason for winter-specific shoes which are roomier. I use DeFeet The Blaze woolies and some unknown brand of rechargeable electrics which I got off Amazon but which have heating elements both atop and below the toes, which is crucial.

Other things to do are to tape over vent holes in the shoes, and spray-glue aluminum foil to the bottom of the insole to help reflect heat.

waters60

Don’t wear socks that are too thick. You need a little space to trap warmth.

Litespud

Overshoes (zip up the back) will definitely do better than toe covers - they just keep in more heat. I use a pair of LG overshoes that I've had for the last 5-6 years that stay comfortable down to zero-ish, which is as cold as I'm willing to go in any case. They look to be constructed similarly to your pictured toe covers, but full coverage. As other have said, wool socks will also help, just don't try too-thick socks - they'll act against you by restricting circulation if the make your shoes too tight.

woodcraft

Yes, booties are warmer than toe covers. I no longer bother with toe covers. Get them large as can be a PIA to get on & off at stated size.

Try to get hi vis ones since mostly used winter/ bad weather.

base2 

It's not a big deal to place a piece of tape over any ventilation holes that may be present in your particular shoe.

Neoprene booties are also a big help. Not only do they provide a thermal barrier to keep the warmth you have, they also keep the wind off your shoe.

have you tried a heat reflective insole? I found that with regular insoles, there wasn't enough between my foot & the steel plate the SPD clip bolted into. A better insole helped keep the pedal/cleat from sucking the heat out.

Psimet2001 

If you're going to ride in cold weather consistently then having a pair of winter shoes/boots is a huge benefit. The rules of thumb mentioned above do apply -

Make sure you can move your toes. Adding more socks or thicker socks can restrict blood flow and actually make your toes colder. That's why we recommend adding 1-2 shoe sizes when ordering winter boots.

If you can't get winter boots then first make sure you aren't allowing air through the vents. As mentioned duct tape works great and is what a lot of us racers resort to during cross season or for early season road .

Toe covers seem to help in the 50degree range.

Booties below 40.

Chemical toe warmers are worth their weight in gold and can compensate for not having booties or winter boots. They can get you "1 level" colder using the same riding gear.

Iride01 

There are so many possible correct answers depending on the conditions you ride in, your personal preference and your willingness to open your wallet. Many of them mentioned in the replies already made.

You should try several and decide what works for you.

chaadster

You don’t think trying one or none and being indifferent to outcomes might work?

lyle.coop

Thanks guys..... I like the duct tape over the vent idea. But how do you get the duct tape residue off when the winter season is over.

I'll look into overshoes - good call on oversizing them. I figured the manufacturer would have done that already.

I went for a ride yesterday and used thick socks with a thermal sock over it. The thermal sock has a fleece lined interior with a sort of wind resistant exterior. I forgot I had these socks. It was sort of a tight fit when I pulled it on, but I was going for a quick 20 mile ride. Yesterdays ride condition were 42*F but 30* real feel because of the wind gusts. My feet were fine - besides the uncomfortable feel of too much material being bunched up together in the toe box. The 20 mile ride ended up being a 13 miles ride. I think a thinner sock with the thermal sock on top might be a good solution for 40* degree days.

Carbonfiberboy 

Yeah, as some above have commented, toe covers aren't worth bothering with, also tape, etc. Silly IMO. What you want is something like these: https://www.amazon.com/BBB-Cycling-S.../dp/B0813WYJHF

I've been using these for 10 years or so. Best I've found so far. There are also lighter booties, but I've quit having multiple choices. Too warm is better than too cold.

Seattle Forrest

A little goes a long way below the belt. When I've used neoprene booties I've wound up overheating on the uphills. Unless it's frigid out it's better for me to just block the vents in the shoes so I don't lose warmth to the wind, va trying to hoard warmth in my feet and then having too much. It's weird because this doesn't happen with hands, and I have the same issue with pants.

Alpaca socks are like wool ones but even better.

Psimet2001 

"It's a tool, not a jewel."

Don't want residue then spend money on other solutions. Want something fast, cheap and easy then use duct tape. You can try goo gone after you're done but I personally don't like slathering a mild solvent on modern shoes that use so many different glues and materials to hold themselves together.

Booties or different, cheap shoes you can keep covered with tape.

lyle.coop

These seem pretty good and durable. Do you size up one size? I’m a 43 eur or 9.5 US. They are out of size 43 in black.

Carbonfiberboy 

I'm a 42 and my new yellow! booties are marked 41/42 and fit fine. I ride a tandem a lot and have a habit of footing as I come to a stop. I had to put duct tape under the toe on one pair after a couple of seasons.

lyle.coop

Unfortunately these aren't available in my size (43) until Feb 4th. They get some great reviews on durability. I'm going to give these booties a try: Amazon booties

silverado8405

If you don’t want to duct tape your shoes, wrap your toes in cling wrap, I use the press and seal stuff, and that makes a nice barrier around your toes as well. Disclaimer, I put the bike on the trainer when its below 40, so I don’t know how it works for colder than that but up to that temp it has worked good for me.

Warbird21

My coldest temp to ride would be in the mid-40's (Maryland). I find neoprene booties work well with my MTB shoes. I did learn that MTB shoes require oversize booties (see thread here). I found several booties on Facebook messenger for sale, picked up a pair for around $20. Below 45 degrees, I'm inside on my trainer....

JohnJ80

I must have one each of everything you can have for winter riding footwear - I have Lake insulated boots, I have Northwave winter shoes (two versions for different temps) and I have a number of shoe covers. This year, I bought a pair of the Spatzwear covers and they, finally, work. Better yet, they work with my standard mtb or road shoes. Their neoprene but the key is they go up almost to your knee. You keep the blood in your legs warm, you keep your feet warm,

J

Steve B.

I tried an expansion of my gear to keep my feet as warm as possible. I normally wear a light to mid weight Merino wool sock, then my standard Shimano summer SPD shoes, then a pair of XL Performance neoprene booties. That combo is good to low 30's. I added recently a pair of Bicycle Planet Blitzen shoe covers, size XXL. They are wind proof with a very light Polartec type liner. They give me better wind resistance than the neoprene booties can provide. I used these at 23 deg, feet stayed reasonably warm. These show cover will also fit over my Lake 303 winter boots, I'll give this combo a try on Wed.

chaadster

I did 2.5hrs yesterday between 23°F and 30° with just my electric socks set to medium in Northwave Arctic Celsius boots, and it was perfect.

What I like best is the ease of use; pull on socks and slip on shoes, that’s it. No fussing with shoe covers or hoping I picked the right weight socks. If my feet get cold, I can easily reach down to mid-calf and click a button to turn up the heat, and if they’re sweating, it’s another click to drop to low power, or two clicks back to medium power.

I highly recommend winter cyclists get a pair and simplify their lives.

I have these, and while currently unavailable, you can see the elements of a good electric sock and find similar:

https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Rech...pd_rd_wg=uwCXx

noimagination

I mostly agree with woodcraft, though I still like toe warmers to bridge the gap between "too cold for shoes alone" and "cold enough for full booties".

I have Performance brand booties, but I think any bootie with +/-3 mm neoprene will work fine. I've not seen the need to spend $400+ on winter boots when $40 booties work, but if you're riding a lot then winter cycling shoes might make sense for you. With the booties I like that, if it gets really cold (like single digits °F) I can put a chemical hand warmer packet between the top of my shoe and the bootie and my feet feel fine.

Personally, I don't like to fool with thicker socks, or multiple layers of socks. My shoes fit properly (read tight with little room for thicker socks), so when I've tried thicker socks I've had to significantly loosen the straps, and the fit doesn't seem as good. And, if too thick, then my toes get pinched and colder than if I'd worn thinner socks.. Multiple layers means the risk of bunching and blisters, I'd rather have one sock of appropriate thickness..

I hate the duct tape idea. I mean, sure, in an emergency to keep your toes from freezing, but as a day-to-day solution? No. No, no, no, no.

phrantic09

I have a multi layer system:

In the 40s- just neoprene booties and regular socks
In the 30s-wool socks and neoprene booties + Gore bootie over that
In the 20s and 10s. Super thin sock with a chemical toe warmer plus smartwool sock over the toe warmer with the booties as above.

chaadster

You’re absolutely right that each needs to make their own value assessment with regards to winter shoes, but it’s a lot easier to do when one realizes they don’t need to spend $400 on ‘em.

For example, Pros Closet has Mavic Ksyrium Pro Thermo boots right now for $115. Northwave Celsius variants (meaning road and mtb) can usually be found for $230-$250, but Chain Reaction has them now at $173. One can walk into any REI and score 45 North Ragnarok’s for $195 at regular price.