Inertianinja

I'm looking for a very simple overshoe: waterproof & windproof.

i'm not looking for thermal.
i'm not looking for it to go any higher than my ankle.
just something to keep the water and wind out of my shoes on rainy/windy days.

nutterbutter

waterproof is somewhat impossible, due to the big hole needed for your cleat on the bottom, however Castelli makes something thats as close as it gets to what your looking for. I believe its called the Poggio?

Inertianinja

i'm not so concerned about water coming in from the bottom. i'll check out the poggio

surgeonstone

I the Sidi Hydro shoes and have found waterproof to be an impossibility. Best I can do is warm water.

Rowan

The water won't just come in from the bottom, it seeps up the sides of the shoe. And if you sweat a lot in your feet, it will be the same story as for waterproof jackets -- your shoes will get soaked anyway.

I've been through various iterations of booties. The neoprene ones are OK, but the ones I prefer at a more loose fitting waterproof fabric like that on a jacket.

Plus, they all wear out quite rapidly in the toe.

Why don't you got he whole hog and invest in a pair of waterproof shoes/boots. Shimano and others make them, and usually they are lined with a breathable fabric such as Gortex. That way you solve the issue, stay drier and certainly stay much warmer.

They aren't the coolest looking item in the peloton, but you can laugh at the misery of those with good fashion sense.

surgeonstone

The Sidi Hydro's advertised as a waterproof shoe. Believe me when I say it is not. More like it holds the water in.

Rowan

The pair of Gaernes I have are reasonably good. They are an MTB boot stye, though, and I don't use road pedals/cleats.

But I do believe you. Advertising often gets in the way of reality in cycling.

surgeonstone

In lighter rains I stay reasonably dry. Wednesday's ride was a deluge and it was like my feet were in a swimming pool, but at least they were reasonably warm.

Inertianinja

yes, i know there are things like the Sidi Hydro out there. I'm not looking to buy an additional pair of shoes.

I have some pearl izumi barrier thermal overshoes. they're neoprene, and they just get soaked in the rain. but they're fine for the cold.

point is that i do go out in the rain and wind, but at times when i don't want the full thermal overshoe thing. i'm looking to stop the water from coming in from the top of the shoe - what about these?



i was also looking at these:


but i'm thinking they might overlap with the thermals too much.

JoelS

The ones on the top leak. I imagine if you aquasealed the seam in the middle, they might be better. I gave up on mine after a couple of tries.

djb

MEC rain booties work great for cold as well, Ive had my pair for ages.

banerjek

Not exactly - it is somewhat impossible as the water will just run down your leg (or be wicked down your leg via tights).

idc

A couple of plastic bags with elastic/rubber bands. Super-aero too.

Commodus

you gotta pair em up with some water proof pants that go down over the shoes. I have some Sugoi ones that work okay if use them with my rain pants. They're useless without them, the rain just runs in the tops.

banerjek

The trick is to come to terms with getting wet in the rain. Even at 33°, that's the way to go. Trust me on this.

ZippyThePinhead

I've used a pair of these Diadora Chili Extremes for a while... I like them well enough. I think you can find them on eBay if you look.

My toes get real cold when the weather drops below 60F, and I hate that. I've found the combination of good wool socks and these Diadora shoes keep my feet comfortable.

banerjek

Dood -- if they hadn't outlawed weather in your neck of the woods, you'd die...

Commodus

I ride in Vancouver dood, if I didn't come to terms with getting wet I couldn't go outside.

I still like dry feet though, and it's perfectly doable.

roadiejorge 

I haven't found a bootie that prevents water coming in from the top, they'd have to be pretty tight on the skin to be waterproof. The closest I've got is the Shimano winter road shoe which does a pretty good job at keeping the water out for a while.

javal

When temp drops, water/sweat means cold. Good socks essential to keep feet warm. With or without bootie.

banerjek

Share the secret if you will. If the rain is falling hard and I'm out for much more than an hour, it doesn't matter what I'm wearing -- I could stock trout in my shoes.

AlexZ

Happy to say, no such needs in Southern Calif!

daven1986

I use BBB overshoes - waterflex and heavy duty. Heavy duty are more neoprene so they are warmer for winter, the waterflex are good for "waterproofness".

TBH IME it is worth wearing waterproof trousers which route the water coming down your legs over the overshoe rather than down your leg onto your sock and into your shoe! The overshoes don't fit tightly enough around your ankle to prevent water going down your leg.

Also I've never had water seep in through the bottom of my shoe - I just used that little waterproof sticker that came with the shoes. I also avoid putting my foot in puddles when I'm at lights!

Rowan

I have a pair of waterproof booties from Decathlon in France and the tops go all the way to above the calf, like a pair of gaiters. My waterproof pants come well down below that.

Yes, I am well protected from the rain on the outside, but alas, the relative lack of ventilation even through the "breathable" fabric everything is made of, doesn't stop me from getting quite soaked with sweat on the inside.

I have used the BBB Waterflex overshoes through two sets and they are OK, but as I said before, the water tends to creep up around the edges of them to soak the shoes fabric. I too seal over the opening for the cleat, so that's not the issue. And once the edges and toe pouch wear on the road, well, they are a bit fragile in those areas.

The comments about coming to terms with getting wet one way or the other are true. In my estimation (and it didn't take too long to work out on the sorts of LD rides I do) that wind is the big danger, and if you have a decent membrane to protect you from the wind, snow, hail and rain, you will still be wet underneath and still be warmish. Pitzips help to a limited degree to keep the moist air circulating out of the jacket (and so far, the MEC Whoosh and Ground Effects jackets are good at this), but I have yet to see pants with similar ventilation provisions.

Same with feet and especially hand protection -- keep the wind off, wear wool or cashmere socks, preferrably up the calves (as per Machka's duck principle), you should be fine.


The biggest issue then becomes drying out wet shoes. As so we come back to the idea of having dedicated water-resistant or waterproof shoes/boots as maybe the better option.

Inertianinja

Thanks for the additional suggestions.

I'm not really concerned about having a perfect seal going down my leg. I do have rain pants to take care of this.
It's more about having a tight, light seal to slip over the shoe that will give wind/rain protection.