I've googled "cycling booties" and found a few links to shoe covers for clipless shoes, but I'd like to knwo if any of you ride them, how they are to walk on, if they get destroyed by walking on, if they are a pain to remove on the side of a curb when you get to work, etc. I'm looking to keep my feet warm while commuting, running errands, barhopping, etc. If you know a good place to get some, please post links as well.

i know nashbar has them...
just get some heavy wool socks instead.

https://www.lakecycling.com/ProductIn...oductid=MXZ301

If only I were a richer man... I have some pull over shoe covers. They are cut out on the bottom to expose the cleat and points that make contact with the ground. I have noticed that then on line and local prices are not hugely different (once you put in S&H). I would consider taking your shoes into a shop and getting a pair you know fit right, cover the vents on your shoes, and won't get torn up walking.

Wool socks and the "booties" that just cover your toes might be best if you're going to do alot of walking.

YO, I got the Adidas MTB ones and are fantastic in the cold wet stuff and easy to put on curb side but suck to walk in.
I recomend you get a pair if you want to keep your shoes dry and clean and feet protected from the wind through the worst of winter.
-G

I have tried cycling booties before and never really thought they were all that. They really didn't keep my feet as warm as I thought they would. I also bought cheapy ones just to try them out. Maybe that was the reason they sucked. I found that my feet stay warmest when I wear alpaca wool socks over a thin base sock. Surprisingly the best thin base socks are usually old dress socks because they are made mostly out of nylon, polyester or some other synthetic. The key to keeping you feet warm is to have the sweat wicked away so your feet can stay as dry as possible.

I recently got these from MEC, and let me say.. they changed my life.

I'm using Shimano MTB shoes, which are basically just mesh, so they let all kinds of cold in.
Previously I had been wearing my thickest wool socks, and then putting plastic sandwich bags over my toes... However, my toes would still start to freeze after half an hour.

With the Booties, I could stay on the bike all day at sub zero temperatures and not even think about whether my toes were cold. They're double layered, so they insulate pretty well, and they keep all the water dripping down my rain pants from going into my shoes.

Now I only feel the cool sole of my shoe from the SPD plate and crank arm heat sink.

I think its warming up enough that I don't need them though.
It was 5°C this morning, and my feet were sweating they were so toasty.

To the guys saying booties aren't all that good, I don't know what you've been using. My ****ty Louis Garneau neoprene booties are the difference between "it's cold out, really?" and "my toes are ****ing numb and throbbing from the pain." The Adidas mountain bike ones are good because there's so much room on the underside of them for treads on your shoes to stick out through. The Pearl Izumi ones are nice too, but really ... anything will work. Maybe it's a wind shell vs. neoprene thing.

Edit: I thought about my setup a bit more and the neoprene booties, white awesome in the cold do have some flaws. They're not waterproof, so in-season if it's a hellish rainy week my feet are going to get soaked everday once the water works its way through. Next year I'll probably spring for a dedicated wind/water set or something that's wind/water/insulation.

Good information, thanks everybody. Now, please feel free to post booty pictures of attractive cyclists.

I have some neoprene ones and although not great to walk in they are not too bad. Easy to take off as the velcro gose right up the back of the foot. Instead of my feat getting soked my shoes only get damp and I have only every got my feet slightly wet once after some seriously heavy rain and a one hour ride. Geeky yes. Commfy yes. Stops me having to try and dry out my shoes while at work.

For temps ranging through the 40s and 30s I use some cheapo performance toe covers, just to cover up the mesh on my shoes. For temps well below freezing, I use the Pearl Izumi Toester full-on neoprene booties and thick wool socks. That combination keeps me going when its well below freezing. If there is freezing rain or slush, I slip a plastic bag between my booties and my shoes...that keeps my feet warm and dry.

Ooh, good call. I'd been searching for just toe covers during the fall but couldn't find any in stock around town. I'll save my pennies for those instead and plastic bag it under the neoprene for the wet days.

I also have a pair of the Adidas MTB booties. But I use them on my Adidas Hammer MTB shoes and they fit perfectly and are easy to walk around in. Super warm. They look silly but I look silly, anyway. Very easy for me to put on and pull off.

I tried them for a bit- The pointy soles of sidis or similar shoes will chew up the underside of the booties in no time if you walk in them and you're still loosing a bunch of heat through the bottom of the sole, so you will still need thick socks.

That said, they're much, much warmer than mesh cycling shoes without them, at least in dry weather.
In wet weather, the water seemed to work it's way in regardless, though the mec ones look like they might be better in that respect.

I had the adidas MTB ones and they were awesome, however I lost them in my move and today's ride to work was horrible (first 20 degree morning of the year). I felt like had hooves.

I've a pretty nice cycling booty, IMO.

That booty broke the h-scroll.

Nicely played, sir.

a shell toe version of the adidas ones would be sweet

The guys in the winter cycling forum have bootie threads like we have bag, iro and hipster threads. They know their stuff way better than us fair weatehr riders. Check out some of the threads there. Much more information than in here. They give full on reviews for like every peice of kit they own.

I normally don't use booties. Instead I wear neoprene cycling socks over my gym socks and then put on my mtb shoes. I find this to be way better sealed and warmer than booties in general. That being said, I have 2 pairs of booties. 1 pair is the MEC pack cloth ones linked above. I used them in the rain with my commuting mtb shoes, but its the paddling socks that keep me warm. I also have a pair of descente neoprene booties that fit my sidi road shoes perfectly. They are pretty tight shoes so I can just fit a pair of ski socks in there before it gets so tight it cuts of the circulation to my feet making them colder. On colder days and longer rides I pop a chemical warmer in the toes between the shoe and the booty.

Use the plastic bags you get from the grocery store. You probably collected hundreds over the summer. Put them over your bike socks or dress socks or anything that dries easily (because you're going to sweat), and then over those wear some thick wool socks. Use two pairs of wool socks if it's really terrible, like below zero and if you're gonna be riding for hours. Works for me.

Best evers.

Acorn Polartec 200 fleece socks. I'm wearing them right now.

I'll leave it up to your imagination to guess where I'm wearing them.

I'll give a big thumbs up to the Planet-X ones. Got 'em for a fiver during a sale in the summer. Nice and warm, keep your feet dry and reet easy to get in and out of. Look kind of goofy off until you actually put 'em on.



I used to have all kinds of disdain for these kinds of things, but now I'm older I really do appreciate having dry feet on really wet days esp as my cycling shoes are about as water proof as toilet paper.

On-One/Planet-X always have em seperately, or as a bundle like this (with beanie and gloves)
https://www.on-one.co.uk/index.php?mo...ge&PAGE_id=199

Pearl Izumi Amfib booties. The bottom is a hard plastic that won't wear out for a long, long time. Very warm.