I want to hear what people's thoughts are about this. I think that good shoes for winter biking would be a better long-term investment and do a better job than a shoe cover over my current (crappy) shoes. Consequently, they are expensive, but shoe covers aren't cheap, either.

Tell us a little bit more about your rides.
Where are you located? How long are your
winter rides? Is there a certain temp range
that you won't ride in? What are the typical
temps you ride in?

Me for example, I ride below freezing temps.
My commute is over 2 hours on average,
roundtrip. I've decided that Lake winter boots
works for me.


Biking during winter by 1nterceptor, on Flickr

Depends on how often you ride, for how long, where you live, and how cold is cold.

Answer those questions and you'll get a better answer to your question.

I ride at least five days a week, for at least a half-hour each way, in Upstate NY, and is was 6°F (-14°C) coming home from work last night.

Shoe covers are a cruel joke for those conditions. Only my Lakes keep me going to work all winter long. They're now in their fifth season, so spread over five years, the original price of $289 is beginning to close in on the price of shoecovers. But I also own those too for the 'tween seasons. The Lakes are too warm for over freezing.

When double wool socks, winter shoes and full shoe covers are not enough, I use winter hiking boots.

I use two shoe covers and a fleece insole with my road shoes. That will keep my feet warm down to about 25f. Below 25f my feet will feel cold, but I can keep going if temps stay above 20f. Below 20f I'll use chemical heaters.

Fleece insoles: https://www.vermontcountrystore.com/s...or_Shoes/26655

I live in Chicago so it drops down to about 20 in the evening on the average, and sometimes gets colder during the day. It's been a very warm winter so far which is why this hasn't been an issue yet. I ride every day no matter how cold it gets. My commute is about 15 minutes each way, and sometimes I bike for longer to get to certain places and whatnot.

I guess my issue with shoe covers is that they seem like a pain to get on and off the shoe and I imagine they don't function as well as an integrated shoe. I'm thinking about getting one of the northwave boots.

Also living on the shore of a Great Lake, I think that with our usual winters, a purpose-built winter cycling shoe is the way to go, specifically for the reasons you state. I just put on my Lakes and I'm out the door. No fiddle farting around with extra socks or insulated insoles or chemical warmers or booties/shoe covers. And my tootsies are toasty in the worst of a Great Lakes storm or cold snap.

I can't speak from experience about the Northwaves, but I'm totally there with the concept winter cycling boots. And I love my Lakes. Above freezing, I'll mess around with booties. But as soon as it's cold enough for my Lakes, I'm there.

I put my MTB pedals on my road bike for the winters. My MTB shoes have some room in them. Then I put a pair of thick socks and gore-tex socks over them. I wear them inside my shoes. I am very comfortable in the 20s & 30s. In the teens, it is a little chilly. Low teens I put my neoprene booties on.

You can get the goretex socks for a low price at the sportsmans guide on line store.

I wear insulated mountain biking boots with covers over them. With double socks am good down to about 10 degrees.

depends on the type of riding you're doing...
many options for a cold day and an hr ride....
only one option for me on 200K on a 16 degree day- Lakes/multiple layers of wool socks and thermal heaters.
Got frost bite in both feet one year. the cost of the Lakes aint nuthin compared to the cost of medical complications because you don't have appropriate gear.

Personally, I agree about getting the shoes, instead of the shoe covers.

Both. I have clip less exauster 'winter' boots. They are ok on their own. I added felt insoles, and glued some on the inside of the tongue of the boot. I wear good quality wool/hollofil socks and my feet are fine to -5C. Below that I use Louis Garneau neoprene booties if it is sloppy out, or some toesport booties when it is dry. When it gets below -10 and I am out for longer than 45 minutes I add toe warmers. Toasty toes are great, and I found that if I place them in a ziplock bag after the ride I can use them on the way home with no 'loss' of heat from them.