Shoe covers – both for warmth and for rain

Wool socks work pretty well for me down to about 35, but I also will wear shoe covers if I don’t feel like wearing heavy socks or if it’s really cold. In my (somewhat limited) experience, shoe covers that are water resistant will also keep your feet pretty warm, as they block wind…so I just have one pair and I’ve been very happy with them. The ones I bought were Pearl Izumi P.R.O Barrier WXBs. They’ve held up well against water and cold and fit both my MTB shoes (SPD cleats) and road shoes (SPD-SL cleats). I think they’re middle of the road price-wise, so maybe something more expensive would keep water out even better, but I’ve been in decent downpours and come out with dry feet. They work even better if you have good rain pants. I used to have a pair of LG neoprene covers, but those things suuuuuuucked…they funneled water from the heel (where they velcroed) directly into my shoes.

Road shoes: These are the best that I’ve used. Mavic Pro H2O shoe covers. I’ve been able to ride for hours in these without my feet getting wet. They don’t keep water out if you submerge your feet in water, but if you’re riding and have some sort of front fender, I’ve had good luck with them. http://www.mavic.com/en/product/apparel/warmers/apparel/Pro-H2O-Shoe-Cover They are expensive.

Mountain Shoes: Mavic makes a mountain bike version. I haven’t tried them. All my other Mavic rain gear works EXACTLY like advertised. That helps me think these will be nice. http://www.mavic.com/en/product/apparel/warmers/apparel/Trail-H2O-Shoe-Cover I’ve used my Lake boots in the rain with good luck. I’m pretty good about treating the leather, I also use gators to keep water from going in the top of the boot.

Street shoes: I have two sets of the Showers Pass shoe covers. They’re inexpensive, but work relatively well. http://www.showerspass.com/catalog/accessories/club-shoe-covers They’re designed for street shoes, so if you are wearing cycling shoes in them, order one size down. The size Large fit my street shoes. Size medium are perfect for my mountain biking shoes. They were not perfect in keeping my feet dry, but they did keep my feet warm. I’ve really only used mine 5 or 6 times, so I don’t have information on durability.

For winter riding where you don’t need to worry about feet getting wet, Neoprene shoe covers are really good. Cheap ones don’t last. Lots of companies make really nice ones. My favorites are the Pearl Izumi ones that have flashy lights built in.

Hope that helps.

Pete