Winter Riding Footwear

Winter has come and I've put my Terraduros away for the summer - they are amazing warm weather shoes but they suck in the wet. I've dusted off my Shimano AM45s for another winter but I'm reminded of all the reasons why I stopped using them in the first place. So I'm looking for some new options.

The full-on winter mountain bike shoes from Shimano and Specialized seem very XC oriented and seem to have very hard plastic soles given their intended use.

Has anyone tried any of the Pearl Izumi or Mavic shoe covers they sell at MEC? They make some that just cover the front half of the shoe. Do these work well with platform clipless pedals like the Shimano M530?

What about gore-tex socks?

Curious to know what's working for other people.

I'm a big fan of neoprene toe covers for XC shoes, and yes they work with any spd pedal. I have in the past trimmed the hole larger to fit around the lugs on the shoe. They will eventually soak through but keep your feet warmer than without. They stay on when you're clipped in, but can (will) fall off if you walk much in them – especially on trail.

My next step is cordura shoe covers which do a better job of keeping water out of your shoes, especially when worn with rain pants. Finally, the combination of those two for absolute cold weather riding. Another option to consider is a goretex sock.

What about the Giro Alpineduro or Shimano MT91s

Both VIbram, Gore, hiker style

Vancouver area is not cold enough for dedicated winter shoes IMO. Or at least not the expense of them. Gore Socks are brilliant. If it's really cold add Merino wool socks instead of standard polypro socks.

Gore Socks, if cared for last about 2 full seasons of use.

Sugoi used to make a fantastic over-sock liner that killed even GoreTex. Wish they still had those.

What about the Giro Alpineduro or Shimano MT91s

Both VIbram, Gore, hiker style

anyone use either of these with flats only ?? looking for a more durable shoe/boot for wet weather as well

Can't say enough good things about my Shimano winter shoes (MW-81). I have a full winter on them and they drastically improved my winter riding experience.

anyone use either of these with flats only ?? looking for a more durable shoe/boot for wet weather as well

I've got two pairs of MT91s on the go right now. The first one is three years old and are still my go-to ride-in-and-build shoes as long as I'm not doing crazy bush-whacking. The seams are starting to split on them, but as long as they keep water out, they'll stay in service.

The second pair were phased in as riding-only last year. Pretty much the only time I don't wear the MT91s are after-work light-duty rides when it's hot and occasional rides with minimal pedalling (shuttles, park days) where I'll go with 5.10 Impact-hi's.

I ride with half toe-clips, so my MT91s have never seen cleats. I think that helps a little with keeping the feet warmer when riding in sub-zero temps. They can still get a little chilly with thick merino socks though. The Vibram sole won't stick to a pure-flat like a 5.10 though.

what about specialized defroster?

http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftr/shoes/mtb-shoes/defroster-trail

Curious to know what's working for other people.

A nice case of htfu, or mec sells a nice bubble you can go riding in.

Wet rainy conditions…Neoprene Paddling socks.

A nice case of htfu, or mec sells a nice bubble you can go riding in.

Best advice evah.

The Shimano winter shoes have good traction. The rubber isn't too hard. The Specialized defroster are a little harder. Winter shoes are the best. All other options are a bandaid. Really all you need though is a shoe with no mesh or breathing holes that let in water and cold air, room for a slightly thicker sock and some form of water resistance.

I never thought it was cold enough for dedicated winter shoes until I bought a pair of the long since discontinued Shimano red DH boots for $50. So much nicer to simply pull on wooly bully socks and shoes and go. Booties are simply the worst thing off road.

Wet rainy conditions…Neoprene Paddling socks.

Agreed. Sealskinz socks in my 5.10s are good for warm toes. End of ride, stuff newspaper into shoes to dry out.

(that, or fire up the xbox)

The Shimano winter shoes have good traction. The rubber isn't too hard. The Specialized defroster are a little harder. Winter shoes are the best. All other options are a bandaid. Really all you need though is a shoe with no mesh or breathing holes that let in water and cold air, room for a slightly thicker sock and some form of water resistance.

I never thought it was cold enough for dedicated winter shoes until I bought a pair of the long since discontinued Shimano red DH boots for $50. So much nicer to simply pull on wooly bully socks and shoes and go. Booties are simply the worst thing off road.

I used to have a pair of those red dh boots! They were awesome.