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review

Sugoi Firewall overshoes

7
£35.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Decent mid-weight windproof overshoe for mild winter days
Weight: 
129g
Contact: 
www.cyclingsportsgroup.co.uk

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Sugoi's Firewall overshoes, or booties as they're known on the Sugoi website, fit into the windproof category rather than providing waterproof full winter protection. We've seen the Firewall 220 material before on various other items from Sugoi and it's basically a layered fabric where the outer is a softshell style material that provides some water resistance, while the next layer works with the outer to keep the wind at bay.

Warmth wise they're pretty good down to mid-single figures but even with some DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks on they were too cold once the mercury reached zero. The outer layer of the Firewall material does a pretty good job at keeping minimal road spray and light drizzle at bay but anything heavier and your feet will be soaked. Saying that though they do remain as warm as when they were dry.

One thing that I was impressed with though is the zip position, it runs horizontally along the bottom outer edge which with Velcro attachment from the end of the zip to ankle makes getting them on and off easy. Shoes with buckles can make things a little more difficult but you just have to pull everything taught before doing the zip up. On the flipside though it does give you easy access to the buckles should you need to adjust them on the fly.

The material isn't overly thick so it moulds to the shape of your foot/shoe without bunching and allows full movement through the pedalling motion. Some overshoes tend to feel tight at the top of the instep but no such issues here. When pulled tight there is a reasonably good seal at the cuff but as the Firewall Booties aren't really intended for wet weather that isn't a major consideration.

On the whole the Firewall overshoes are a good option for early spring or autumn but not really hard-core enough for the winter temperatures. The £35 rrp might be difficult for some to swallow for a part time overshoe but in their defence the build quality is very good, especially the elasticated edges around the sole cut-outs which show no signs of wear at all despite plenty of walking on gravel.

While we're on the subject of the cut-outs, they fitted easily round both SPD-SL and Speedplay Zero cleats, pretty much the biggest out there, so compatibility isn't going to be an issue regardless of what pedal system you're using. There is an opening at the rear as well for the heel stop to poke through.

Comfort is good and they're nice and light. The only thing I can see them lacking is some decent reflectives to catch the headlights as the feet rotate. There is a small heel tab on each but a good strip up the back or something would be nice especially as there is no zip taking up that position.

Size wise the range goes from small to extra-large of which we tested the large (44-46) which fitted around various pairs of size 45 shoes without issue so it's safe to say the sizing is as it says on the tin.

Verdict

Decent mid-weight windproof overshoe for mild winter days.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Sugoi Firewall Bootie

Size tested: 44-46, black

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Sugoi say the Firewalls are 'Windproof foot protection for the deepest winter cold, featuring an updated step-in design' I wouldn't go quite as far deepest winter cold, 4-5 °C is about the minimum I reckon.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Firewall 220 material

Horizontal zip and velcro closure for easily getting them on and off.

Sizes - S (40-42)

M (42-44)

L (44-46)

XL (46-48)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
6/10

Good windproofing and light water resistance but don't meet the manufacturers claims of dealing with the cold of deep winter.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

A bit on the pricey side for a windproof only overshoe that you can only really use in the milder months.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Technically they didn't perform to Sugoi's claims as there is no way I could wear these in the depths of January when its snowing and -10 degrees on the commute, but they are a decent pair of windproof overshoes in their own right, good construction and durability should see them last.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The horizontal zip makes putting them on and off easy plus they are comfortable.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Lack of reflectives at the rear and the temperature range is a bit limiting.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Possibly, I like to have varying thicknesses of overshoes just as I do with gloves to cover every weather condition.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Ribble Winter Trainer for commuting, Genesis Flyer  My best bike is: Sarto Rovigo

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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