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Winter road shoes for SPD
Hi all,
The temperatures have really plummeted this last week and my feet are back to being freezing on my bike - despite wearing merino socks, oversocks and overshoes.
All last winter I had issues with my toes going really numb no matter what I wore and I can't face another winter of it (especially now that I'm commuting daily). My normal shoes are well-vented top and bottom, so even overshoes don't help much. I'm not overly concerned about the shoes being super waterproof, that's an entirely different issue, I just want warmth on my winter rides!
I'm after a pair of 2 bolt SPD winter boots/shoes around £120, wondering if anyone has any recommendations?
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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30 comments
I have to say, I'm chuffed with the performance of my RW-5's.
After raising the saddle a fairly massive 4mm to accommodate for the slightly thicker sole and the stabilisers, everything felt very comfortable and back to "usual".
Gave them a good two hour thrash with a few hills and descents - nice and stiff shoes, comfortable and warm.
My feet were far more comfortable and had no numbness issues during or after the cycle.
I took my brand spanking pair of Gaerne https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/gaerne-g.winter-gore-tex-r-road-cycling-winter-shoes-250808?currency=3&delivery_country=190&varid=250814&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6enQBRDUARIsAGs1YQihteRUnEJs4UH95cSrvQD9Dh91x4OnkGsH9fQAumqDQ6dVbA26r78aAj74EALw_wcB WWinter boots out today, Wet, cold, windy and a section of flooding and I'm impressed with them. My feet weren't as toasty as I'd hoped for, but they were nowhere near as cold as the summer shoes were.
Socks were wet when I got home, but feet didn't need defrosting before having a shower. I don't run a front mudguard, for reasons of lugging it in an out of the car, and they held upo superbly in the face of all the crap and water being thrown at them during a 4.5 hour ride.
Another vote for Shimano MW81 boots or similar. In (dry) freezing weather, I am now able to ride for about 3 hours before my feet start to get cold. In normal road shoes + merino socks + overshoes, it was no more than half that. Not bad on wet roads but in heavy rain, the water does get through the top quickly.
Got my Shimano RW5's today and gave them a 25 mile test ride in about 8 degrees.
The fit of the shoes is a little odd, they are size 45 (same as my other two pairs of shoes - one shimano the other bontrager), but they are quite long. Fine on width and tightness though. No aching/numb toes so far.
Nice shoes, much stiffer than I thought they'd be (which is good) and very comfortable.
The only annoying thing is, as I'm using SPD's with cleat stabilisers they have about 2mm extra stack than my usual recessed SPD shoes. It's not much, but I notice it - if it carries on annoying me I might just raise my saddle height a couple of mm (I don't think I'll be using my normal summer shoes for quite a while now!).
I tried the NW Raptor GTX and Extreme XCM GTX and couldnt get on with either. The fit is odd compared to other shoes/boots i've tried, definitely felt like i needed a second dial lower down. Also NW sizing is ridiculous.
Waiting on a par of Fizik Artica X5s, if no luck with them will try the Shimano MW7s.
I have same issues and bought the Shimano Dryshield which are good, seem like cheapest boot style. Thry come with a nice felt liner, very comfy. At £100 or so you can afford these with enough left over for a couple of pairs of Woolie Bookie socks by Defeet, one of the best winter socks. If you easily get numb cold toes like me you may still need to look at other things like keeping your core warm and avoiding sweat, which turns wet and cold when slowing / stopping. You can always add overshoes if still not warm enough
For the price, and the 2bolt compatibility, the RW5's look ideal for me.
It's interesting what a few others have said about wool content - my PlanetX Merino thicky socks are 69% Merino (or so they say...).
I've been using Shimano MW81 shoes for three years now, they are superseded but even the latest model is worth the extra cost. So much easier first thing in the morning putting these on and not having the faff of shoe covers. Get a proper winter boot, you won't regret it. For what its worth I got mine second hand off ebay for less than half retail - seller had an issue with sizing.
I got to test my Shimano shoe covers this evening in torrential rain with a lot of surface water. Actively sought out the puddles I knew that weren't concealing a pothole.
Result: warm, dry feet at ride end, just the rest of me absolutely sopping wet. Impressed and I saved £80 over buying the MW5s.
Recommend Northwave - got the Fahrenheit for Spd-sl cleats. Worth every penny. They are a bit big in size so check sizing before you buy. The new models are more expensive but got Boa dials, much more practical than the string system on mines.
I only wear one pair of warm socks - as another commentator said, be sure to check for wool contents - I have bought 3-4 pairs that said "Merino" on them, in reality they have a very low contents of it so they're utterly useless below 10 degrees as the rest is 'plastic'=very cold. I can recommend socks with Primaloft. Got two pairs with Primaloft from Santini, they look like summer socks but they are the warmest socks I own. You'll find Primaloft tech in other socks brands also.
Buy my brand new unused Northwave Arctic GTX boots with SPD sole. Size 47
I'm normally a 44 shoe, 46 in Shimano, Sidi or Northwave cycling shoe. These are about one size too big for me
Shimano MW5 or MW7 (7 is Goretex, 5 is the Shimano equivalent).
Speed laces plus velcro closure, fully sealed so should do the trick.
It was either these or overshoes for me, in the end I went the overshoe route and saved £80.
As with all Shimano shoes if you're ordering online go up a size. If you're near a Decathlon they usually have them in stock if you want to try them on.
I have the NW gore-tex boot style shoe with MTB fittings, but as has been said before they don't look to be available any more. The Raptor boot looks to have superceded them, with a hefty price hike. They aren't a cure-all though, I still find the chill getting through on the coldest of days if out long enough.
They do the Raptor shoes in MTB fitting though
https://www.evanscycles.com/northwave-raptor-th-winter-thermal-mtb-shoe-...
Still slightly over budget though.
How about these - bang on budget with this reduction:
https://www.evanscycles.com/shimano-mw500-mtb-spd-thermal-winter-boot-EV...
Also, re circulation - I think what was meant was more to do with 'wiggle-room' rather than actual circulatory problems. If you cram a thick sock (or layers of sock) into normal shoes, and not have any room left, then this will cause more problems than it solves. The trick is to get room around your foot so the gap of air inbetween can warm up. It really does make a difference - I used to whack two pairs of socks on, cram them into the shoe/boot and wonder why I was still felling the chill. I then went to using just one layer, and it made all the difference.
TBH sounds like you might have other issues, circulation maybe, it's not being that cold IMHO.
A low wool count sock isn't going to help matters so check the% as some are garbage/useless for keeping feet warm.
I did think about circulation issues, but I can easily put in 100km on my bike in the summer and not have any numbness/soreness in my feet at all. As soon as it gets chilly 10 degrees and below, I can feel all the cold air coming through the vents in my shoes - and usually, within minutes, the numbness sets in.
Seeing as I commute every day, I'd rather have a winter specific shoe to avoid the hassle of putting on and taking off overshoes for a 30-60min ride (depending on which route I take).
That sounds similar to me and I find poor circulation is still a factor. In cooler weather I wear my old Shimano MTB shoes with suede upper and no vents. They're noticeably better at keeping the cold off than my Specialized BG Sport, even if I wear overshoes as well. I agree that a weather-resistant winter shoe/boot will mean less faff before & afterwards (and less time spent drying them afterwards).
It sounds obvious but have you tried taping up the vents in your shoes over the winter? I put electrical tape over mine and it really does make a difference.
Not the top vents, as they were covered by an oversock and overshoe - I did however remove the insole and cover over all the holes before placing a layer of tin foil to aid insulation.
Re: what a few others have said about circulation (and thick socks). I did make that mistake and have my shoes done too tight, loosening them off a little helped stopped quite a bit of the issue, but I was still cold.
northwave celsius boot.
Northwave does some really nice winter boots in both styles of SPDs. I've got a pair of Arctic ones that are a few years old now that are 2-bolt mounting and they do the job.
Looks like the Arctic is an older model now and Raptor is the new one and they're more expensive than your budget, but they are worth the money.
Remember to get a larger size, though, as wearing thick socks can be counter-productive if they reduce circulation to your feet.
If only you wanted a road shoe...
https://www.evanscycles.com/northwave-flash-th-winter-thermal-road-shoe-...
Too right! I was really excited when I saw the NW shoes seemed to have 2 bolt mounts, then I found out that they aren't compatible.
It's really annoying, I also use my winter bike for commuting all year round so I use SPD's and shoes with recessed 2 bolt mounts.
Shimano RW5's (with cleat stabilisers) are at the top of the list at the moment.
Oh, brilliant! Have you tried these at all?
Not yet but I am probably going to get a pair soon.
They have arrived! I will be trying them tonight (6 degrees forecast which is cool enough to give me uncomfortable feet with thin, not neoprene, overshoes). First impression is very positive. To help pay for these new shoes my old Northwave Celsius 2 GTX boots (mtb) are on a well known auction site, currently selling for £16 if anyone with a size 41 foot is interested, auction ends Sunday 19th Nov.
First impression when trying them on (to see if they needed to be sent back for another size) was that they were very comfortable with plenty of toe space. It is also my first shoe with those silly cable fasteners and a wheel to tighten them up. First time i put them on i was converted to the closure system, velcro straps now seem rather crude!
First ride in them was tonight, just under 3 hours at around 6 degrees which would have been too cold for my thin overshoes and would normally have had me wearing neoprene overshoes. My first impression about them being comfortable was confirmed, very comfortable on the bike and light too. However, normal socks, no overshoes and my feet were cool by the time i got home but not uncomfortably so. 10 minutes after i got in the gritters were out doing our road so it was definitely cold by the time i got home. I think that with some slightly warmer socks these will be fine down to 3 or 4 degrees so i am very pleased with them.
I normally wear a size 41 shoe so i ordered a size 41 and guess what? They fitted like a size 41 shoe so where people get this idea that Northwave sizing is a joke is beyond me.
I'm glad they fit. People don't get an idea about fitting, it comes from trying them on and wearing them... For me, Northwave were too small in my regular shoe fitting.
Now, you say they fit well with normal socks, this could be an issue then, if you want to wear thick, warm socks. These could make the fit very tight, reducing blood flow and therefore causing your feet to be colder than they should be.
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Now, you say they fit well with normal socks, this could be an issue then, if you want to wear thick, warm socks. These could make the fit very tight, reducing blood flow and therefore causing your feet to be colder than they should be.
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Dont you think that I factored in that these are winter shoes so they fit with my "normal" winter socks?
Secondly, why do people keep repeating this rubbish about slightly thicker socks make your feet cold? Compression clothing is sold to football and rugby player because it keeps them warm on cold days. If your heart is so weak that it cant pump blood around a slightly tight sock you have serious problems. This is another of those oldclub run tales where someone has brought this up and anyone who has had cold feet on a cold day when they have tried slightly thicker sock instanly blames the socks for being cold.
I agree that shoe fit is a very personal thing but I was passing on my experience of this particular shoe, not making a sweeping generalisation on a particular manufacturer. I hoped it would help anyone thinking of terying the same product.
Now, you say they fit well with normal socks, this could be an issue then, if you want to wear thick, warm socks. These could make the fit very tight, reducing blood flow and therefore causing your feet to be colder than they should be.
[/quote]
Dont you think that I factored in that these are winter shoes so they fit with my "normal" winter socks?
Secondly, why do people keep repeating this rubbish about slightly thicker socks make your feet cold? Compression clothing is sold to football and rugby player because it keeps them warm on cold days. If your heart is so weak that it cant pump blood around a slightly tight sock you have serious problems. This is another of those oldclub run tales where someone has brought this up and anyone who has had cold feet on a cold day when they have tried slightly thicker sock instanly blames the socks for being cold.
I agree that shoe fit is a very personal thing but I was passing on my experience of this particular shoe, not making a sweeping generalisation on a particular manufacturer. I hoped it would help anyone thinking of terying the same product.
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Good luck with that!
Specialised Defrosters are a little over budget at £160 but you might be able to find last years shoes cheap if you have the right size feet.