[MidWalesBoy]

Hello all,

I bought some Giro overshoes in November and I’ve already had to get a refund from the retailer as they’d gone into holes on the seams.

I don’t expect to need them again until the Autumn but I’ve just read a Castelli Diluvio C Shoecover review on this here website https://road.cc/content/review/252517-castelli-diluvio-pro-shoe-covers seemed to suggest that they wouldn’t last more than one winter.
The Giro were really tight to put on and I wondered if I should have ordered a larger size than recommended so I ordered a pair of Castellis. These have arrived but they actually look smaller than the Giros, even though they are a size larger.

I’d be interested in your experience of:
a. expected life of overshoes
b. sizing

Cheers,

J.

Topic

[matthewn5]

I had some Endura neoprene

I had some Endura neoprene ones which have survived now 4 winters, but look very tatty, with gaffer tape repairs and worn patches over the ankle bones, and the kevlar stuff coming off on the underneath, and reflectives peeling off. But, they still work.

This winter I’ve used a pair of Craft RainBooties, which are thinner, and looser, and thus easier to get on and off. They look pretty good after their first year and I’ve only had to sew a reflective tab back on the heel so far.

[joeegg]

I have 2 pairs of BBB

I have 2 pairs of BBB overshoes which have split their seams after a couple of months but are still just about usable.My PlanetX neoprenes have done well though with nothing coming apart.

 

 

[troakley59]

I certainly found that they

I certainly found that they come up small. I got a pair of sealskinz at Xmas, and have only used them once, as they were so tight. Thought they would pull apart. I have not dared put them on again.

So basically, make sure they are big enough

[Cheesyclimber]

I bought some BBB Speedflex

I bought some BBB Speedflex overshoes for £15 back in 2013 and they’re a bit tatty but still going strong. I wear SPD cleats which, I guess, might make a difference?

[Sniffer]

A big investment, but I think

A big investment, but I think a wise one.  On my 10th year with some Northwave winter boots and they look good for a few winters yet.

Good time of year to buy last seasons model?

[zeeridesbikes]

I kept wearing through them

I kept wearing through them once a season so for my commute I invested in some shimano winter boots.
 

Expensive but worth it not to faff around with putting overshoes on everytime and keeping my feet warm and dry in all but the most torrential rain. 

[Richard D]

Same here.  First season,

Same here.  First season, they look a bit tatty but the end of it, but still useable.  Second season, they’re fit for the bin by the end of it.

i tend to go for cheap overshoes as a result – ALDI, Lidl, DHB.  When I try more expensive ones (inc Castelli) they don’t even last one season.

[srchar]

Mine are done after one

Mine are done after one winter. Doesn’t seem to matter how much you pay,

I have size 12 feet and am yet to find an overshoe with the cleat hole in the right place. The front seam of the cleat hole is usually threadbare after a couple of months and the rest of the sole disintegrates from there. I don’t take them on and off either – once they’re on the shoe, they stay on the shoe.

[Joe Totale]

My left foot is my putting

My left foot is my putting down foot, as I live in London this means my left overshoe gets worn pretty quickly. 

I need to perfect my trackstand, that’ll save me loads of money! 

[Chris Hayes]

I use Rapha neoprene to keep

I use Rapha neoprene to keep warm – and have had the same pair for 4 years – no walking around except to leave the house – and a pair of Assos rainovershoes to keep dry.  These are on sale at the moment for GBP 37 – again, no walking around – and I’d exoect to get two years out of them, at least.   Warm feet are a must!  My shoes are 46-7, so I just buy XL and stretch them over carefully.  It helps to put them  on a radiator first if you can….the heat helps. 

[cyclefaster]

I don’t tend to buy expensive

I don’t tend to buy expensive ones and would expect them to last a winter or two. They do get worn on the bottom pretty quickly and but I carry on using them.

The previous ones I replaced because of the waterproofing going rather than the holes (which I could live with)

When it’s not so cold i use toe covers instead. These have the same problems of wear, but swapping them over makes it feel like they are lasting longer.

[mdavidford]

I think it probably depends

I think it probably depends on how much ‘not-riding’ you’re doing in them – how often you need to stop and put a foot down; how much you’re walking around in them off the bike.

My experience of commuting in them – riding most days; typically putting a foot down maybe 6-7 times each way; walking across the carpark between bike shed and office – is that the sole area will be pretty tatty after one winter, and after two they’ll need replacing.

Getting the ones with rubberised or kevlar reinforcement doesn’t really seem to help much, as the protection never extends to the seam area, which is the most vulnerable to damage.

[Author]

Replies