Winter road shoes for SPD

Recommend Northwave – got the

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. 

wellsprop wrote:

BehindTheBikesheds wrote:

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).

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.

wellsprop wrote:

wellsprop wrote:

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).

I have the NW gore-tex boot

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-EV303892

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-EV291870

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.

 

the infamous grouse wrote:

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.

TBH sounds like you might

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.

Specialised Defrosters are a

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.