Shimano S-Phyre Insulated Shoe Covers

Shimano's new S-Phyre Insulated Shoe Covers are warm and waterproof, and they're stretchy enough to get on and off fairly easily even without a zip or Velcro closure.

• Pros: Fully waterproof, warm, perfect fit around the ankle
• Cons: Expensive, though not as much as some

Some neoprene is waterproof and some ain't. The material that Shimano uses here certainly is, helping to keep your feet comfortable even when rain is hoofing down.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Of course, water can soak into your tights and gradually seep downwards into your socks and shoes, the same as it can with any other overshoes, and a little spray can come upwards through the cleat opening, but none gets through the neoprene itself. What about the seams? They're sealed and no water leaks in there.

I've used these overshoes in all sorts of conditions over the past few weeks. I've found that my feet have stayed dry when the roads are wet but no rain is actually falling, and showers and even quite heavy rain have been kept out too. It's only when you're out in full-on rain for a while and the rest of your clothing gets wet that your feet start to get damp. Even then, the rate at which the water gets in is low so your feet rarely get cold.

The neoprene – Shimano calls it Metallic Thermal Tech-Ti neoprene – is 3mm thick and you get a tough, largely enclosed sole with just holes for the heel and cleat. This provides plenty of warmth.

Shimano says, 'The Metallic Thermal Tech's large surface area works to reflect infrared radiation released by the body. That radiation in turn warms up the layer of air between the fabric and the skin, helping to keep the temperature inside the clothing warm and comfortable.'

These overshoes have certainly done a good job of keeping my feet comfortably warm in temperatures right down to freezing point, and I tend to get cold quite easily.

The S-Phyre overshoes have no means of closure, you just pull them on and off a bit like a pair of socks. Okay, it's a bit more tricky than that because you have to negotiate the cleat and any buckles and dials on your shoe, but there's enough stretch here that it's not difficult and the neoprene is pretty tough so you won't put a fingernail through it in the process (I tried!). If it has been dry out and they don't need airing, I've tended to leave the overshoes half on my shoes between rides to make things easier next time around, just pushing them down far enough to get my feet in and out.

The neoprene's flexible and stretchy nature means there's no extra resistance to pedalling and I like the lack of fuss in this design. There's no chance of any Velcro catching on your clothing or of a zip gradually causing wear to your shoe upper. Shimano says this simplicity also makes for an aerodynamic fit, which makes sense although we're unable to test for that. It's really easy to adjust closure dials through the neoprene fabric too, and even some ratchet buckles, depending on the design.

One other advantage of not having a closure system is that there are no nooks and crannies where dirt can accumulate so the S-Phyre overshoes are easy to wipe keep clean with a cloth or sponge when they start to look dirty.

Shimano says that these overshoes are designed to work especially well with its RC9 (road) and XC9 (mountain bike) cycling shoes. I've used them with RC9s successfully, but they've been equally good with shoes from other brands.

> Buyer's Guide: 10 of the best cycling overshoes

In terms of value, these aren't cheap but they're not as expensive as the Q36.5 Termico Overshoes that we reviewed here on road.cc and they're the same price as the Sportful Fiandre WS Booties.

If you're anything like me you'll usually bin a pair of overshoes when the sole fabric can't take any more and eventually gives up, most often in the toe section. I imagine that's going to be the case here but the whole of the sole is pretty tough and things are going well so far.

Verdict

Exceptionally good overshoes that are warm and waterproof and don't restrict your pedalling