Gaerne G.Ice-Storm Road 1.0 Gore-Tex Black

The Gaerne G.Ice-Storm Road 1.0 Gore-Tex boots are a dry and toasty solution to riding whatever the winter weather has to throw at you. Add to that plenty of comfort and a roomy toe box and there is a lot to like here, as long as you aren’t hoping to spend long efforts pushing out max power due to a flexible composite sole. Am I wrong to expect a full carbon fibre sole at this price point?

As the tail end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026 has seen a big drop in temperature, I have been rather smug about heading out for a ride wearing the G.ICE-STORMs because they are so toasty and warm, even when the mercury has been indicating -5C.

This is achieved thanks to the G.active microfibre upper, and the Gore-Tex Duratherm membrane which sits beneath it, both of which do a grand job of blocking cold air while still allowing for some breathability. Wearing standard thickness socks, I didn’t find that my feet got too hot or clammy until temperatures were around 7 or 8 degrees.

Adding to the warmth is a ‘thermo-reflective aluminium enhanced’ midsole between the upper and the sole, while the neoprene cuff, which essentially turns a shoe into a mid-cut boot, stops cold winds from whipping around your ankles and traps warm air inside. It’s water repellent too.

For the main shoe part, the Duratherm membrane takes the cuff’s repellence and raises it to fully waterproof. I rode in some heavy downpours and my feet remained dry even after three hours. Calling these waterproof shoes is subjective though as water will still enter through the cuff, either from road spray or with water from your tights soaking through eventually.

When riding with full mudguards adorned with flaps, the former isn’t an issue though, and the latter will take many hours, unless the rain is torrential. Basically, if you ride with guards, I’d say these can be classed as waterproof.

For robustness, Gaerne has added some scuff abrasive sections on the outside of the foot with a large toe section protecting the front. You also get a lengthy heel tab to help get the boots on, while the reflective stitching is a nice touch to provide a bit more visibility.

For foot retention, the G.Ice-Storm uses a Boa system with the IP-1 the dial of choice. Unlike some dial systems on the market, this one allows you to tighten and loosen the wire incrementally and pulling it outwards loosens the tension altogether.

I’m not usually a fan of shoes that use just one single dial, as it can affect whether the tension is dispersed over the top of the foot evenly, but I had no such issues here. That might be down to the upper being thicker than normal summer shoes and less likely to ruck up when pulled tight. Its suppleness is impressive though, so even with the shoes tightened to stop your foot lifting on the upwards pedal stroke, they remain comfortable.

Moving onto the sole, the shape was great for me with a subtle arch for support and a couple of vents for airflow – not that I found them noticeable though.

It’s called the Gaerne EPS Carbon Power Sole 8.0 and it’s made from nylon with carbon fibres added to the mix to create more stiffness. It doesn’t come close to the stiffness of a full carbon sole though and while I found it firm enough for general riding, if I hit a climb or was putting an effort in, the flex was very noticeable. The worst time for me though was long, steady gradients – those that weren’t steep enough for me to get out of the saddle, where I instead remained seated, grinding the pedals to the top of the ascent.

This led to hotspots on the bottom of my feet which wasn’t pleasant at all. When the likes of Van Rysel’s RCR shoes are available with full carbon soles at £169.99, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for something similar on these at 240 quid – or at least a carbon mid-section.

That aside, the G.Ice-Storms are designed to take any 3-bolt road cleat and have a decent amount of adjustment available. You also get a toe and heel bumper for a bit of protection and to help you walk on smooth surfaces.

One thing I will commend Gaerne on is the quality of the shoes. They’re made in Italy and the finish is to a high standard all round. I found the fit to be good too.

I’m a UK 10 and in different brands that can mean I’m either a EUR 44 or EUR 45, or somewhere in between. The shoes I’ve got here are a EUR 45, which gave me a bit of extra room to wear thicker winter socks if I wanted to.

The only slight issue I had with the fit was a bit of pressure and rubbing on my achilles for the first few rides, but this soon abated once the materials had bedded in a bit.

Gaerne’s website only gives sizing in EUR or US, but you can measure your foot length and use the chart to get the perfect size.

> Best road cycling shoes 2026 — get some light, stiff kicks to help you go faster on the bike

Pricing wise – well, the quality helps to justify the £239.90 price tag, and while I said I’d like to see some more carbon in the sole for the cost, they aren’t that out of whack with other winter boots.

We reviewed Northwave’s Flagship R GTX shoes, which are the range toppers at £386.99, but the cheaper Celsius R Arctic GTX models come with a nylon/carbon sole and single dial set up for a cost of £242.99.

Fizik’s Tempo Artica GTX uses a Gore-Tex membrane and offers waterproofing and a similar low-weight design as the Gaernes – around the 800g per pair mark, which is a lot less clumpy than some winter boots. They too get a nylon sole and retail at £269.99.

Conclusion

So, would I buy them? Personally, I’m not sure, purely down to the sole flex. I ride for work and that’s it, so I don’t really have an off-season and therefore I don’t spend my winters tapping out steady miles like I did when I raced. I like to ride year-round at the same power and tempo as I do in the summe, so I’d probably be better off sticking with my race shoes and overshoes.

Other than that though, I have enjoyed wearing the Gaernes. I’ve enjoyed the simplicity of just slipping a pair of boots on instead of layering up and I can’t fault them for waterproofing and dryness.

If your winter riding is more relaxed than mine, then I’d definitely recommend them. They are comfortable, wipe clean and robust, and even in terms of price they are competitive against others on the market.