I know that this has been asked before.......
But now that Five ten EPS have disappeared are there any shoes with some sort of water protection for the winter?
Just gone over to flats after riding SPDs for years....
Vaude Moab AM STX, or the (supposedly) upcoming Five Ten Trailcross GTX
Not quite an answer to the question but I find a pair of decent long water proof socks (mine are showers pass) offer much warmer and drier feet than any shoes have managed over the years. Much cheaper too.
I’ve got a pair of the vaude shoes. Be aware they come up quite narrow/low volume
I got a pair of these for dog walking and general garden duties and doubled up well for mega wet bike rides! Don’t laugh!
Sealskin socks for me with when it’s gets very nippy a pair of thermal liner socks underneath
Vaude Moab boots with polaris waterproof socks. Have waded through a river with them and still had dry feet.
Knee length sealskinz.
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I'll be adding a pair of waterproof mtb pants for proper winter mud to save the wet and muddy arse to you get.
+1 on Ta11Pau1's setup above.
Long length SealSkinz, the top tucked under my kneepads. Problem solved.
I got a pair of these for dog walking and general garden duties and doubled up well for mega wet bike rides! Don’t laugh!
They actually look like a great solution.
They really do. They don't even look THAT special.
The problem with any waterproof shoes and socks is that most of the water ingress is from your legs down. Which is why something like the above with long sealskin socks or my personal choice of Fox or endura trousers and calf length sealskinz keep my feet dry, then I just use shoes that don’t hold or soak up the water.
They actually look like a great solution
Until you look at the price 😳
The problem with any waterproof shoes ...
Totally true but that’s not an argument against trying! When I’m riding in my Five Tens at the moment, most of the water gets in via the toe box holes and probably the laces. It’s common for my ankles to be dry but toes soaking. Meanwhile, there are currently no credible attempts to make a waterproof flat pedal shoe. It doesn’t really make sense.
That’s why I’ll be back on SPDs for the winter.
Totally true but that’s not an argument against trying!
That’s very true but we are where we are. I’ve found the Shimano flat shoes with the flap over the laces the best for keeping splashes out. I find the soles are a bit stiff though so tend to only use them for long XC kind of rides.
Until you look at the price 😳
Not just me then ... 😳 I was expecting a little cheaper from somewhere called welly warehouse.
I can't believe how badly catered for in terms of wet weather shoes those of us are who don't wear clippety clops.
most of the water gets in via the toe box holes
You bought the wrong ones then, I'd never buy shoes with those holes for MTBing here, pointless.
+1 for jamesmio set up, works a treat in our part of the world.
I've been wearing 5:10 trailcrosses mids all through a wet Tassie winter & they've been great. I tried Showers Pass waterproof socks originally, but just use merino now. They drain pretty well & dry a whole lot quicker than my old Free riders. Appear to be more durable as well.
You can still buy the EPS in a lot of sizes, can't you?
I can’t believe how badly catered for in terms of wet weather shoes those of us are who don’t wear clippety clops.
Because UK wet winter riding using flats is niche in terms of the global market. Hence US dominated designs for warm and dry or cold and dry.
SPD/road style overshoes won't work with flats because:
a) the shoes flex
b) the mid-strap is at the point behind the ball of the foot where the shoe sits on the pedal so will get shredded.
Have a look at fell running style gaiters that have the mid-strap inside the shoe and hook onto the front laces. You'll still get wet if you go through deep puddles/streams so you'll need SealSkinz or similar to deal with that.
Keen walking boots and sealskins for me...
Help with absolutely frozen feet ...
Calf length Sealskinz socks; old pair of Shimano AM41 flats - must be 8 years old now but stuffed with newspaper and popped on top of radiator they dry perfectly well and have lasted; water resistant trousers, or water resistant bib-tights under baggies. As above, if its ever really cold I pop a pair of thin socks on as well. Even when at work if my shoes are still wet I can't tell as the socks are dry.
I'll just mention the Columbia Fairbanks again.
Not as grippy as a 5:10 sole but better than a traditional walking boot.
Water can still get in down the ankle opening of course so some measure to reduce that (ankle gaiter / long trousers) will be a good idea.
Cheers for the suggestions - genuinely stunned at the lack of even vaguely watertight options for flats!
I could go back to my SPDs and planetX neoprene shoe covers (great BTW) but really thought there would be something......
I have said this before but my on ones are very weather resistant.
Rock and Run have got some clearance on some Dolomite mid and ankle boots, which are Goretex I believe. For flats I generally just slice off some of the knobs which get in the way of pedal pins.
These look 'interesting'
These look ‘interesting’
Gary glitter wants his boots back
Because UK wet winter riding using flats is niche in terms of the global market. Hence US dominated designs for warm and dry or cold and dry.
I wasn't aware that they didn't have rain in the US .
They don't - haven't you seen the news items about the droughts and wild fires over there?
Less sarcastically, a lot of areas either advise against or even have local rules against riding on wet/muddy trails to avoid damaging them. Also the use of SPDs appears much more prevalent in the US than here.
Waterproof socks, knee pads to cover the tops, and in really bad weather, hiking trousers to deflect the water over everything.
Works in all day heavy rain when you have to ride, ie you’d bought an uplift pass.
Still not huge fun.
I think I might be buying a pair of Keen as my next walking boots, look nice and don't cost silly money.
How hard could it be for the likes of five ten to put a waterproof membrane c/w neoprene cuff onto an existing shoe design.
I've read a few shoe reviews from the US and they often complain about the shoes being too hot, I normally read that as being perfect for the uk.
Oops! Seems that Adidas have done exactly that!
https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/adi10566/adidas-terrex-hydro-lace-boot-~-aw20/
Good lord they’re gopping!! Where do they employ these flat shoe designers from and why can’t they get spd designs to help!!
For years I had a pair of raichle goretex walking boots mid cut, so just below the ankle, way better in waterproof Ness, pedal grip and walking grip than any 5.10 I have owned, worn with merino wool socks so warm.
Just bought some dolomite boots from rock and run to try, in orange not the ones above, tried some keen ventures briefly as the outr split quickly from riding and found the sole compound to hard for the pins on the pedal.
Hate sealskin socks, that filled with water and I almost froze , hate them but tried a second pair of knee-length ones still got a bag of water and in addition felt like the top were cutting my legs off.
Five tens have been shocking forme (impacts, guides, freeride including s leatherpair rs with primaloft) they all have taken steps to dry, soles are crap in mud. Ideabeing let the water drain out but never seemed to work!
Best boot for winter flat pedal riding I have used is these
https://www.99boulders.com/five-ten-guide-tennie-gtx-mid-review
I bought a second pair when they stopped making them
Mudguards make a huge difference.
Oops! Seems that Adidas have done exactly that!
https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/adi10566/adidas-terrex-hydro-lace-boot-~-aw20//blockquote >
Wow they're horrible. Seems like they're made for canyoning so perhaps the style cues for that are different to MTB.
I don't understand people who talk about wearing hiking boots or similar. Perhaps their needs are different to mine. My hiking boots have zero sole feel and are just clunky and horrible to ride in (I did it once hiking up / riding down Snowdon, never again!). They're nothing like a solution IMO.
So you have to add 'good looking' to the list of requirements (agree the Adidas shoes I put a link to are not pretty).
Who actually looks at your feet when your trying to get a seat in a cafe mid ride covered head to toe in mud.
As I've got older I've started to think that if you need waterproof specific mountain bike shoes then you shouldn't really be riding the trails in that condition to avoid erosion.
Mudguards make a huge difference.
Most water ingress is from splooshing through puddles, creating a Moses-effect that goes directly into your leading foot....I find.
As I’ve got older I’ve started to think that if you need waterproof specific mountain bike shoes then you shouldn’t really be riding the trails in that condition to avoid erosion.
You ride in the UK, right?
That's anywhere between 6 and 9 months of the year.
I just bought a pair of Five Ten EPS's from JE James. Haven't ridden in them yet but they seem warm and have a gusset around the tongue so water isn't going to get in through the lace holes.
I have some older Vaude Moabs and they never cease to amaze me how waterproof they are. Can dab mid stream crossing, and provided the water doesn't come over the top they never seem to leak. I give them a quick spray with some fabsil or similar every few months. Had them a few years now and still holding up well. The grip levels of flats are good, but not as good as a 5.10.
Last winter in really bad weather on local rides, I'd wear troos, fabric walking boots and gaiters. Gaiters kept my lace clean and stopped any ingress from puddles and mud. Worked great but wasn't a great looking option
Fantastic for afterwards though, the mud brushes off the gaiters when dry, top of boots is clean and then troos keep legs clean
Those adidas things are absolutely hideous! Thanks for the thought though.
Looking like SPDs and shoe covers for the winter then.
I just bought a pair of Five Ten EPS’s from JE James. Haven’t ridden in them yet but they seem warm and have a gusset around the tongue so water isn’t going to get in through the lace holes.
Let us know how you get on with them . I suspect you are going to be in for a big surprise when you use them in the wet . Yes there is a reason why I know this .
