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Ok, convinced I need some now. Question is which one. So what's good and what's not?
Locally I can easily try some Specialized and Gaerne shoes. So the Defroster and G.Winter look pretty good bets.
Specialized do seem to work quite well for me but had a look at the Defroster the other day and it's got vents in the sole, seems a bit odd for a waterproof boot. Problem? Suppose I could tape over them but doesn't inspire confidence in the design. Also the collar seems pretty chunky, is it flexible enough?
Sidi seems pretty popular. Worth checking out?
Thanks.
Northwave? I have had a pair of MTB ones for a few years now and bought a pair of the road ones last year. I had to up one size from regular shoe size (usually 43 but needed a 44). Certainly waterproof but if raining fairly heavy you will get the dribbles down the leg entering the boot. With the right socks, never had cold feet whilst using them.
Definitely worth a look.
Northwave look pretty good, but still got vents in the sole...
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Bit odd.
Got some Lake CX145s a couple of weeks ago, wore them for a wet night ride last week so I can report back...
They were overly warm on the night I wore them, but it was still 12°c, so that bodes well. The fit and comfort is spot on, really nice to wear and the boa system works well.
The sole is not as stiff as my usual Bonts, but will no doubt feel a bit more sure-footed when hobbling round on wet roads and cafe floors!
They look really good, seem to be very well made and weren't badly priced - I got them from Halfords with a 20% discount code that someone posted on here (thanks!!) and used my BC membership card for a further 10% on collection.
I went for a UK size 9 - I'm more of an 8.5 but use a size 9 Shimano winter MTB shoe. They're not as roomy as the Shimanos but have plenty of room for a medium-heavy weight merino sock.
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Thanks Gatsby. They look pretty good. I guess I could order them from Halfords and try them out. I'll stick them on the list.
I've been using the Shimano RW-80 for years. Very good, no problems they just do their job
It looks like Shimano have stopped doing them. Not listed on any of their sites.
Not sure if my northwaves have bents there or not. But they are probably needed because goretex and other membranes rely on air on both sides to allow water vapour to pass from inside the hot humid boot to the dry air outside. So i bet there's a layer of hydrophobic material inside the sole to help air circulate and water vapour escape.
Id defiantly recomend them based on how good my old ones are.
Thanks TINAS. I thought maybe they were just being lazy and using a sole from some other shoe but that sounds more plausible. May order a pair and try them out. I predict a repeat of my summer shoe search, at one point I think I had well over a grands worth of "stock"... 🙂
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Haha, I had a similar problem, but my feet seem to swell a lot whilst riding so what fit in the living room was often a painful nightmare after an hour. The shoes I ended up with cost about £150 including insoles, but I probably spent 4x that on shoes that then had to be sold on after one or two rides!
Worst bit is I've got quite a deep gravel driveway which ruins carbon soles, so even my nice new clogs don't have that shiny new shoe look for long!
Anyone else out there? Anyone got the defrosters?
+ 1 Lakes over Shimano's
Lakes are warmer when it gets proper cold, are 'better' made and will last longer
That's reassuring to hear Bonesetter! Having tried a few, the Lakes felt the least bulky... I really like the look too, kind of Mad Max meets Bladerunner...
I ran the Shimano's for years and looked att he Lakes and thought the same
On, they are not bulky at all and in fact are a lot more comfortable, as well as significantly warmer 🙂
In fact, check this
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/lake-303
Same quandry for me and after another thread last week or week before, I came across the 45Nth Japanther Road and have given them a punt. I'm away with work so won't know what they're actually like till Thursday night. But I've Northwave MTB boots and they're very warm, little big for the same size as all my other boots. Lots of the others; Spesh, Shimano, Sidi etc, didn't seem to get very good write-ups. A lot was down to wetting out, cuff not being tight or high enough. Ive more or less destroyed three pairs of overshoes over the past couple of years and the added faff for the commute has made me go for a proper winter boot for the road. Will report back.
I like Northwave and use their Fahrenheit mtb shoes regularly in -20C with only one pair of socks. I'm sure they would make sure they are waterproof. Those lakes look good but I had a pair of lakes mtb shoes where the sole was so wide they literally couldn't clip into normal shimano spd and cranks.