[Closed] Winter Boot Recommendations

Columbia Fairbanks Omni Heat are getting a lot of love on here - light, insulated, warm, grippy enough and not sponges (I rode through nearly knee deep puddles with mine plus sealskins yesterday, a night on the radiator and they're good to go again today. Me, not so much)

Aye, Fairbanks are ace, getting pricier tho, due to the love on here and Amazons demand pricing structure!

Do you need SPDs or flat pedals? the onmiheats are good for flats. For SPDs maybe try Shimano , I have the MT-90L but the modern equivalent seems to be the XM9

Flat pedals.

The Fairbanks Omni-heats look exactly like the type of thing I'm after ... are they still warm down to about freezing?
I always think the biggest thing that makes a difference to the warmth is being windproof but I guess these probably aren't?

They're windproof and waterproof. I've just been out walking in the snow (I have two pairs now) and my toes are toasty.

OK ... I'm sold .... just need to know if the Black or the Grey are faster (where's a smiley when you need one)

I have one of black and one grey. I've not noticed any difference in speed. That may be because they both have red laces now.

I have one of black and one grey

Left black, right grey?

Definitley toastie, trailbuilding in slush recently, brilliant.

All ordered ... should be here tomorrow ... cheers for the help !

How do the fairbanks come up size wise im a 46 in shimano shoes, go for a UK11?

Left black, right grey?

I could try that but I might end up walking round in circles.

I'm Shimano 46 but Fairbanks 10.5(uk).

And I can attest they've been awesome this winter for me.

I bought a pair of the Columbia ones a month back following recommendations on here. Not for riding, but for lunchtime WFH walks and out with the pup etc. They are extremely comfortable, warm and seem to be waterproof. 10/10 from me.

I bought two pairs of Fairbanks as well and so far I've not been impressed with the quality. One pair for riding the other for general wear. The pair for riding had been worn maybe 4 times when one of the eyelets for the laces burst off the boot. Instant replacement from Amazon. Couple of days ago the other pair let water in after stepping in a muddy puddle up The Whangie whilst out walking with the family. Again instant replacement within the first month of ownership. Get out there and get them tested straight away to make sure you don't get a duff pair.

Also got a pair of Fairbanks based on feedback on here, they've been great so far - don't think I've ever ended a winter ride without wet and numb feet before! Grip isn't as good as 5-10s (obviously) but it's still pretty good with a pair of old Vaults. Another plus is that the ankle cuff on my waterproof trousers just fits around the top of the boot so I can do without gaiters!

Shimano ME7 here - buy em a side too big and wear 2 pairs of socks. Best winter boots I have had.

I bought two pairs of Fairbanks as well and so far I’ve not been impressed with the quality. One pair for riding the other for general wear. The pair for riding had been worn maybe 4 times when one of the eyelets for the laces burst off the boot. Instant replacement from Amazon. Couple of days ago the other pair let water in after stepping in a muddy puddle up The Whangie whilst out walking with the family. Again instant replacement within the first month of ownership. Get out there and get them tested straight away to make sure you don’t get a duff pair.

I did see a few negative reports on Amazon saying they weren't waterproof but decided I'd get them anyway and at least give them a try.

I wonder if they've become very popular recently people are selling copies or maybe due to the pandemic and an increase in demand for them the quality's dropped.

You often find that once a product establishes a name for well produced, quality largely because they're not produced en mass .... demand goes up massively and a smaller company can't cope with a sudden increase (sometimes subbing out manufacturing) so the quality goes down ... just a thought.

A shame but the Columbia Fairbanks really don't work for me .. ordered my normal size and the left boot was perfect the right way too narrow so thought I'd try and order a size up from what I normally take.

Weird thing it's now the right one that feels way too big ... I feel like I've got to jam the right foot forward into the boot which wouldn't really be sustainable for a normal walk or the arch is way too far back.

Maybe I just got a dud pair with the 1st lot but I'm not prepared to pay a 3rd lot of postage returns to find out.

Shame but not for me ... any other suggestions greatfully received!

I like the look of those Fairbanks ones.

the other year I got a pair of decathlon Quechua NH500s. They’re fairly flexible, but are warm, waterproof, and the sole pattern works well on flats. Though not that well on slippery mud. At £45 I thought they were worth a go. The nylon loop eyelets could be more robust - I snapped one lacing up one day.

as an alternative I considered the ‘tecnica starcross’. But +£35 seemed a bit much for an experiment.

Thanks for the Winter boots tip. Tried my new Columbia Fairbanks Omni Heat out today & pleased to report dry & warm feet for my 20 mile lap of Surrey Hills Slop. I added some knee length gaitors to stop top leaks. Gave up trying to find MTB winter shoes - either no stock and/or silly prices.

Do the Columbia boots size roughly as normal? If I normally wear 11 in most shoes will a size 11 fit with thicker socks or go up half a size for winter socks?
Thanks