Winter riding is challenging, and wet and frozen feet don't make it any easier. Your feet, right in the line of spray generated by the front wheel (especially without mudguards), can suffer more than any other body part. Overshoes, designed to protect your feet from the weather, are a top investment if you're aiming to ride through the winter, whether you’re a racer or commuter.
Put simply, overshoes are made from a weatherproof fabric designed to sit snugly over your shoes and keep the rain and wind out, preventing your feet from getting wet and cold. They broadly fall into two camps: those that are waterproof, and those that are just windproof.
Neoprene is a popular material for waterproof overshoes, and has the advantage that when water does finally get inside, your feet don’t freeze; the dampness stays relatively warm in there. Nylon and polyurethane are other popular materials, used sometimes in combination with neoprene, with a waterproof layer to add extra protection.
Overshoes aren’t perfect by any means. Ride in heavy rain and your feet will get wet sooner or later, but you can delay that from happening with good quality overshoes. The biggest chink in their armour is water getting in around the leg openings, soaking down your tights, and through the cleat holes in the sole. Overshoes with good weather protection, including taped seams, a Velcro strip around the ankle, waterproof zips and a taller ankle will delay the onset of wet feet.
Overshoes typically have a rear opening with a zip to seal them up, making pulling them on and off easy. For insulation in really cold weather, you want to keep the soles of your shoes as well covered as possible because a lot of heat can escape there. Some overshoes have much more sole coverage than others – it's something that's worth checking before you splash the cash.
Sizing is very important. It’s always worth trying on overshoes with your own shoes in the shop. Differently designed shoes with various buckles and ratchets can work better with some overshoes.
Typically black (to hide all the dirt) though other colours are available, some overshoes have generous reflective details to boost your night-time visibility — some are better suited to commuting for this reason.
As well as keeping the wet out, overshoes provide another layer of insulation, and some have a thicker material to provide more warmth on really cold rides. Generally speaking, the thicker the overshoe, the more it's going to keep the cold out. A trick some cyclists resort to on really awful days is two wear two pairs of overshoes for even more protection, although that will have an effect on flexibility around your ankle.
Toe covers are handy for days when it’s not cold or damp enough for full overshoes. Typically made from neoprene, they're ideal if your shoes are well vented, and are very useful in the autumn. Another use for them, and one we’ll admit to have resorted to on more than a few occasions, is wearing toe covers under overshoes for a double layer of protection.
So, now you know what to look for in overshoes, here are a dozen good examples.
B'Twin 700 Aerofit shoe covers — £19.99
These affordable BTwin Aerofit overshoes are constructed from a 0.3mm neoprene that provides decent insulation on cold days, keeping both the wind and rain out, and they don't have the bulk of some overshoes. And they're half the price of most of the other overshoes here.
Read our review of the B'Twin 700 Aerofit shoe covers
Bioflex Zero Overshoes — £26.99
If you want to keep riding when the elements throw all they can at you, then you'll need a decent weatherproof pair, and this Bioflex Zero Overshoe is very decent for the spring and autumn. These aren't a pair for brutally cold or wet conditions, but when the temperature drops as opposed to plummets or there is a whiff of showers these would be the reach-for overshoes.
Read our review of the Bioflex Zero Overshoes
Find a Bioflex dealer
Craft Neoprene Booties — £24.95
The Craft Neoprene Bootie is a simple overshoe made from, you guessed it, neoprene, with a full zip rear closure and Velcro tab underfoot. The seams that run down the top of the overshoe and around the toe section are taped for increased waterproofing, while the toe and heel are reinforced with Kevlar to improve durability. The large Craft logos along the side, and the thin strip of reflective material which runs parallel to the zip ensure decent visibility in low light.
Read our review of the Craft Neoprene Booties
Find a Craft dealer
SealSkinz Neoprene Halo Overshoes — £27.50
SealSkinz Neoprene Halo Overshoes incorporate a powerful LED light in the heel, a clever idea that I'm surprised has never been done before. Don't discount them as being a gimmick, they really do work well and are ideal for regular after dark cyclists.
Read our review of the SealSkinz Neoprene Halo Overshoes
Find a SealSkinz dealer
Shimano S3000R Overshoes — £27.99
These Shimano S3000R NPU overshoes, with their thick neoprene construction and water resistant coating, provide the necessary barrier to the elements and insulation to keep you pedalling happy circles and not frozen squares. The thick neoprene construction provides excellent insulation for colder rides, and with taped seams, the S3000R NPU overshoes seal out most of the rain, puddle splashes and spray.
Read our review of the Shimano S3000R Overshoes
Find a Shimano dealer
Caratti Deep Winter Waterproof Overshoes — £35.00
A name from the past, Caratti's Deep Winter Overshoes are among the most insulated we've yet tested, and impressive in the rain with no water getting in through the material, backed up with good build quality.
Read our review of the Caratti Deep Winter Waterproof Overshoes
Sealskinz Waterproof Cycle Over Socks — £31.49
Less of an overshoe and more an oversock, albeit a waterproof oversock, the SealSkinz Waterproof Cycle Over Socks offer lightweight protection against wind and rain that fall somewhere between Belgian booties (over socks) and full-on neoprene overshoes.
Read our review of the Sealskinz Waterproof Cycle Over Socks
Find a Sealskinz dealer
GripGrab Hammerhead Overshoes — £34.72
The GripGrab Hammerhead Overshoes have been rock solid in winter weather with their coated neoprene construction doing an unbelievable job of keeping the weather on the outside, and not in my shoes where it usually ends up after a couple of hours in the wind and rain.
Read our review of the GripGrab Hammerhead Overshoes
BBB Arctic Duty overshoes — £35.49
At first glance you could be forgiven in thinking these are some sort of white water footwear. They're quite thick and rubbery rather than the svelte neoprene jobs we wear in warmer 'cool' weather. These are the wellies of the overshoe world. Not exactly sexy. What they lack in glamour and sophistication they more than make up for in their ability to deflect falling rain, road spray and even deep bow wave trips through flood puddles.
Read our review of the BB Arctic Duty overshoes
Find a BBB dealer
Sportful Reflex Windstopper Booties — £40.50
These Sportful WS Bootie Reflex overshoes employ Gore's Windstopper fabric and serve to keep your feet warm and keep out most of the rain and cold out.
They're not 100% waterproof, but on typically showery days they'll keep most of the rain out and it needs a decent spell of prolonged rain before saturation occurs. They cope just fine when it's not raining but the roads are slick with water.
Read our review of the Sportful Reflex Windstopper Booties
GripGrab Arctic Overshoes — £41.97
The Grip Grab Arctic Overshoes are great for those properly cold days we sometimes get in January and February. They provide excellent insulation and very effective waterproofing. With 80% neoprene, these were always going to be warm, but we're also impressed by their ease of fit and adjustability.
Read our review of the GripGrab Arctic Overshoes
Sugoi Zap Shoe Covers — £49.49
The Zap overshoes from Sugoi combine a full reflective outer layer to really boost your night time visibility on the roads, backed up with decent insulation to keep your toes warm.