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Winter Shoes/Boots.....?

StuInTokyo

Maximum Pace
Dec 3, 2010
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Last year my toes froze, sure the little heat packs help, bu still with my regular SPD shoes, my feet freeze. Cold feet suck!

Today I had my first longish delivery ride in the cooler weather we are having and my toes froze :D

Time for some winter shoes/boots.

Right now I wear the Shimano MT42 SPD shoes
shimano-mt42-sh-11-med.jpg


I wear them all day long, like regular shoes, I would rather do this with some winter shoes, instead of changing shoes when I'm off the bike.

Looking around it seems that Shimano has come out with some new shoes/boots and no longer make some other ones.

I found these...
shimano-mt91-boots-11-med.jpg

Shimano MT91 GoreTex Touring/Hiking Shoes might be a bit overkill for Tokyo, but if they keep my feet warm and dry.....?

Then there are these.....
shimano-mt71-sh-11-med.jpg

Shimano MT71 GoreTex SPD Touring Shoes
They also look good, and are more of a shoe than a hiking boot.

Next I found these....
shimano-mw81-winter-boot-12-med.jpg

Shimano MW81 Gore-Tex Winter Boots
I bet these will be super warm etc on the bike, but walking around all day in them....? Maybe not.

Right now I'm leaning more towards the MT71s, as they are very much like what I have, but are supposed to be somewhat waterproof and much warmer.

Does anyone have any of these shoes, or something else that would fit my bill?

I'll also be getting a pair of these for the really crap weather riding.....

gore-FCITYO9900-aw10v-med.jpg

Gore Bike Wear City IV Overshoe AW10

Cheers!
 
Pearl Izumi has electric heated shoe covers and gloves... I'm very tempted ...
 
I was thinking about winter shoes as well, until somebody pointed out that there are these cover things you can use.

I got some on sale in the UK, turns out they are a bit small despite being OK on the size chart and I've ripped them the one time I tried using them. Oh well. Will get ones with zippers next.

So.... why would you get a whole shoe if you can use the the Gore-tex cover thingy? (I was going to get a new shoe but was talked out of it because of those covers....).

Mind you, I didn't see any of those fancy gore-tex models in the shops before.... those certainly do look good.
 
shimano-mw81-winter-boot-12-med.jpg

Shimano MW81 Gore-Tex Winter Boots
I bet these will be super warm etc on the bike, but walking around all day in them....?
I have a pair of the MW80, plus an older pair of MW02.
bmw02-main.jpg

For alternate days, you see, so one pair can dry out completely.

I prefer the MW02 as they don't have a Velcro™ strap at the ankle. That strap on the MW80/81 means there's a piece of elastic on the inside which makes it awkward to get my feet in without tearing the hotpads off my socks.
T311110H_L.jpg

This combination of Shimano winter shoes and hokkairo is all I need to stay toasty.

They're fine for walking around, too. They might look a bit silly, but they're comfortable enough.

Beware of buying shoes online from overseas. The import taxes often make them more expensive than buying locally.
 
Stu, I would actually consider eg the Shimano XC50N -- http://bikemagic.com/gear/shimano-release-2012-shoe-range.html (scroll down a bit)
They are a fair bit warmer than a summer shoe but less bulky than the options you put up there. I would think they are a bit stiffer also which - besides helping with power transfer on the bike - could be useful when some good kicking is needed to stop attacks from the dog of the old lady.

Now, bad news is that they definitely would be colder than say the MW81. But with a pair of good cycling wool socks and Mike's hokkairo you should be fine in the Tokyo winter. Some overshoes wouldnt be a bad idea for days featuring around zero or chilly winds or drizzle/rain.

As for overshoes I have something similar to you -- http://www.wiggle.co.uk/gore-bike-wear-race-power-overshoes/

Do what they are supposed to do I guess but restricts movement a bit.

My two cents.

Frode
 
I must have lucked out when I got my Italian leather Lake MTB shoes last week. Not only were they half off after combined discounts from Wiggle, there weren't any customs charges either. What is more, they surprisingly fit very well too. No buyer's remorse from that purchase.
 
Do a search MASSIVE thread started this time last year on the exact same topic.

Result: Shimano winter road/Mtb shoes for the win
 
I have a pair of the MW80, plus an older pair of MW02.
bmw02-main.jpg

For alternate days, you see, so one pair can dry out completely.

I prefer the MW02 as they don't have a Velcro™ strap at the ankle. That strap on the MW80/81 means there's a piece of elastic on the inside which makes it awkward to get my feet in without tearing the hotpads off my socks.
T311110H_L.jpg

This combination of Shimano winter shoes and hokkairo is all I need to stay toasty.

They're fine for walking around, too. They might look a bit silly, but they're comfortable enough.

Beware of buying shoes online from overseas. The import taxes often make them more expensive than buying locally.

I've bought two pairs of Shimano MT42s from Wiggle and paid no extra import fee and the price, including shipping (OK it was free shipping) was 40% of what they want at Y's in BYGS Shinjuku. :D
 
I was thinking about winter shoes as well, until somebody pointed out that there are these cover things you can use.

I got some on sale in the UK, turns out they are a bit small despite being OK on the size chart and I've ripped them the one time I tried using them. Oh well. Will get ones with zippers next.

So.... why would you get a whole shoe if you can use the the Gore-tex cover thingy? (I was going to get a new shoe but was talked out of it because of those covers....).

Mind you, I didn't see any of those fancy gore-tex models in the shops before.... those certainly do look good.

The covers work best for rain, I guess there are thermal covers, but walking around in them all day wrecks the bottoms of them, and the good covers are about half the price of a pair of shoes!

I'm put my order in for the Shimano MT71 shoes, I hope they keep my toes warm!

Cheers!
 
So.... why would you get a whole shoe if you can use the the Gore-tex cover thingy? (I was going to get a new shoe but was talked out of it because of those covers....).

No offense intended, but this sounds like a distinct lack of first hand experience. Have you actually tried the shoe covers for any length of time? They are a royal pain in the and not particularly durable. If you are serious about riding in the winter, get real winter cycling shoes!

Do a search MASSIVE thread started this time last year on the exact same topic.

Result: Shimano winter road/Mtb shoes for the win

Exactly!!!
 
No offense intended, but this sounds like a distinct lack of first hand experience. Have you actually tried the shoe covers for any length of time? They are a royal pain in the and not particularly durable. If you are serious about riding in the winter, get real winter cycling shoes!

Yes my point exactly, I guess if you only ride on occasion in the winter, they would be of use, but daily, no way. The other thing is when it rains, I don't care what the say about "Waterproof" shoes, none will be after an hour of good rain, but I have found that the good overshoes will keep your feet warm for a very long time!
 
No offense intended, but this sounds like a distinct lack of first hand experience. Have you actually tried the shoe covers for any length of time? They are a royal pain in the and not particularly durable. If you are serious about riding in the winter, get real winter cycling shoes!


Yup, that is absolutely correct, it is a lack of experience. I started looking vaguely for new shoes after I found my feet absolutely frozen. Somebody mentioned that instead of forking out for new shoes to look at those footie things. He's also a beginner like me but made sense at the time. Did one ride with my newly purchased footies and have seen the light. This was just this past weekend, so thought I'd ask on this timely thread about it!
 
I've bought two pairs of Shimano MT42s from Wiggle and paid no extra import fee and the price, including shipping (OK it was free shipping) was 40% of what they want at Y's in BYGS Shinjuku. :D

The current price at Wiggle is some 25% less than what I paid for mine at Y's in Shinjuku (seemed to be on sale at Y's because new models were coming out, hence less difference), but there again, you can't try them on for size and walk around in them when the shop is 10,000 km away, which is why I'd never buy shoes online unless I had the exact same shoe before.

My standard tricks for winter-proofing summer shoes on the cheap:
- a second pair of socks or
- a small plastic bag worn in between the socks and the shoes.
 
Ok I can tell you this now, Shoe covers are useless as others have mentioned the only ones worth getting will cost about the same as a pair of Shimano Winter shoes.

I have ASSOS, Castelli, Parentini and several other covers and basically the only time I will use them is if Im racing and need light weight shoes but warmth, however these things wear out very quickly and I killed my Pinarello Giordana shoe covers after have to make a quick walk in them.

For those of you going the "Cheapo" method I would seriously not recomend using a plastic bag method, this is great in emergencies but for regular riding your looking at sores, fungle infections and possible chill burns once the cold really kicks in, you lose a lot of heat and sweat through your feet and as a coach I would advise that you look after you feet especailly well.

Winter shoes are a great investment as if you store them properly they will last 4-5-6 seasons (2,400 JPY per year!) unlike regular shoes that get about 1 or 2 years before they are stretched or damaged.

Feet warmers are a good thing as well however, you are in a fix if the chemical reaction stops or your feet get wet.
 
Looks like Shimano is the way to go.

For those of you with multiple pairs of those.... Are the sizes consistent across the different models within the Shimano range? I have a pair of Shimanos purchased locally, would look to order some winter ones.... If they are consistent across models that would hopefully mitigate shipping back and forth getting the size right!
 
The older Shimanos are the shiznits! Other than that - I'm usually rocking the hot kaido (on top of foot) + Surley Woolies and a Belgian. Feet are pre-treated by liberal layer of Pete's Honey Badger Bacon grease + Habanero Deathsauce embrocation. Only issue with this is that it turns into a Fukushima Embro the instant your feet touch water. So you better be prepared to dance the Devil's tune when you shower. or just do as the Belgians do and avoid any baths or showers until Springtime.
 
No offense intended, but this sounds like a distinct lack of first hand experience.

Actually, just to play devil's advocate, I do have experience, and I've never ever felt the need for winter shoes in Kanto. I wear shoe covers sometimes, especially for an early morning start, but that's about it. I've never needed those foot warmer thingies either...

A few caveats: Last two places I lived in were Akita and Canada, so maybe I'm used to a bit of chill, and I don't go into high altitudes very often in the winter.

Point being, saying you have to have winter shoes is just wrong, and in fact in my opinion, they're overkill for road cycling in Tokyo, especially if you're staying in the lowlands. YMMV, of course.
 
My feet freeze the first weekend after Thanksgiving regardless of where I live. And, I was raised in the higher elevations (Cascades) of Washington and lived at the crappiest coldest places around - but my feet never acclimated - neither did my hands or the rest of me, for that matter. That plus losing more than 30% of my blood flow to my lower extremity due to mechanical damage (veins and arterial destruction) result in - COLD FEET. I MUST HAVE Winter Shoes. And, in fact , would probably wear them year around or whenever the temperature drops below 20. (Sitting here now with the gas heater blasting on my left leg)
 
I wear shoe covers sometimes...

That is the crux of the issue. If you only need them SOMETIMES, then you either have some special tolerance, special feet, or just aren't riding consistently in colder conditions.

In summation, if you only find the need to wear booties sometimes then obviously you don't "need" winter cycling shoes. That being said, if you find that you are wearing booties on nearly every ride during the winter, then do yourself a big favor and just get proper winter cycling shoes.
 
unlike regular shoes that get about 1 or 2 years before they are stretched or damaged.

Wow, what brand do you wear? I'm on year 4 of my Sidis, and I'm just starting to think maybe I'll replace the heel pad; otherwise they're in great shape. And I wear them year round. If my road shoes only lasted a year I'd be fairly ticked off...
 
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