As the temperatures start to drop it’s important to keep your extremities warm. By keeping your hands and feet protected against the elements you can ride outdoors during winter for longer and in far more comfort. And when it comes to those feet, overshoes are an essential piece of kit.
Apart from those designed to improve your aerodynamics, the best cycling overshoes are created to add warmth. Some do this in a straightforward fashion and are better suited to cool autumn days. Others are designed for deep winter and combine an internal fleece material with a durable outer that is waterproof or at least resistant to rain.
Other variations include neoprene options that focus on keeping your feet dry as well as those that offer a hi-vis colourway - a great choice for commuters or low-light conditions.
We’ve reviewed many pairs and have selected those that impressed us most for this guide. If you’re unsure of the right pair for you, you’ll find a variety of options here as well as a guide to what to look for in the best overshoes.
This offering from Dexshell ticks all the boxes - warm, windproof and water resistant, with a full-length waterproof zipper that makes them easy to get on and off.
Without any zippers or velcro straps the Assos booties are minimal and lacking the bulk of some overshoes while still being warm and weather resistant.
Not only are the Shield Thermo overshoes highly visible they are also adept at repelling the wind and the rain while keeping your feet warm in the process.
We were very impressed with these overshoes. They were warm, easy to put on, well-fitting, windproof and water resistant—basically all the points you want in an overshoe. Not only that, but the price is extremely competitive. With no discernible negatives, it was easy to give these a full 10/10, or five stars I should say.
A full-length waterproof zip at the back made getting them on and off a breeze. The zipper is secured by a tab at the top to stop it from slipping down at an inopportune moment. Another nice touch is the elasticated cuff with an internal silicone gripper, which helps to secure the overshoes in place.
No zips makes getting them on harder than many overshoes
The Assos Winter Booties don't have zips or velcro straps to help you get them on - a negative as they are a bit more time-consuming to put on, but a positive as these are the parts of most overshoes that break most easily. Despite their lack of bulk, we found them to be warm and water resistant and also breathable.
A mix of thermal softshell fabric which includes a membrane and a Cordura toe make for good waterproofing and Assos claims that its overshoes are also aero. Despite raw edged hems on the underside, we didn't have any issues with wear.
As usual, Assos doesn't size in any recognisable measures, with sizes numbered from 0 to III, which you need to translate to make sure you've got the correct size, although we didn't actually find any issue with getting this right.
Very waterproof with rubberised neoprene keeping splash out
Reasons to avoid
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Ankle cuff is cut slightly low
The Endura Freezing Point II overshoes are constructed with a neoprene outer – which has been given a waterproof coating – and is fleece lined on the inside all the way down to where the upper of your shoe meets the sole. The upshot of this is a warm overshoe that will keep you dry in the toughest conditions.
In addition to the testing out on the roads, we 'stress-tested' these overshoes in a five-minute shower, expecting the heavy flow to overwhelm them. Instead, we were surprised to find that our shoes were only slightly damp while our feet were completely dry – most impressive, as this was far more water than the shoes experienced in more typical rainy conditions. In all, these overshoes are excellent, the only slight issue is that the ankle cuff is cut slightly low.
Fabric: 100% polyster exterior with Gore-Tex; inner fleece of 92% polyster and 8% elastane
Sizes (EU):: 37-39; 40-41; 42-43; 44-45; 46-48
Weight: 100 grams
Reasons to buy
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Very warm
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Waterproof
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Windproof
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Competitively-priced
Reasons to avoid
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Poor reflectivity
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Very hard to put on
The Gorewear Thermo overshoes are a really great pair of winter overshoes. During our testing, they rebuffed the wind, repelled water and vitally they kept the intense cold at bay. What's more, if the mercury rises and the thermal layers aren't a necessity, the feet do not overheat.
They are incredibly visible thanks to the bright neon yellow colourway, although there is a lack of reflective strips. We did find the overshoes quite difficult to put on and off, although this does result in a nice snug fit .
Roughly the same price as its competitors, these are brilliant winter overshoes for those riding in at or near to freezing conditions where the heavens might open at any moment.
Midsole fabric bridge can interfere with clipping in
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Slightly too tight at the ankle cuff
Made of 2.5mm neoprene, we found that the Altura Thermostretch Windproof overshoes did a good job of keeping the cold winds out while also handling the damp roads well - although they're not waterproof enough to fend off a deluge.
There's a full zip that's off centre, so it won't interfere with the tendons in the back of your heels and a full length baffle behind it helps prevent water and air ingress. The underside features a sturdy fabric with a reinforced toe segment, although we'd have liked to see the mid-sole fabric bridge positioned a bit further backwards, where it would be less likely to interfere with clipping in.
Like much of Altura's kit, its overshoes have plenty of reflectives, which wrap around the outside and the rear of the overshoes to help up your visibility.
While most overshoes follow a tried-and-tested pattern, Rapha has opted to do something a little different with its version. By removing the rear zip on the Winter Overshoe, Rapha have certainly made things a little more streamlined than the standard offering.
We found that the overshoe does a great job of keeping your feet dry and warm even as the temperatures reach freezing. As you'd expect from Rapha, the quality of materials and finishing is really high too. But doing away with the zip does make the overshoe more of an effort to get on and off which isn't going to suit the traditionalist.
At Cycling Weekly we have a large team of testers to make sure we put as many products to the test as possible, from a wide variety of brands, and in lots of different categories. It is worth saying that our team has been testing equipment for decades and this knowledge is combined with the ability to write insightful and honest reviews to make sure you get the best product for you. Additionally I wanted to acknowledge that no manufacturer can pay for a good review.
When it comes to shoes, we've tested literally hundreds of pairs, and importantly our testers have large, small, narrow and wide feet so we can accurately test fit and foot comfort for lots of riders. We then put cycling overshoes to the test by clocking a lot of miles because this gives us an idea how they are to actually use. We can also test for factors like usability, durability, waterproofing, comfort and so on and so forth.
All our reviews use the same 1 to 5 star rating system:
5 - Superb, best in its class and we couldn’t fault it 4 - Solid product, could be improved 3 - Fine, but a few niggles let this down 2 - Acceptable, needs improvement 1 - Extremely poor, barely worked
How to choose
The best cycling overshoes for cold, wet weather are generally made from thick neoprene or lighter, windproof, fleece-backed fabric. Designed to keep the cold, the wet, or wind out they come with holes at the bottom to allow your cleats to connect with the best clipless pedals.
In cold, dry weather a traditional neoprene overshoe will work as an excellent insulator, but will get waterlogged in persistent, heavy rain.
For rainy days, you can opt for a more waterproof fabric, which, similar to the Best waterproof cycling jackets , uses a DWR (durable water resistant) fabric. It's likely to be thinner, so you might take a hit on the warmth. There is much debate as to overshoes inside out outside leg-wear, but suffice to say, even if the overshoe itself doesn’t leak, water will eventually find its way in through the openings - top or bottom (or both).
Lighter, Windstopper-type technical fabric is designed to be windproof, and will often provide water resistance and be breathable. As with neoprene, you only have a limited time before the water gets in, but unless if it's a showery day, it may be better to accept this as it will dry quickly.
The undersides of even the best cycling overshoes are prone to wear. Depending on your riding style, you may want to look for a tough, seam-free base with reinforcements at the heel and toe box, especially if you're often having to dab in gravel or stop at traffic lights.
Some of the best cycling overshoes will have reflective or hi-vis elements, essential when riding in the poor light conditions of the cooler seasons. You'll often find that any reflective detailing on bib tights or leg warmers is covered up by overshoes, so it's important that the overshoe adds this detail, particularly at the rear.
FAQs
Are cycling overshoes worth it?
Keeping feet warm and dry in winter is difficult for cyclists. Wind chill is the enemy for the extremities, add spray from the front wheel and unless your feet are appropriately insulated it won’t be long before you can’t feel them any more.
Can you wear cycling overshoes with trainers or sneakers?
Technically cycling overshoes aren't designed for trainers or other non-cycling specific footwear. There will no doubt be some options for shoe protection on a bike, but even with a rain cover, your feet will get pretty cold in standard trainers or office shoes. It's certainly worth considering giving a clipless pedal system a try for keeping your feet warm throughout the year, you'll also be very surprised by the difference it makes to your riding.
If new shoes and pedals aren't an option, you could give a standard overshoe a whirl, but you'll need to pick a size or so bigger to take account for the larger sole on a trainer, as well as a more robust underneath. Alternatively, it might be worth investing in the best cycling socks which are thermal and wind and waterproof.
Hannah is Cycling Weekly’s longest-serving tech writer, having started with the magazine back in 2011. She has covered all things technical for both print and digital over multiple seasons representing CW at spring Classics, and Grand Tours and all races in between.
Hannah was a successful road and track racer herself, competing in UCI races all over Europe as well as in China, Pakistan and New Zealand.
For fun, she's ridden LEJOG unaided, a lap of Majorca in a day, won a 24-hour mountain bike race and tackled famous mountain passes in the French Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites and Himalayas.
She lives just outside the Peak District National Park near Manchester UK with her partner, daughter and a small but beautifully formed bike collection.
