A recommendable pair of overshoes for shoulder and winter riding. Excellent visibility and they do a fine job of repelling water.
Reasons to buy
+
Waterproof
+
Offer excellent visibility and reflectivity
+
Comfort fit that stays in place
+
Durable properties
Reasons to avoid
-
Can lead to hot feet
-
Scuffs and marks show up quickly
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There are two main things I demand from a pair of hi-visibility overshoes: that they will protect my feet from becoming sodden wet, and they they will make me more noticeable to other road users.
GripGrab’s overshoes most certainly meet both requirements. If you’re here for a short browse only and want a quick answer, then you’re not going to be disappointed with Grip Grab’s offering.
Not everything’s perfect, but for the price, $49.99 / £38, you cannot go wrong with what GripGrab have produced; as a mid-price product they compete well with many of the best cycling overshoes available.
GripGrab Ride Waterproof shoe covers: construction
(Image credit: Chris Marshall-Bell)
Made from 100% polyester, the overshoes have quite a bit of stretch in them, an elasticity that enables you to pull them over your road shoes quite easily.
The underfoot and the heel at the back are joined together by durable velcro that never once came undone by itself, while under the toe there is a section of Kevlar material that is designed to make the overshoes durable and more resistant to wear and tear.
I opted for the hi-vis version to review, and it was pleasing to see that both the brand’s logo and the dozens of tiny little dots on the outer and rear of both overshoes reflected brightly, increasing visibility further.
The height comes up to just below traditional sock height which can make for a weird look if riding in shorts, but ridden with winter tights and this wouldn’t be an aesthetic issue.
GripGrab Ride Waterproof shoe covers: the ride
No-one likes to ride in rain but when the sky darkened on a guiding trip to Slovenia, I was the only one in a group of 27 who was happy at the approaching thunder and rain-laden skies for it meant I could properly test the overshoes having been restricted to drizzly conditions before.
What I found in moderate rain was that the overshoes did an excellent job of keeping out the raindrops and the spray, although I’m not overly-certain they would repel a torrential downpour.
The water washed off without seeping into my shoes below, but it was noticeable how scruffs and nicks remained on the overshoes even after hand washing them.
GripGrab market these overshoes for autumn, winter and spring riding, alluding to their insulation properties. I cannot attest for their thermal qualities when the temperature gets ever closer to zero, but I can say with confidence that they made my feet very warm after a while in typical shoulder season temperatures. They never felt suffocating, but the fact that they led me to having hot feet suggests that breathability isn’t a strong point.
Their lightweight properties meant that I had no problems stuffing them into my back pocket, although as with most garments, together they did take up an entire pocket.
Whenever I did put them on mid-ride, I was impressed by how quickly I was able to do so with the material never once getting in the way of my cleats. The velcro allows them to stay in place where intended, although towards the toe the material had a tendency to slip outwards.
GripGrab Ride Waterproof shoe covers: value and conclusion
(Image credit: Future)
At $49.99 /£38 / €41.95 the GripGrab overshoes are competitively priced. For comparison DexShell's Heavy Duty overshoes cost £42 and have similar properties without the hi-vis fabric, while SealSkinz Waterproof All-Weather sock offers plenty of visibility in low-light conditions but lacks winter warmth, and retails at $50/£35.99
There’s little to moan about with the GripGrab overshoes. They have excellent visibility, protect the rider from moderate rain conditions and are easy to slip on and off, as well as being light enough to pop in a back pocket.
I would question the breathability of the shoes, especially when the weather is not so cold, and I was also a little disappointed at how quickly marks showed up that I could not get rid of, but overshoes are never going to stay in perfect condition.
Like all of the best cycling overshoes their sole job is to protect the more expensive shoes beneath them from keeping our feet dry, and this is a pair of overshoes that does exactly that.
A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and long reads across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013. In 2024 he released a seven-part podcast documentary, Ghost in the Machine, about motor doping in cycling.
Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains. He lives in Valencia, Spain.
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