Castelli Reflex overshoe review

We've tested Castelli's ultra-reflective overshoes: expensive but effective

Cycling Weekly Verdict

A novel approach to night time and low light visibility in a quality overshoe, but expensive

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Really reflective fabric

  • +

    Taped seams to weatherproof

  • +

    Quality build

  • +

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Expensive

  • -

    Not as warm as some

  • -

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By definition, you are likely to be wearing overshoes when the weather isn’t that great, which means that visibility may be lower too, so it’s good to have some extra reflective elements in your kit so that you show up better to other road users. It’s also a good idea to have reflectives at night, in addition to riding with lights.

The Reflex shoecovers tick both boxes: in daylight they appear to be just an ordinary grey pair of overshoes, but they are made entirely of reflective fabric, so they light up like a beacon in a car’s headlights. They’re not heavily insulated and Castelli claims a temperature range from 6 to 12 degrees, which seems about right. The seams are all taped on the inside, so they stay dry in wet conditions, although as with all overshoes there’s the Achilles heel of the open areas on the bottom for the shoes’ cleats and the ankle cuff, where water will find its way in.

Finishing is simple but effective

The zip is waterproof

I found the Reflex a good fit, although the waterproof zips were a bit fiddly to get started on their way up. They’re displaced away from the back of the heel, so they aren’t uncomfortable and don’t rub when you’re riding.

>>> Vittoria Arctica winter shoe review

Base is designed for abrasion resistance

Base is designed for abrasion resistance

The overshoes have a base made of a more resilient cordura fabric which has so far resisted abrasion – another potential problem when clipping and unclipping and if you walk in them much. I haven’t found my feet getting cold on typical cool, damp rides and the overshoes have proved water resistant.

>>> Cycling shoes buyer's guide

Although they’re expensive, the Reflex overshoes are a good option if you’re serious about your bad weather and night time riding.

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Paul Norman

Paul started writing for Cycling Weekly in 2015, covering cycling tech, new bikes and product testing. Since then, he’s reviewed hundreds of bikes and thousands of other pieces of cycling equipment for the magazine and the Cycling Weekly website.

He’s been cycling for a lot longer than that though and his travels by bike have taken him all around Europe and to California. He’s been riding gravel since before gravel bikes existed too, riding a cyclocross bike through the Chilterns and along the South Downs.