Lava

Fizik is releasing a couple of new cold season appropriate off-road focused shoes. The Terra Clima X2, and the Terra Artica X2.

They look like great winter commuting shoes to me.

I live in NYC and commute anywhere from 6 to 14 miles one way, and try to ride through the winter unless it's really icy or there's a ton of snow on the side of the road. I'm tired of booties that are a pain to get on and off, so am thinking of investing in a pair of SPD shoes that will get me through the cold, wet, and salty winter. I often have to walk off the bike, but both models look equally capable at that.

The Artica looks warmer and more winter focused, while the Clima looks like a great shoe for all seasons except summer. I like the aesthetics of the Clima more than the Artica, and I see myself wearing that on rainy days in fall/spring more than I would the Artica, which might run too warm. The one downside I see of the Clima is the knitted gaiter, which might be hard to clean when exposed to salt and road grime in winter?

Any winter commuters have any thoughts on which might be the better overall choice? Is the gaiter a pro or a con for winter use? Any thoughts on these, or similar all-purpose warm and waterproof shoes?

Jeff of Vt

I don't have firsthand experience with the above shoes but you could always wear actual gaiters over the shoes, providing more protection to your feet and the uppers of the Climas when the roads are especially nasty.
I live in the Northeast as well and it when it comes to footwear, it's better to lean toward cooler as you can always upgrade your socks. With more heavily insulated footwear the options are more limited. Waterproofing is really the majority of the battle.

Lava

That's a great idea. Gaiters wouldn't be as faffy as the full shoe covers usually are, and I'd still get the versatility of the three season shoe. I already have some pretty heavy duty socks from commuting in just normal cycling shoes, so those should work pretty well together.

Since both models are brand new, I'll report back with what I think of the Climas, if I'm able to find them anywhere.

bpcyclist

I have def been thinking of these.

Lava

I got a pair! They arrived two days ago and I rode with them yesterday. I'll reply back with more detailed thoughts once I have a chance to ride with them more, and in different weather conditions.

Initial thoughts are that they're nice and stiff, but easily walkable. A little hard to get on and off due to the built-in gaiter, but not egregious. I was hoping for rain on the ride (imagine that) to test the waterproofness, but alas the rain never materialized.

I had on thin socks and they were a bit warm in temperatures of the low 60's, so I think they'll make a pretty decent winter shoe when paired with heavy warm socks.

Lava

Update thanks to a Nor'easter fueled rainstorm this evening. It was a real downpour with huge puddles everywhere, so it was as bad of a test scenario I could have come up with!

Unfortunately, they didn't quite stay dry, and once water penetrated the top "gaiter" it was all over from there. The waterproofness of the bottom resulted in a big sloshy mess for half the ride, and the wet gaiter portion was pretty cold once soaked.

I'm a bit disappointed, but I expect it'll still be a solid shoe for normal wet conditions. It should do fine in a drizzle, just be careful and plan ahead if a real downpour is expected.

noglider 

First of all, thanks for notifying us about these shoes. They're a lot of money, so I won't buy them hastily, but I'm not saying it's a rip-off. They look really great.

Don't blame the shoes for the fact that they didn't keep you dry. It's a lot to ask. I have separate gaiters for putting over my shoes to keep me dry. They do a very good job, but they're also not perfect. Consider getting a pair for yourself.