Spent a very cold two hours this afternoon thinking about the flat pedals vs shoe covers issue.
For once I was actually on a bike (as in two wheels) so my usual unicycle concern of being able to disengage and instantly start running with good traction wasn't as central to it all, which increases strap-under-foot possibilities. And I'm so far content with flat or plastic-pin pedals rather than metal ones.
One thing I can't figure out is if the primary issue is actually the wind chill, or mostly just the cold.
By instinct I'd say the wind, but then I've also found my toes getting cold during winter walks in my Merrill hiking boots with halfway decent winter socks. And if those are allegedly waterproof, they shouldn't be letting in much wind either.
I guess a test I should probably do is try wearing the hiking boots on the bike and see if they help. Or try the plastic bag in sneakers idea. If it's still an issue with the wind blocked, then I'll know it's more than that.
Where my attention keeps going though is trying to make some synthetic fabric covers for the tops of the toes of my sneakers, and either glue them on an old pair of sneakers with something like rubber cement or shoe goo, or attach them with some widely spaced frankenstein type stitching through the sides just above the sole.
And of course what I really should have done was stopped and deployed the pair of toe warmers I'd brought precisely for that concern...