007craft

Hi. Im going to be doing some winter biking this year (every day, to and from work, as well as commuting around) and I need a bootie thats not only waterproof (I nearly lost my feet in last nights soaking wet ride ), but also Does well in cold temps. Temps here sometimes go to -15C or less so I need to stay real warm.

My friend said he can get me a discount on louis garneau stuff and I checked their website and they seem to sell a wide variety. Does any1 know which ones are the right ones for me? I cant seem to tell the difference between alot of them.

https://www.louisgarneau.com/catalogs...=ENG&website=1

Thanks.

tsl

I was disappointed in the set of Louis Garneau X-Warmers I bought last year. They were far from waterproof, drafty, not as warm as I expected, the toes keep flipping up as I ride, and all the stitching is disintegrating.

I replaced them last month with a pair of Endura MT500 Overshoes. Same price as the LGs, but they're exactly what I expected from a booty. Warm, windproof, water-resistant and they even slide on and off better.

EDIT: I just re-read your post. I know of no booty that will keep you warm to -15°C. The LGs were good to about +5°C. I've only worn the Enduras down to freezing, since I have a pair of Lake Winter Cycling Shoes for below that. If I had to guess, I'd say the Enduras could get me to -5°C, but that's sheer speculation, and would depend on if I could get a second pair of socks into my shoes. The Lakes, OTOH, were still plenty comfy at -15°C, the coldest it got here last winter.

007craft

well yeah -15c is not that often, averge temps around -8.

I dont mind doubling up socks to get warmer tho.

I saw those lakes earlier but I just cant justify spending so much money on a pair of shoes .

Reason I wanted to stick with the LG is because of the discount my friend can get me, which is about half. I wonder how these would work out?

https://www.louisgarneau.com/catalogs...=ENG&website=1

They say their waterproof while the ones like the x-warmers say water resistant, maybe they were too cold for you because they were meant for slightly warmer weather?

On a side note, are there any good online bike shops that list $ in Canadian funds?

NealH

Those Endura overshoes look pretty nice but, at twice the price one can have a pair of these and, I suspect no bootie will quite compete with a nice winter shoe. Given the Dollar/Pound exchange rate right now, my recommendation would be this NW Fahrenheit. I have them and they are quite good.

roadiejorge 

I keep hearing good things about the Castelli Pioggia but I haven't tried them out myself. They're water proof and supposedly warm but I'm skeptical at to how warm they can keep you at really low temperatures. I've been tempted to buy winter shoes but the prices are pretty high so for now I just use my Pearl Izumi AmFibs, toe warmers and wool socks.

007craft

Well I bought the LG booties XT. Couldnt wait for my friends discount and they cost me 58 $cdn after tax. Unfortunetly I needed them asap to get to work, so couldnt order online from somewhere cheaper or anything.

Anyway my review:

The temperature was 0C today with some light wet snow. It snowed at around 4 am so there was a thin layer of snow all around, but the cars quickly turned that into pure slush. Needless to say, it was probably the worst condistions you could ride in, cold and wet. For the first little while my feet stayed warm and dry, then 20 mins in I felt water, but it appeared to be from the top. My water pants I was wearing slipped upwards I noticed (forgot to throw an elastic around them) so I think the water leaked in from the top. And it was not very much water. My feet started to get cold at the 30 min mark. I then arrived at my destination. Im sure I could of gone another 10-15 mins before I really started to feel cold. I was wearing just some wool socks and some running shoes under the bootie.

Oh and the booties are tiny as hell. Very hard to fit your shoe in there (running shoes). Im sure cycling shoes would fit a little better, but probably not by much. Im a size 11.5 and bought the XL bootie size and still had trouble. Broke a sweat trying to get my damn shoes into them this morning. The zipper on the back of one of the booties also seems to be getting caught in some overhang material from the inside. hmm. I did not remove my shoes from the booties because it was so difficult to get them in there. Instead I managed to slip my feet out.

Im still at work now but I get off in an hour. The roads seem to be dryer now so Ill give it a cold test, however its not very cold out, about 1C now.

007craft

after further inspection today, I noticed the bottom rubber ha a hole in it. Man wtf. 1 ride and a hole already? Im going to super glue it. Its clear the booties are made for kids. I mean I bought the XL size, I shouldnt have to struggle to get my shoe in there. I dont have any cycling shoes which they seem like would fit better but probably not by much. my other shoes which have a wider front dont even fit. Also I noticed the waterproof neoprene is not even the whole cover, but only the front part and a bit at the side. Makes it useless. Explains how my shoes inside got soaked. Very dissapointed in these.

Im gonna shop around for another pair. But at least I have something until then.

JVania

I really like the Pearl Izumi Amfib Moutain covers. There is no difference between the road and mountain size-wise only in durability (The mountain covers are MUCH more durable). That's what I wear and I love them.