I was sent this Fizik overshoe in November, and have been using it almost every ride over winter.
It’s been quite a wet winter, with roads covered in surface water so it has had a lot of testing.
It is designed to be waterproof and windproof, and compared to other overshoes, it has performed very well in terms of keeping feet dry. When the roads are constantly wet – even on long rides, it keeps feet dry.
It is thinner than many of the other overshoes that I have, so a little less heat insulation. However, for me that is not a problem because I put hotpads down my socks anyway! Also, the thinner overshoe is beneficial because on my time trial bike, I have speedplay X1 which is quite a short spindle it means your foot is very close to the crank and other overshoes get stuck between pedal and crank.
Although I have about four different overshoes lying around the house, I’ve been using these over winter because they are:
- Warm enough
- Keep feet dry
- Not too thick.
Other aspects of shoe
- Zipp has been robust and easy to use
- Materials: 3L with membrane and bonded mesh, waterproof YKK zip – 100% WaterProof and windproof upper
- Outsole: Rubberized for better grip
- Features: Waterproof thermowelded seams – Reflective logo and piping.
- I was size XL – 46.5 shoe size
– See more at: Fizik
Value for money
I was sent these free for review, but they are around £40 to purchase. That does make them quite expensive. I probably wouldn’t have spent £40 on a pair of overshoes, but after using them all winter, I’m more receptive to the higher price. They are reasonable value if you’re looking for some really good waterproofing.
Overshoe waterproofing technique
Don’t forget that if it is raining it is best to put leg warmer over the inside of an overshoe – rather than the other way around (like in top photo). This way water is more likely to stream off the outside of the shoe.
Mastiles Lane
A random photo of a muddy and wet road to prove I go cycling in the winter. This is Mastiles Lane between Grassington and Malham. It was a great deserted road, though when I saw this mud, I did a u-turn and went back to Grassington.
Related
- Fizik overshoe at Fizik
Other overshoes
I live in Vancouver, where it rains a lot in the winter, and purchased a pair of these Fizik shoe covers. My commute to/from work is only 20-25 minutes. The first time wearing these covers my feet were completely soaked right through to my socks. I contacted Fizik and they responded immediately, apologized, and sent a replacement pair. Fantastic customer service. I wore the replacement pair for the first time yesterday and the same thing happened. My socks were so wet, they were still damp this morning (13.5 hours later).
The shoe covers appear to be constructed well, but they just aren’t at all waterproof. Both times wearing them in the rain, they were waterlogged and appeared to absorb and retain water. In particular, the strip of material that runs down the front middle of the shoe cover (the strip on the newer models have white dots) is of different material than the rest of the shoe cover and is not at all waterproof. I can feel the top of my foot getting wet almost immediately. I am assuming they use this material to allow the shoe cover to breathe, but it is counter productive.
Fizik is a good company with great customer service (2 of my bikes have Fizik saddles), but these shoe covers are a waste of money.