Wet feet, how do you cope?

[z0mb13e]

It rained a lot this am. I took the short route to work.

Despite that I'm sitting in the office with wet feet. I think I might have trench foot by the end of the day.

I was looking around for a shoe cover that is made of the light weight material that they use for water proof jackets (ie Kagools) but they are all 'pro' booties made of neoprene (not very water proof!) or the like. I just want to cover the top of my shoes not wear booties!

Does anyone do water proof trousers with shoe covers?

Any suggestions other than plastic bags or a spare pair of shoes?

 

[Vikki]

Not much help really but I wear boots to work and my waterproof bottoms go over the top of the top of my boots thus stopping water getting in (unless my bottom of my waterproofs ride up then I get an ankle bath). Very quick to rectify that so I don't get more than a few drips.

Vikki.

 

[Patrick]

I bought myself a pair of Trekmates Gore-Tex Ankle Gaiters from Blacks yesterday (£14.99) to cover the gap between the bottom of my cheap pair of waterproof trousers and the top of my shoes.

Blacks Gore-Tex® Ankle Gaiter

I haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Patrick

 

[eddieo]

spare socks and pants and a small micro fibre towel in a couple of plastic bags?

 

[z0mb13e]

I bought myself a pair of Trekmates Gore-Tex Ankle Gaiters from Blacks yesterday (£14.99) to cover the gap between the bottom of my cheap pair of waterproof trousers and the top of my shoes.

Blacks Gore-Tex® Ankle Gaiter

I haven't had a chance to try them yet.

Patrick

Thats the sort of thing I am looking for. They would be perfect if the front stuck out to cover the laces/tounge on my shoes.

 

[z0mb13e]

I have room for spare shoes and socks in the paniers I just didn't want to have to carry a spare set...

 

[Mussels]

Neoprene keeps out more water than you'd think. Any cover that isn't tight fitting will let water in from underneath, it doesn't take a big gap.

Get a pair of cheap cycling shoes that dry out while you are at work or get better mudguards, both have given the best result for me.

 

[Patrick]

Thats the sort of thing I am looking for. They would be perfect if the front stuck out to cover the laces/tounge on my shoes.

There's a little hook on the front that you can attach to you lace to keep it down over the tounge. Judging by the weather today I may find out how effective it is in the very near future.

 

[z0mb13e]

Patrick keep me posted on how you get on with the gaiters.

Mussels, I'm not convinced on the neoprene front, after all it is used in wet suits and they absorb water pretty fast. I also have a pair of neoprene gloves that I use when it is really wet as they provide grip regardless but they don't take long to become soaked.

Perhaps if coated with something then yes it would be water proof.

Oh well, cheep shoes it is!

Oh yes and full mud guards!

 

[Dynamic Position]

It rained a lot this am. I took the short route to work.

Despite that I'm sitting in the office with wet feet. I think I might have trench foot by the end of the day.

I was looking around for a shoe cover that is made of the light weight material that they use for water proof jackets (ie Kagools) but they are all 'pro' booties made of neoprene (not very water proof!) or the like. I just want to cover the top of my shoes not wear booties!

Does anyone do water proof trousers with shoe covers?

Any suggestions other than plastic bags or a spare pair of shoes?

I use Baleno waterproof jacket & trousers (along with Clarks Goretex shoes). The combination has kept me totally dry even in some very wet conditions. The waterproof material is light weight and breathable which stops problems with sweating that can occur with some other materials. The combination folds into a small space which means I carry them on most journeys just in case. In winter it is surprising how warm I remain, the jacket and trousers keep out the wind which helps keep me insulated. Purchased for 60 Euro, Zierikzee, Netherlands (2007).

 

[monster]

those ankle gaitors look ideal. i may get some.

the best i have come up with so far was water proof socks and shoes. not bad but they are more water repelant than water proof. the water still finds its way into your shoes but you can get it out easier and then change you socks. those gaitors may even protect your trousors from catching on the chain.

 

[Andrew harvey]

Get some neoprene over shoes from your local bike shop, just don,t tuck your water proof into them. I did that the first time I used a pair in anger, the water ran down of my trousers into the insides of my boots, but the outsides were almost completely dry.

 

[Phil the drill]

Why not just keep a spare pair of shoes at work? I've done that for years - just take a spare pair of socks with me to change into every day, and wear them to give you a 'dry start' on the way home. A cheap pair of cycling shoes (mine were £16-00 @ Lidl's and have been fine) which I dry out when I get home .

Phil

 

[FatMog]

Ahem - neoprene is, I believe, a closed-cell foam and as such is entirely waterproof. The only bits that might leak are the seams but they shouldn't as it glues really well.

I used to go scuba-diving and the only bit which absorbs moisture is the protective knitted nylon covering - wet suits are only wet cos the water seeps in through restricted openings at ankle, wrist etc but it gets trapped, heats up and keeps you warm. It couldn't do this if it was flushing through a porous fabric. Voila!

And the fabric has thermal insulation properties and is inherently stretchy as well. My winter wellies for mucking out the horse are neoprene and are fab!

Sorry - that's way too much neoprene-info, isn't it?

 

[johnl]

Sandals

I have both polar fleece socks and neoprene river rafting socks designed to be worn with sandals. I've worn both with my Shimano biking sandals in the rain. I keep an extra pair of shoes and socks at work.

I also have neoprene booties that fit over my bike shoes. They also work pretty well.

 

[z0mb13e]

Sorry - that's way too much neoprene-info, isn't it?

Yes far too much neoprene based info

However, it could just be that my gloves and my wet suit are made of cheep and cheerful neoprene (or something that claims to be but isn't!) but the gloves have frozen solid before as they soak up water (sweat and melted snow - they have no liner, just 1 layer of thin neoprene, plus I was more annoyed that the top of the beer I was trying to drink had frozen over!).
I have seen water pool inside my wet suit and seep out very slowly on a panel with no obvious means of escape (this was while hung up over the bath tub).

Up until that I figured it was a water proof material, after that I just figured I had got it wrong. Now I'm not sure either way!

This morning I wore a spare pair of shoes, but it didn't rain.

 

[Patrick]

Well the last 10 minutes or so of my ride was in heavy rain yesterday and my gaiters earned a permanent place in my panier.

I wear waterproof overtrousers when I riding in the rain, unfortunately they ride up my leg a bit as I pedal and expose the hems of my trousers and the tops of my shoes. The gaiters are held down by a loop that goes under your heel and a hook that you attach to your laces, and the front is sealed with a substantial strip of velcro, the net effect is to turn your shoes into boots with just the bottom pair of eyelets exposed.

My feet stayed completley dry until I rode through 2 inches of water at about 13mph and put my feet in the spray (which is like turning a hose on your feet). Even then only a small amount of water got forced up my shoes past the tounge, comparable to amount you would expect in sweat on a hot day, when this has happened in the past my shoes got instantly swamped and I had to wring my socks out.

Patrick

 

[Mussels]

During the summer I've carried a pair on non-neoprene Agu overboots in my bags as they are small and light and OK for emergencies. I decided to put them on because of the light rain last night, they didn't keep my feet dry but did an OK job at keeping my feet warm. The neoprene overboots do both tasks better and the others are going in the bin.
Today I've gone into full winter mode with the neoprene overboots and the rest of my cold weather gear that fills my second pannier, then after all that preparation and planning I forgot my locker key this morning.

 

[z0mb13e]

Choices choices...

The neoprene overshoes that I have seen so far seem to cover the sole a fair bit at least thats what it looks like from the photos. Are there any that just wrap around the sides?

Those light weight over shoes ( Bike Boot Overshoe - CycleExpress ) look exactly like the sort of thing I was looking for. But if they don't work then perhaps not! Was it the material leaking or water getting in from underneath?

I'm leaning towards trying a pair of gortex shoes as suggest by Dynamic Position (as I have a pair somewhere - saves a few quid ) with the gortex gaiters ( Blacks Gore-Tex® Ankle Gaiter ) as my water proof trousers also ride up a bit leaving me with soggy trouser bottoms.

 

[Mussels]

Choices choices...

The neoprene overshoes that I have seen so far seem to cover the sole a fair bit at least thats what it looks like from the photos. Are there any that just wrap around the sides?

I think there are but I imagine they only work with the optimal shaped shoe.

Those light weight over shoes ( Bike Boot Overshoe - CycleExpress ) look exactly like the sort of thing I was looking for. But if they don't work then perhaps not! Was it the material leaking or water getting in from underneath?

That's almost exactly what I tried yesterday, water just gets up from underneath, the wrap around style stops most of that.

I'm leaning towards trying a pair of gortex shoes as suggest by Dynamic Position (as I have a pair somewhere - saves a few quid ) with the gortex gaiters ( Blacks Gore-Tex® Ankle Gaiter ) as my water proof trousers also ride up a bit leaving me with soggy trouser bottoms.

That looks worth a try.