Sidi Winter Freeze shoes -- opinions?

[KathiCville]

Hi.........I found Sidi Winter Freeze shoes for a pretty good price at Nashbar over the weekend (sale price plus a 20% off coupon = @$100 versus the retail price of $229). I went ahead and ordered them in a couple of sizes while they're still in stock. (Return one; keep one).........

Here's the link (not that there's much info):
http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...All%20Products

Anybody have this particular model? If so, what do you think of them? I've read mixed reviews about how warm they really are. (Which might be why they're on sale??).....I'll probably send 'em back if the reviews are mostly negative....Both sizes I ordered are larger than what I would normally wear, so I'll have plenty of room for socks and circulation.

I mainly ride a road bike. Planning to ride through the winter if I can keep my toes and hands warm enough. I've got plenty of gloves at this point, plus SmartWool socks and a Goretex "sock" liner. And I bought a few of the hand and toe chemical warmers yesterday to try out. (Can you tell that I have a horror of cold, LOL!?) ...................Thanks!

[Velobambina]

I have the Sidi Diablos (MTB winter boot/shoes).

The good news: they are warmer than using regular cycling shoes w/whatever other layering you do (shoe covers, wool socks, chem toe warmers, etc). They aren't the holy grail of feet comfort but they help a lot. If you ride a lot in colder weather, they are worth the investment.

A tip--size up. I usually wear a 40.5 in ladies Sidis and I went w/a 41 in the Diablos. Gives me room for thicker socks and to allow the air to circulate

My rule of thumb is:

50 degrees and above, I can make do w/regular Sidis and if necessary, wool socks, toe covers.
Under 49 degrees, Diablos with wool socks & toe covers.
Under 45 degrees, Diablos w/wool socks, toe covers, shoe covers.
Under 35 degrees, Diablos w/wool socks, toe & shoe covers, chemical toe warmers.

I'm hoping that the Sidi heated insoles that Santa is bringing lessens my reliance on chemical toe warmers.

Ironically, the Lake winter shoes seem to work equally as well as the Sidis and were almost $200 cheaper than my Diablos. I got a pair of the Lakes on sale--excellent deal--in Fall '06. Toe/Shoe covers will NOT work w/the MTB style of Lake winter shoe/boot. The only downside of them is they are a bit clunky. Think Herman Munster. That said, no problems riding in them. Walking is fine, too, but you won't be able to go far and you might have the urge to scream, "LILY!" LOL. I've found these boots to be my go-to "cold & wet" weather gear., but they work well on dry/cold days too. Thank you, SheFly, for recommending them to me last year.

[ccnyc]

I have these. This is my second or third winter (can't remember) with them. The new Sidi boots have Gore-Tex and neoprene and are over $300 I think and look like they might offer more protection and warmth.

These boots do work for me. I usually wear 42.5 in Sidi shoes and I got a 43 so I can wear one pair of heavy socks and one thin pair of socks. Still plenty of toe wiggle room and air circulation. I can also fit a chemical toe warmer in there too. Because of the higher top it really keeps the cold air out of the shoe. I ride in temps down to 30 degrees and my toes still get a little icy at the lower end of the temp range. HTH.

Carol

[KathiCville]

Thanks, Velobambina and Carol! The shoes should arrive later in the week, so I'll be able to try on the two sizes with various combos of socks, etc. My BF thinks I got a very good deal (as long as at least one of the two pairs fits, of course!).

The "winter" Sidi model to avoid, apparently, is the Storm shoe, which doesn't have much in the way of insulation. The Freeze has a fleece lining. I read a bunch of reviews yesterday on various biking forums, and no one had anything positive to say about the Storm model. Thoughts about the Freeze were mixed. I'm glad to hear that Carol likes hers.

If I get *really* serious about riding through the winter, I might look into the Lakes. (I love the Herman Munster image! ) I guess you can probably get good deals on those off-season?

Velobambina, I lived in Arlington for about 17 years, near Virginia Square..........Used to ride the W&OD years ago before I moved to Central VA. Also, the C&O Canal. And put in lots of miles on the beautiful roads out around Middleburg (VA) and up around Poolesville (MD).

[Velobambina]

NO way! I live in the Waverly Hills section of Arlington, just north of Ballston. My house is about a mile from where you lived and I frequently pass through your old stomping grounds (I love being able to ditch the car on weekends and walk everywhere or take metro. If it weren't for my job, I'd sell my car).

I can access the Custis Trail from my neighborhood and from there, hit just about any local trail (W&OD, Mt. Vernon, C&O, etc).

I LOVE Arlington because it's such a bike-friendly, pedestrian-friendly, and dog-friendly community.

BTW, let us know how the shoes work out.

[Natasha]

I have had a pair of the Lake winter boots for the past 4 years. For really cold weather I have Hotronics heated insoles in them. I have been able to ride all through a Minnesota winter with this combination and have toasty warm toes. I checked out the Sidi, Northwave and Gaerny winter boots and the Lakes came out on top. I normally wear 38 and went with a size 40 to accomodate thicker socks and the heated insoles. I agree, they are heavy, especially with the battery for the heated insoles attached to them.

[madscot13]

Hey Natasha where you at? I used to live in St. Paul and my parents are out in Burnsville.

[Natasha]

Hi madscot13. We live in the St. Paul area. A great area for biking, especially the hills of western Wisconsin.

[KathiCville]

Quick update on the Sidi Winter Freeze shoe question......First, I had to return the ones I ordered originally because I didn't realize----duh-----that I really wanted the MTB version, not the road version. (I ride a road bike, but BF pointed out that I would probably be happier with a bit of tread, not a rock-hard slippery sole. He's right!) As a result (timing), I lost out on the 20% off sale, so the replacement pair cost more in the $130 range than $100 range. (Grrr..... ) [BF picked up cost of overnight shipping--what a sweetheart....]

The shoes came last night. Good fit---I ordered two sizes larger than my "real" size, so have plenty of room in the toe box. Couldn't wait to try them, so headed out at lunch for 8 miles on my favorite country road. Bottom line? I'm definitely NOT blown away by their warmth! The insulation is suprisingly minimal for shoes marketed for winter riding. (They're supposed to be lined with fleece, but the lining is kind of pitiful........)

I was wearing one pair of thin Smartwool socks AND a Gore oversock and still could feel a bit of chill, almost from the start of the ride. (For the life of me, I can't figure out how the air was getting in---shoe overall seems to be airtight---heavy toe area---and closes snugly at the ankle!)

I was far from suffering, but still, I was surprised not to be perfectly cozy. After all, the noontime temp was 50 degrees, no wind, so we're not even talking seriously cold weather, LOL!! I can't load up too much on socks because the width isn't as roomy as the length. (Anyone know of warm socks that are heavily reinforced in the toe area only???)........

Even so, the Sidis are better than my summer pair, were on sale for a decent price, and I can always beef 'em up a bit with toe covers and/or chem toe warmers........ I'll ride in them on a cold early morning this weekend and see how they feel after 15 to 20 miles. If I'm not reasonably toasty using added ammunition, I might return them and hold out for velobambina's Diablos (on sale), Lakes, Gaerne, or something similar!!........

P.S. My BF says I must have incredibly sensitive feet to feel chilly on a 50 degree day in wool, Gore and Sidis, LOL! Could be he's right, but nothing to be done about it except layer, layer, and layer some more, I guess!

Thanks again for the input!

[Natasha]

There seems to be a spot where the cleat attaches to the bottom of most biking shoes that is not insulated at all. I've found that to be a cold spot on a lot of shoes.

Another approach I've seen people use for cold weather riding is biking sandals, such as the Lake or Sidi styles. They wear one or two pairs of fleece or wool socks with them and some sort of cover on top. I've never been able to wear the biking sandals, but it seems to work for some people.

[KathiCville]

Thanks, Natasha!

I've read, too, about sandals in winter, but confess that I can't quite picture 'em doing the trick for me.....Seems so counter-intuitive!

Good point about the cleat attachment area. My BF mentioned the same possibility and suggests that I put in a slim insole to buffer the whole bottom of the shoe from the pedal, without making the shoe noticeably more snug width-wise. I'll give that a whirl and see if it helps.......

[Eden]

oooohhhhh I've been bad and opened my Christmas present early. Right after I saw that first post my parents asked what I wanted . This was the first time I've seen them in any size smaller than a 39 - which is 2 sizes bigger than I normally wear and would have been way to big, but 1 size, with my thick winter socks.... feels great.
I haven't worn them outside yet, but I put my cleats on and put them on with the socks I usually wear and they feel nice. Tormorrow I will give them their first good test run.

[KathiCville]

Coooool, Eden! I took mine for another spin today (18 miles) and was much happier with the results than I was yesterday. I followed Natasha's advice and put in different insoles, which I think helped quite a bit. Turned out that Nashbar had dropped in a pair of Bama aluminum insoles at the bottom of the box, for free, possibly precisely because of the cleat issue that Natasha mentioned. (I confess, I'm tempted to trade "up" and put in a wool or sheepskin insole, if they'll fit, LOL!) And, as I hoped, the toe box is definitely big enough that I can tuck a small chem warmer right into the very tip without interfering with my toes.........

Today was colder than yesterday, and I rode twice as far, but feet were definitely warmer. More of an A experience, versus a B- yesterday. Today's "issue," LOL, was cold hands, something I thought I'd successfully nailed on last weekend's ride!! Back to tinkering with glove combos, I guess!

Enjoy your new shoes!

[Eden]

Gloves have totally been the hardest for me - its often not only cold, but wet around here in the winter and I have yet to really find a combo that doesn't leave me with cold achey fingers, but so far the best has been a pairo of those cheap stretchy knit gloves (I'm thinking about trying wool, since I've really been loving my wool socks) hand warmers and a neoprene outer glove. The best in really wet weather so far has been a cheap pair of gloves that I got at my LBS - they have an outer shell, a layer of plastic! and then a thick fleecy liner. They stay the driest longest of anything I've tried, though they do soak through after about an hour or so, and then they are relatively warm for another 1/2 hour or so after that. They are actually too warm to wear if I'm really working hard or its not really cold.

[Eden]

So I probably couldn't have had a better (worse) day to test run my new shoes. It was raining and 39 when I left the house and only marginally warmer after my 3.5 hour ride.
The verdict is I really like these shoes. I didn't just rely on them to keep me toasty all by themselves. I still put on my stormsocks, wool socks, toe warmers and booties over the top, as I would have with my regular shoes. I stayed pretty much completely dry and really toasty for the first hour or so, then I started to feel a bit wet on the tops of my feet -even though they have a neoprene cuff, I think there isn't much that can be done about my socks wicking water down into the shoe. After about 2 hours I was pretty squishy, but still very warm and I stayed warm the entire time. I never once got the painful I think my toes are going to fall off chill, so I'm quite happy with the shoes. I'm pretty sure the toe warmer stopped working once it got soaked, so the warming action was all in the shoes. I think in dry conditions my feet will be very toasty with just the shoes and wool socks on.