fall/winter cycle clothing

[OakLeaf]

I don't think you want to combine toe covers with shoe covers. Some people have more trouble with toe compression than others, but I don't see how you could not have trouble if you use both.

Maybe find a cheap pair of shoes a size too big for the coldest weather. That way you could wear extra wool socks while still making sure they're plenty loose. (If you do that, make sure you get the shoe covers big enough for the larger pair.) The most important thing about keeping your feet warm is ensuring good circulation. My feet actually stay MUCH warmer with just one layer inside and one layer out, than they do if I try to over-stuff my shoes and wind up cutting off my circulation.

[Crankin]

Before I bought my winter shoes, I did use toe covers with booties over them, a few times. I wore thinner wool socks, and I always keep my shoes very loose to begin with. It did work for me, but was a pain in the azz.
This is my second year with winter shoes. I wore them today, even though it was not that cold (45-50). I didn't wear my heaviest socks, but still wool ones. My toes felt cool the whole time, and I am really wondering about the value of winter shoes! If it's below 40, I proably still will use chemical heaters. My toes seem to be the only things that don't warm up, below 50. For example, today I was wearing my mid-level full finger gloves and I would have changed them for the lighter ones, if I had ridden longer, as my hands were starting to sweat. But, it is nice to not have to struggle with the booties.

[lph]

That's a pity, Crankin. I really love my winter shoes. They're Shimano and not expensive, (though I'm secretly lusting for the top-notch Lake ones), but they're roomy and have a stiffer sole than my summer shoes, and keep my feet much warmer and more comfortable. Granted that's because I have pretty crappy summer shoes, but I look forward to the temperature dropping so much that I can go from summer shoes with booties to winter shoes!

[Crankin]

Well, the jury is out, still. My road winter shoes have been worn quite a bit; they are Shimanos, same as my regular shoes. They are very comfortable. I think I am so used to my feet being burning warm from using the chemical heaters so much in the past years, that I need to tolerate being cool, as opposed to cold. The winter shoes i have that are for my Frog pedals (mountain) are Northwave and are much heavier. I've only worn them a couple of times, as I got them at the end of last winter. Before that, I had the PI Gore Alp-Xs for my Frogs and they were not very compatible, as feet kept flying out of the pedals. I had to order both of these from shops in the UK, because no one in the US carries winter shoes for women in a size 37. I got both for a great price, with no shipping.
DH has the Lakes and they look like they could heat a house! Seriously, he only wears them when it's in the 30s or below. He kept his other shoes and uses them for in between temperatures.