Quote Originally Posted by Barb
Thanks, that is important becuase I have suede shoes! I am sort of worried about them getting soaked and staying soaked for a week. I have other shoes, but they are not as comfy walking around. I may have to just suck it up.
I have seen people riding with plastic bags wrapped around their bike shoes. I guess they just rip a small hole for the cleats. I've used bags as emergency rain boots and/or rain hat on occasion. They're not exactly high-tech and breathable like Gore-Tex, but will keep you dry and warm for a few hours. Once at an outdoor fair in Paris, Trek420 observed that the French manage to fold and tie these so neatly that they become quite chic. I think the trick is maybe a kind of gusset fold up the front, although what I've seen on bikers is just a pull-em-on-and-bunch-em-together style. You could use reflector bands around your ankles as plastic bag-boot fasteners and/or tuck the tops inside your leg-warmers. The money you save can be invested in items where you need more high-tech functionality, such as the arm- and leg-warmers.

As for those, I personally chose Sugoi over PI after trying both on. PI uses elastic at the upper cuff to keep them up, Sugoi uses a clingy strip. I found the clingy strip more comfortable than the elastic (which pinched a bit). I'm sure both work well for weather protection, and prices are similar, so comfort is the key issue for choosing. Somebody else trying on at the same time as I found the PIs more comfortable. I agree with the advice to try them on at your LBS, then shop for the best deal you can find. Which may in fact turn out to be your LBS, in which case by all means support the availability of full service stores by shopping there.