Kit guide · Feet
When to wear overshoes cycling
Cycling shoes are built to let air through, which is great in summer and terrible in the cold. Your feet barely move, sit right in the wind and warm up much less from effort than your body does. That makes overshoes one of the most important pieces of cold-weather kit.
Updated
Short answer
At a moderate pace, wear overshoes when the feels-like temperature is below 11°C (52°F). At 11–14°C (52–57°F) they're optional. Ride harder and the range moves colder; ride easier and it moves warmer.
Overshoes by effort
below 11°C (52°F) · optional 11–15°C (52–59°F)
below 11°C (52°F) · optional 11–14°C (52–57°F)
below 10°C (50°F) · optional 10–13°C (50–55°F)
below 9°C (48°F) · optional 9–13°C (48–55°F)
Feels-like temperature from the forecast, light wind, no rain. Always cold or warm? Set your warmth tendency in the calculator.
Good to know
Practical tips
There are three kinds, and the temperature decides which: toe covers for cool mornings, light overshoes for the cool range, and thermal or waterproof neoprene overshoes for winter and cold rain.
- 1
Put overshoes on before you leave, and wear them all ride. Nobody wants to stop and pull them on halfway, and you only have one pair with you.
- 2
In mild rain, light rain overshoes keep your shoes and socks dry. That counts double on a multi-day trip.
- 3
Thermal socks inside the shoe plus overshoes outside is warmer than very thick socks in a tight shoe.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What riders ask about overshoes, answered with the same ranges as above.
At what temperature should I wear overshoes cycling?
At a moderate pace, wear overshoes when the feels-like temperature is below 11°C (52°F). At 11–14°C (52–57°F) they're optional. Ride harder and the range moves colder; ride easier and it moves warmer.
Toe covers or full overshoes?
Toe covers for cool, dry rides where only your toes get cold; full thermal or waterproof overshoes when it is cold or wet. kitcheck.cc lists toe covers as optional on the warm edge of the range, light overshoes or toe covers below that, and thermal overshoes from about 6°C (43°F) down.
Do I need overshoes when I ride hard?
Usually yes. Effort warms your body, but your feet benefit only a little, so the overshoe range shifts much less with intensity than the range for jackets or arm warmers.
Full kit lists
Temperatures where you'll want overshoes
More kit
When to wear the rest
Check the forecast for your ride
The calculator uses the hourly forecast for your location and ride window, including wind, rain and how hard you're going.