Riding in the cold or wet can be a fun experience—seriously!—if you have the right gear. But anyone who's dealt with numb or soggy toes on the ride knows that as soon as your socks soak through or your feet start to freeze, a ride can quickly go from tons of fun to a complete sufferfest.

That's why cycling booties, AKA overshoes or shoe covers, that cover your feet to block wind, rain and cold can make such a huge difference to your in-ride comfort level. Here, we've rounded up our favorite shoe covers for riding in all conditions.

 For Rainy Road: Assos RS Rain Booties


We like these aerodynamic rain booties for all but deep winter riding thanks to their waterproof Water-Shield fabric that ensures your feet stay dry even on the rainiest of days. The higher gaiter height is also a huge benefit for really bad weather rides: Splash-up from the road can often sneak into the tops of lower overshoes, but these keep your ankles cozy and ensure no water drips in. Note that these are mainly for wind- and water-proofing your feet, but they're not insulated, so for really, really cold rides, you'll want something thicker.

  • Type: Road
  • Material: Water-Shield textile
  • Good for: Rain
  • Color: Black
  • Sizes: 0-3
  • MSRP: $100

PROS: Ultimate in waterproof protection
CONS: Pricey, and some people with bigger calves may find them tough to zip up

 For Mild Winter Road or MTB: Defeet Slipstream Strada

We love an oversock! While overshoes are a bit more built up and feature rich, the simplicity of pulling a giant sock over a shoe is often ideal, especially if you hate struggling with zippers and pull tabs. We like Defeet's option, which looks like a giant cycling sock but is surprisingly good at keeping wind off of your feet.

They're great for mild winter riding, though likely won't keep your feet warm enough in deep winter. They're inexpensive and available in multiple colors, so we love them for a beginner 'maybe I'll ride in winter, maybe I won't' rider who doesn't want to commit to a pricier version. We also like that you can pull these over a MTB shoe or a road shoe, making them a great versatile pair to have.

  • Type: Road / MTB
  • Material: Nylon / lycra
  • Good for: Wind
  • Color: Black, white, high vis, bright blue
  • Sizes: Small/medium; Medium/large; Large/XL
  • MSRP: $27

PROS: Inexpensive, versatile, comes in colors
CONS: Not waterproof

 For Winter Road: Gore Shield Thermo Overshoes

For winter riding on the road, combine high vis elements with the ultimate in warmth and waterproofing with these road-specific overshoes from GORE. They're made with one single piece of stretch material to to keep them ultra-insulated and waterproof, and they fit like… well, like a glove for your feet.

  • Type: Road
  • Material: GORE Infinium
  • Good for: Wind, Cold, Rain
  • Color: Black, high vis
  • Sizes: Men's 5-12 US
  • MSRP: $80

PROS: Great for wet and windy winter riding
CONS: None, really

 For Deep Winter Road: Castelli Estremo

If you're not just a winter rider, you're a mailman-style 'not wind, nor rain, nor snow, nor sleet' can keep you from riding, we like the Castelli Estremo, which use the same Infinium materials as GORE's thermal road bootie, but extend the gator a bit higher for more protection from the elements. We also love that they're fleece-lined with Polartec Power Stretch Pro, so if you're not wearing thermal tights, your ankles can stay a little more protected. They're pricey, but if you ride in temps under 10ºF often, this is the pair for you.

  • Type: Road
  • Material: GORE Infinium, Polartec Power Stretch Pro
  • Good for: Rain, Wind, Cold
  • Color: Black
  • Sizes: S-XXL
  • MSRP: $170

PROS: Ultimate winter warmth
CONS: Pricey

 For All-Around Riders: Sealskinz All-Weather Cycling Oversock

Again, we love an oversock, and we've been really impressed with just how waterproof this one from Sealskinz is. Sure, it's not as full-coverage as some of the options on this list, but the three layer construction with a waterproof hydrophilic membrane does a great job battling rainy days on the road bike or MTB.

We love that oversocks are more versatile with the shoes they fit, and that's why for all around riders, we like an oversock so you don't end up with a massive pile of overshoes for different types of riding… Especially if you don't get out that often in winter months. (Note: Yes, these can be used with MTB shoes—just not ones with toe spikes!)

  • Type: Road / MTB
  • Material: Nylon, Elastane, Polyester, Hydrophilic Membrane
  • Good for: Wind, Cold
  • Color: Black, high vis
  • Sizes: S/M, Large, XL-XXL
  • MSRP: $50

PROS: Great value for the price, versatile
CONS: Not as warm as fleece-lined or wind-proofed options

 For Winter MTB: Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Barrier WxB MTB Shoe Cover

If you're a serious winter mountain biker, we love the P.R.O. Barrier WxB shoe covers from Pearl Izumi, which aim to be both wind and water-proof. They're fleece-lined, which is a huge plus when you're stopping frequently in cold weather on trail, and with taped external seams, they're impressively waterproof. It's surprisingly hard to find booties that are made for MTB shoes, since MTB tends to be pretty tough on the fabric, but one Bikerumor staffer has put a pair through two seasons of hard riding without any issues.

  • Type: MTB
  • Material: 41% polyester, 27% polyamide, 17% polyurethane, 8% elastane, 7% Kevlar
  • Good for: Wind, Cold, Rain
  • Color: Black, high vis
  • Sizes: S-XXL
  • MSRP: $55

PROS: Great price, made for MTB, rear closure makes them easier to pull on over treaded shoes
CONS: Velcro closure occasionally cakes with mud and makes fully sealing it tough

 For a Quick Fix / Changing Weather: VeloToze Silicone Toe Cover

We're huge fans of keeping a set of VeloToze in our saddlebags during those months when weather can change in minutes. These silicone toe covers are waterproof and windproof, so your toes stay warm and dry as it starts to drizzle, and they're super easy to quickly take on and off of your shoes. They're even recommended for triathletes who want some aerodynamic benefits but obviously can't take the time to put a whole set of shoe covers over their shoes in transition! (They are designed for road shoes, but you can use them with MTB shoes as well—as long as you don't have toe spikes on the shoes.)

  • Type: Road
  • Material: Silicone
  • Good for: Rain, Wind
  • Color: White, Black, High vis
  • Sizes: One size
  • MSRP: $18

PROS: Great in-a-pinch shoe cover, easy to stow on the bike
CONS: Not as durable as neoprene or other fabric-based covers

Assos Clima X rain booties shoe covers for winter 2011 and 2012

Buyer's Guide for Cycling Shoe Covers

Type of riding you do. If you're a road rider, the world is your oyster when it comes to shoe covers. But if you're a gravel rider who uses MTB shoes or a MTB rider, your options are more limited. (Many companies don't make MTB overshoes since they end up getting trashed easily.) If you ride a bit of both but don't get out in bad weather too often, consider a pair of oversocks that can go from road to gravel with ease.

Temps you ride in. We've broken down the shoe covers above by the conditions we'd use each in: Are you mainly riding in the rain in the fall or spring? Prioritize waterproofing. But if you're a winter rider, look for a style that's rated down to the temps you ride in.

Material.Look for brands that use fabrics from GORE or other waterproofing on the outer, and Polartec or brushed fleece for the interior. Some companies will also use neoprene (the same material wetsuits are made of). Avoid any brand that's polyester only—those covers won't do much by way of waterproofing or keeping your feet warm.

Features. While you shouldn't buy shoe covers based on bonus features, we like reflective additions and high-visibility colors for added safety. Additionally, we've vetted all the zippers/closures on this list and only included options that stand up to constant use. Test the zipper on unknown shoe covers before you commit to them: If it's not easy to zip on your first try, it'll be even tougher when it's covered in slush, and a broken zipper renders an overshoe useless.

Size. As always, double check sizing charts to ensure that the overshoes you get will fit your shoes properly. If you're between sizes, size up!

Frequently Asked Questions about Cycling Overshoes

When do I need shoe covers for cycling?
Some people will wear shoe covers all year round for aerodynamic reasons, but assuming you're not trying to save every single watt, generally speaking, people will don overshoes when conditions drop below 50-ish degrees F or when it's 65-ish degrees F and rainy. If you have a circulation issue like Renaud's, you may find wearing booties in even higher temperatures helps keep your toes warm enough to maintain circulation.

What should I wear under shoe covers?
Other than the obvious—your shoes!—wearing socks that are also appropriate for the weather is helpful. We like merino wool socks for warmth and moisture-wicking, especially in colder weather.

Ideally, your overshoes are taller than your socks, especially if you want to block the rain. If your sock extends above the cover, water will hit the top of your sock and permeate downward, eventually soaking your feet. And since you're losing most breathability when you add a cycling shoe cover, it's just going to pool there and take your feet swimming.

Do shoe covers go over or under tights?
Over tights, please! Otherwise, the zipper may be uncomfortable, and you may stretch your tights.

What's the difference between road and MTB shoe covers?
The sole of road shoes is different from that of MTB shoes, and the shape will differ slightly as well. MTB shoes tend to be a bit burlier, so often even if you wanted to try to jam a road shoe cover over your MTB shoes, it wouldn't fit.

The cleats are different between the two types of shoes, and MTB shoes also may have toe spikes at the front of the sole, which require more open space on the bottom of the overshoe. Many brands simply don't make MTB overshoes because of how often you walk on gravel or trail in MTB shoes, which can quickly wreck an overshoe and lead to a grumpy consumer. So if you do get an overshoe for MTB shoes, try to use as much care as possible and avoid long sections of walking in the overshoes.

Should I just get winter cycling boots?
We love overshoes because they extend the season for your regular cycling shoes so that you don't have to invest in winter cycling shoes, which come with built in linings, often higher gaiter-style tops, and wind/waterproof covering. But if you're riding all the time in cold weather, a good winter cycling shoe or boot will be well worth the money!

What shoes should I wear under my cycling overshoes?
We've got plenty of shoe guides here:

  • Best Mountain Bike Shoes: Buyer's Guide for Every Type of MTBer
  • Best Women's MTB Shoes: From Gravel to DH, We've Got You Covered
  • Best Road Bike Shoes: From Racing to Endurance Rides
  • Best Women's Road Bike Shoes: Budget to Baller