How do you keep your feet dry?

[boneshaker]

I'm looking for some booties and may go so far as to buy a new set of winter riding boots. Any recommendations? What do you use?

[djasonpenney]

Nothing I've found lasts forever.

What lasts the longest for me are, believe it or not, the el-cheapo Neoprene booties from Performance. They completely zip up in the back, and you have to cut out the sole for your cleat. They'll keep your feet dry for oh, two or three hours before they completely soak through.

Note that if a bootie is completely impervious to moisture, your feet will still end up wet due to perspiration from the inside. Ya can't win fer losing.

Originally Posted by boneshaker

I'm looking for some booties and may go so far as to buy a new set of winter riding boots. Any recommendations? What do you use?

[K'Tesh]

My method?

Wool socks, wrapped with plastic produce bags, and multiple shoe changes.

No matter what, however, they are going to get wet, from within or without, it's bound to happen.

Rubberside Down!
K'Tesh

[q`Tzal]

What djasonpenney said about durability. My choices are limited with big (13EE) feet. Before I coughed up money for a pair of SIDI's I was using SPD sandals and Seal Skin waterproof socks. This was my winter setup for Nebraska and proved acceptable for all but high impact water. You can't lift your feet EVERY time you have to go through a puddle and this is where they failed consistently. Oh, and Seal Skin socks need to be laundered and dried gently but frequently.
When I found the Carradice Pro route rainwear I found absolute wet weather protection. The Spats are my favorite: they go over the shoe and cover up to your knee. The zipper is on the very back and the underneath is open.
After yesterday's heavy rain the puddles in the NW industrial were deep and unavoidable. I plow straight through several puddles and the wake from my front tire hits both of legs from the shin down. Once I got to a stop I verified that my socks are still dry and they are.
I've had these for 4 years: the "one size fits all" does not apply to me (my leg is too long from heel to knee ), my calves are just a hair too big (the zipper stitching is slowing coming loose), the rain cape could use some elastic on the bottom edge and extra length if you are 6'2" or over. Despite all these user caused deficiencies they still work exactly as advertised.

All I need next is a snorkel and a periscope.
I am the submersible cyclist!!

[K'Tesh]

Originally Posted by Q`ztal

All I need next is a snorkel and a periscope.
I am the submersible cyclist!!

Why settle for a snorkel?



Rubbersuit Down!
K'Tesh

[brock]

Like others have mentioned, sooner or later you just get wet. I find neoprene booties work the best. Ones with the sole cut out a bit last a little longer, but either way I go for the inexpensive option and plan on going through a pair a year. Fenders help for a while. Big rubber boots and flat pedals for short trips.

Here's my question - how do you guys dry your shoes once wet? A fan works ok but often isn't fast enough overnight; plopping them on our forced air heater vents works a little too fast and obviously isn't good for the shoes (and um, with older shoes stinks up the house fierce). A middle ground?

[djasonpenney]

This thing works great on shoes, gloves, and booties. I love it!

Originally Posted by brock

Here's my question - how do you guys dry your shoes once wet?

[hemp22]

Originally Posted by brock

Here's my question - how do you guys dry your shoes once wet?

take the insoles out and stuff crumpled newspaper into your shoes when you get home. An hour or two later, take out the wet newspaper, and put in fresh sheets.
That's usually all I do and is enough to get them to be "dry enough" to put my feet back into (with wool socks on).
If they're really wet, then putting them in front of a fab or heat register does also help. If you're worried about the smell that that causes, try putting dryer sheets into the shoes as well (or maybe little paper baggies of baking soda).

[brock]

Originally Posted by djasonpenney

This thing works great on shoes, gloves, and booties. I love it!

Wow, I need that! Affordable too given all the shoes and gloves and ski boots I get wet. Thanks!

[q`Tzal]

Drying gear in the winter can be a pain. Actual boot drying aparatuses/aparati? can be found fairly easily in most outdoorsy type catalogs. What my mom came up with is one of those old sit down hair dryer units; not the hard top on a hinge but the bag over the head type with a hose. JCPenny's used to sell them. The $20 model my wife has came with a 3 or 4 foot air hose that air is forced through to the bonnet. It also has a reliable temperature adjustment knob for not burning hair or in this case fabric. This provides both air flow and heat to the items needing to be dryed. With a little bit of redneckin you can duct tape 2 cut off sections of garden hose in to the disconnected main air hose; shove 2 hose ends in to boots.

YEAH! WARM FEET!