dhb Toe Covers Review
The clocks have officially changed and Autumn is in full swing. As the weather temperature drops on those night time or early morning rides, out come the arm and leg warmers, long-finger gloves and head wear for under the cycling helmet. But what about your feet? Overshoes are becoming more popular for the colder months as cyclists want to keep riding, whether its winter training, club rides or commuting by bike. But sometimes they can be a little extreme if the weather is cool as opposed to down-right cold. That's where toe covers or toe warmers come in as a great solution. We have been giving the dhb Toe Covers a spin.
If The Shoe Fits....
The dhb Toe Cover(s) are a simple Neoprene sock that fits over the end of your road cycling shoes and have an opening for your cleats. It is that simple! Made from 3mm Neoprene covered with Stretch Nylon, they are pulled over the end of the shoes with relative ease. And whilst full overshoes can be tricky to fit on some models of cycling shoes, fitting these toe covers really wasn't an issue. All of the seams are well stitched and both the shoe and cleat openings are elasticated to allow easier fitting. dhb have added a Kevlar reinforced base to help prevent wear whilst walking and a dhb reflective logo on the side of each cover for added visibility.
Toasty Toes or Cold Feet?
Once fitted, the dhb Toe Covers sit nice and tight around the shoe and hold position really well. The opening for the cleats is nice and wide so there are no issues with unclipping from the pedals and the Kevlar reinforcement is durable and works surprisingly well. When it comes to their effectiveness in cold weather, they are superb. We initially tested the dhb Toe Covers at the tail end of last winter (around February/March time) and have been riding in them for the last 2 weeks on commutes and training rides. The 3mm Neoprene keeps your toes and most of the foot warm and well wind-protected. If it rains or is wet on the ride, we found them to still be very warm. However even though the toe covers give a good degree of protection from the rain and road-spray, our feet still got a little wet when getting caught in a downpour. This could be because the toe covers do only cover the front of the foot and the rain came through the ankle or exposed vents in these particular shoes. Whatever the reason, we wouldn't mark them down for this, as if you are expecting completely dry feet on a ride, you need to invest in a pair of waterproof, full overshoes. dhb suggest that the toe covers can be removed and carried in a (jersey) pocket if your feet get too warm but to be honest, we didn't see the need or the point in doing this. But this will be down to personal preferences. Sizing is easy and there are basically 2 options. Small to medium (EU sizes 38-42) or large to XL (EU sizes 43-48). If you are in-between the size options it is recommended that you go for the larger size.
Product Review Conclusion
For us there is no question about it, toe covers make a noticeable difference if you are riding on a cooler day. The dhb Toe Covers we have been testing over Winter, Spring and now Autumn have performed really well. They have been worn on commutes, training rides and longer weekend socials and kept both the cold and wind at bay every time. It is hard to say they are 100% waterproof but for us they do give a good level of water resistance as well as insulation during a wet ride. The other added bonus is that the still look good if you are clinging on to the remains of the warm weather and still wearing shorts. This can't really be said about full overshoes. dhb is exclusive to Wiggle which means they are the only place we have found that you can buy these but at just £8.99 RRP there is really no need to shop around. All in all, we think the dhb Toe Covers are great and would highly recommend them.