Winter Footwear for plain pedals

[Cowsham]

I like my Dairy Boots with the fur in.

Dairy or Derri?

I think in my case they are Dairy boots as in mucking out the cattle sheds or milking parlors -- that's what I was told when I bought them ie they are designed as work safety boots with protection against chemicals and have steel or carbon fibre toes in ( can't remember which but they are easy to wear ) I don't work in that environment but found them a great boot for when it's really cold and wet.
I think Derri boots are usually lace up leather things from a long time ago.

[pjclinch]

I think in my case they are Dairy boots as in mucking out the cattle sheds or milking parlors -- that's what I was told when I bought them ie they are designed as work safety boots with protection against chemicals and have steel or carbon fibre toes in ( can't remember which but they are easy to wear ) I don't work in that environment but found them a great boot for when it's really cold and wet.
I think Derri boots are usually lace up leather things from a long time ago.

Derris were seemingly a brand that included lined wellies with at least one range marketed particularly at motorcyclists, e.g.


(Dutch half of my family include actual dairy farmers, and they just use plain wellies in the cow shed!)

Pete.

[Cowsham]

I think in my case they are Dairy boots as in mucking out the cattle sheds or milking parlors -- that's what I was told when I bought them ie they are designed as work safety boots with protection against chemicals and have steel or carbon fibre toes in ( can't remember which but they are easy to wear ) I don't work in that environment but found them a great boot for when it's really cold and wet.
I think Derri boots are usually lace up leather things from a long time ago.

Derris were seemingly a brand that included lined wellies with at least one range marketed particularly at motorcyclists, e.g.


(Dutch half of my family include actual dairy farmers, and they just use plain wellies in the cow shed!)

Pete.

the boots are called Dairy Boots and guess where they're made --- Netherlands.

[arnsider]

Many thanks for the replies.
I am into my twelth ride on my new Cube and have had the Wellgo flat pedals on for around 150 miles worth.
The Decathlon boot is both warm and comfy and doesn't slip on the pedals. Knee pain due to twisting is now a thing of the past and I feel much safer stopping and restarting. Come the warmer weather, I will try out light, flat bottomed shoes.

[Cowsham]

Come the warmer weather, I will try out light, flat bottomed shoes.

Hi tec silver shadows -- cheap ( ish now cos prices of them have increased a bit ) but good. Try to get the one with leather upper that has big toe reinforcement.
Edit -- OG version

[pjclinch]

Come the warmer weather, I will try out light, flat bottomed shoes.

Hi tec silver shadows -- cheap ( ish now cos prices of them have increased a bit ) but good. Try to get the one with leather upper that has big toe reinforcement.
Edit -- OG version

If you're looking at fairly generic footwear you're spoilt for choice, in which case fit to your particular feet is what to look for. I'm not suggesting there's anything particularly wrong with Hi-Tec, but if any given foot is better served by a different shaped last from Brand X then Brand X would probably be the better choice (conversely, if Hi- Tec lasts are a better fit to one's foot than Brand X then get the Hi Tecs).

Pete.

[arnsider]

Many thanks for the heads up on Hi Tec trainers.
My Go to has for some years been the Karrimor Mount, but the Hi Tec looks to have a lighter sole which may help the flat pedal pins to dig in.

[Cowsham]

The molded plastic pins of my raceface ride pedals are my Goldilocks setup cos they grip OK without tearing the soft hi tec soles to bits -- my work safety shoes are now my winter commute shoes and work equally well with the race face while keeping my feet warm, they have a harder sole and I'm sure will work well with any type of pedal pin.
The big win I had this year was discovering these for my work shoes.

Expensive but very very well worth it.

[Bmblbzzz]

I am now earwormed with "Hi-Tec Silver Shadow" to the tune of "Hi-ho silver lining"

[Cowsham]

my wife would like to throw them out with Becks pink toilet seat -- maybe a different colour would work.

[atoz]

Pain in my right knee has forced me to change my SPD pedals to plain ones and I have opted for a Wellgo B087U.

I had the opposite problem, I was originally a toeclip user, but I developed recurrent soreness in one knee eventually. Moving to SPDs cured it for me. But I suspect I was lucky.

I originally had some Clarks light walking boots for this purpose before I moved to SPDs, coupled with Exustar rat trap pedals with no clips on the winter bike. The boots fell apart due to glue failure but by then it didn't matter as I'd made the change.

[axel_knutt]

Hi tec silver shadows -- cheap ( ish now cos prices of them have increased a bit ) but good. Try to get the one with leather upper that has big toe reinforcement.
Edit -- OG version
Screenshot_20251224-090706_eBay.jpg

When did they resume selling those? I had dozens of those over a period of twenty years or more until they stopped selling them. They were the only trainers I could get on with, so I searched high and low for somewhere I could still buy them after they disappeared. I hope they haven't changed the design for a 'new improved' one.

[Cowsham]

Hi tec silver shadows -- cheap ( ish now cos prices of them have increased a bit ) but good. Try to get the one with leather upper that has big toe reinforcement.
Edit -- OG version
Screenshot_20251224-090706_eBay.jpg

When did they resume selling those? I had dozens of those over a period of twenty years or more until they stopped selling them. They were the only trainers I could get on with, so I searched high and low for somewhere I could still buy them after they disappeared. I hope they haven't changed the design for a 'new improved' one.

Hi Tec rebranded them as Hi Tec Spirit but I think that has died off or they've scaled that back and brought back the Silver Shadow OG ( you'll recognize them by the little green flashes on.) The OG has that patch of suede leather over the toe which I find essential cos that was always the first part to go cos the upper fabric was not well enough padded. I used to be able to buy silver shadows at about £15 to £20 but the OG are now around £45 -- £70 depending on colour mostly.

I know far too much about these slippers

[axel_knutt]

Hi tec silver shadows -- cheap ( ish now cos prices of them have increased a bit ) but good. Try to get the one with leather upper that has big toe reinforcement.
Edit -- OG version
Screenshot_20251224-090706_eBay.jpg

When did they resume selling those? I had dozens of those over a period of twenty years or more until they stopped selling them. They were the only trainers I could get on with, so I searched high and low for somewhere I could still buy them after they disappeared. I hope they haven't changed the design for a 'new improved' one.

Hi Tec rebranded them as Hi Tec Spirit but I think that has died off or they've scaled that back and brought back the Silver Shadow OG ( you'll recognize them by the little green flashes on.) The OG has that patch of suede leather over the toe which I find essential cos that was always the first part to go cos the upper fabric was not well enough padded. I used to be able to buy silver shadows at about £15 to £20 but the OG are now around £45 -- £70 depending on colour mostly.

I know far too much about these slippers

The main difference I spot from that photo is the sole: grey instead of black, and a different tread pattern. I'm tempted to get a pair because I need some new trainers anyway, although I've noticed that my old pair don't fit as well as they used to any more because I've lost so much muscle mass off my feet (& everywhere else).

[JohnR]

Here's my winter cycling footwear:

They were bought from Clarks about 7 years ago. The shoe version is for around 8 to 12C and are 1/2 a size bigger than my normal footwear size so there's room for fairly thick socks. I use the boot version when it's colder or wet. They are a full size bigger than normal so there's room for very thick socks. With the Banana Industries Toester socks my feet stay very warm.