Sandals for colder climate?

[BikeFreak]

Hi,

Has anyone tried this (hands on experience):

Using sandals and the layering principle using a number of woolen socks, windproof socks and waterproof socks/gaiters with the aim of a) being able to cycle when its cool and b) being able to cycle when its hot (+100 degF).

Lucas

[HobbesOnTour]

It really, really depends on what you mean by cold.

But yes, I have ridden in sandals supplemented with merino wool socks. It has worked fine for me in temps down to 4-5 Celcius.

[BikeFreak]

Those are the minimum temp ranges I was thinking about.

What did you use against rain?

[HobbesOnTour]

Those are the minimum temp ranges I was thinking about.

What did you use against rain?

Nothing. The wool socks keep my feet warm even when wet.

When it comes to rain I am less interested in being dry and more interested in being comfortable.

However, this kind of thing is very personal and very specific. What works for one on one day may not be comfortable for another on the same day or another day. Wet socks and a nasty wind would not be pleasant, I imagine.

 

[Pat Lamb]

I've also ridden with sandals and wool socks.  However, I'll take a plastic grocery bag, cut it in half, and wrap a half over each sock before I put the sandals on when it dips below ~50F.  It's a good wind block that keeps my toes warm(er), and also helps against rain (though I have not done a long ride below 40F in the rain with sandals.  Yet?).

[ray b]

Thanks to years of abuse of my feet, I came to sandals early in cycling.

I currently commute with sandals down to 20 deg F and wool socks. As with gloves, once warmed up, I don't need a lot of insulation.

I've toured cold weather (snow on the ground) with sandals and waterproof Seal socks over top of the wool socks. (I no longer have to do that for the sake of comfort, finally able to afford a pair of custom Bonts that fit as well as sandals.)

All that said - it's all about blood flow. Not everyone is the same. I'm reminded of the ski instructor at Vail, who would go hatless in high winds at -10 deg F; ears were bright red and never frostbitten. I could never do that.

I've had warm feet my whole life, and even in my youth, walking barefoot in the snow was not a big deal.

As already noted by others, comfort in sandals in cold windy weather becomes a very personal thing, and one's limits can only be found through experience/experiments.  Have fun. And remember, this should be trial without error (frostbite).

[canalligators]

As always, people who have no trouble keeping extremities warm, are offering advice that is well meant, but of little value to the other half of the population.

Frankly, I don’t believe sandals would work for me or many others.  At 20F, wearing loose fitting Sorel boots and heavy wool socks, I can only ride an hour.  I suppose I should either spring for sandals and try it, but that’s too much money just to satisfy curiosity.

BTW, 40F is NOT cold, not in the Great Lakes.  Even I can wear regular cycling shoes with wool socks at 35F.

[misterflask]

I've given up hiking boots for backpacking and wear trail runners.  On rainy days I wear waterproof socks with them.  I think they have a layer of waterproof neoprene and an inner layer of merino wool.  They are way more comfortable than they sound like they would be.  Haven't tried it, but in light of this thread, it seems like they would make good cold/wet day socks.

[rayed]

Not sure how good it looks.

[Alessa3322]

I had such an experience once. We decided to go cycling with camping for a weekend. When we got up in the morning it was much colder than we expected, so I had to ride wearing sandals with wool socks. I can't say it was the most comfortable ride, but it was fine. And we were lucky not to have rain that day. Later, I looked through the dhgate reviews here and ordered an additional pair of clipless shoes, just in case.

[j1of1]

Absolutely.  I have Shimano sandals. To stay warm and dry I wear merino wool socks inside a pair of waterproof socks.

[Nicolassam]

I've actually tried something similar, and I gotta say, it's a pretty fun experiment! I haven't used multiple woolen socks, but I did try layering a thick pair of wool socks with some windproof and waterproof socks when it got a bit chilly. It definitely kept my feet warm, and the added ventilation of sandals was a bonus when it started warming up. I also recently came across the melissa brand, and they have some really stylish and practical options. They might not be specifically for cycling, but they're super comfortable and might work well with your layering strategy.