Review: Forty Below Overflow Supergaiters


I have been fighting cold feet on the bike forever. I have purchased every shoe cover known to man, bought winter bike shoes then finally switched to using Sorels and flat pedals. Nothing worked. Least of all shoe covers. Those thing wear out after 2 rides, slip off and don’t keep your feet warm. 
So when looking around at ways to keep my toes warm I stumbled upon Forty Below Overflow Supergaiters. They are different than anything else you have tried as they glue to your shoe, are made of thick neoprene and are made in America by mountaineers at Forty Below. 

These American made overboots/gaiters are permanently attached to your shoes and keep your feet so warm. Even on multi hour rides in single digits my feet never got cold. That never happened before and that is awesome.

 The Supergaiters are thick neoprene with velcro closure and a backup snap. The top of the Supergaiter has a cordlock to keep the snow out.

The velcro along the front of the Supergaiter is very thick which ensures a strong closure while not being too fiddly if you need to adjust it with gloves on. 

Behind the velcro is a neoprene baffle to keep the cold out and allow access to your original shoe if it needs adjustments.

Speaking of shoe access, your shoe is easily accessed ensconced in its new Forty Below Overflow Supergaiter.

In use they are nothing short of amazing. I have used them for hours in the snow on my fat bike or even on long training days on my mountain bike in the single digits.

Face it, when you ride in the snow you walk. Sometimes because the snow is too deep, or the hill is too steep. But you walk. The built in drawstring gaiter at the top keeps snow out, and the permanently attached overboot stays in place.  If you have used other mountain bike shoe covers and tried to walk in the snow you are familiar with how the toe works it way off or ends up packed with snow actually making your toes colder.

These are designed, for what the name “Overflow Supergaiter” implies; which is to prevent your foot from freezing if you get caught in overflow. Since they are glued to your shoe, sealed with rubber and made from thick neoprene your feet will not get wet if you encounter water.

Attachment Process.
The attachment is easy following a few steps. You’ll need barge cement, plastidip, a paintbrush and gloves.

Now you may notice my winter mountain bike shoes, Shimano MW-02 from about 6 years ago are looking worse for wear. Having no experience with glueing things to shoes I thought this would be a good way to try this out and at the same time  breath new life in to my old shoes.

They’ve seen better days…

First I cleaned the boots off with rubbing alcohol to make sure the barge cement stuck.

After that I applied a layer of Barge Cement to the shoes and inside of the Overflow Supergaiters.

After 15 minutes I put the Overflow Supergaiter on the shoes. I used rubber bands to apply a bit of pressure. I probably didn’t need to… I did anyway, don’t judge me.

The next morning I put them upside down on my shoe drier, with it turned off (I think the fumes would ignite and explode if on) and applied more barge cement in the area where the sole and gaiter met. After that dried I applied 2 coats of Plastidip where the gaiter  and shoe met. Also covering 1″ along the bottom to help seal out water.

When that dried I had an tight seal to keep water and snow out while keeping heat in.

That’s it. Now you have a waterproof incredibly warm winter shoe.

So if you are looking to keep your feet warm or even just breath new life in to your old winter shoes don’t hesitate to get these American made shoe covers from Forty Below.

Forty Below Says: https://www.40below.com/products_detail.php?ProductID=69

The Forty Below® Overflow Supergaiter™
MADE IN USA
FITS:  Bike shoes, cross country ski boots, mountaineering boots.
INSULATION:  6.5mm thick nylon covered Neoprene foam (stretchy wetsuit type material).  Woven style nylon outer fabric for more durability.
FRONT Closure:  1.5 inch wide (38mm) hook and loop, full length to toes for easy lacing.
GAITIER:  Coated waterproof nylon, with elastic drawstring and cord lock.
INTERNAL GUSSET: Full size, located underneath hook and loop closure for internal waterproofness (leaking hook and loop).  Made of 2 mm nylon covered neoprene.
SIZES:
Large: fits most boots size 8 to 10. Trim to fit.
X-Large: fits most boots size 10 to 16.  Trim to fit.

WEIGHT: Per Pair:
Large: 18 oz. (504g)  X-Large: 20 oz. (560g)

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