My wife has been wearing the Specialized Defroster Winter Mountain bike shoes for a while now and has mixed feelings on them. They are almost as warm as shoes and shoe covers, except they hold up better than shoe covers.
They have a cover over the boa lacing system and a velcro closure around the neoprene ankle cover.
The neoprene cuff keeps snow and cold out, and your feet warmer.
It has a sole made out of teflon impregnated ice cubes that are slippery on every surface. Dangerous on every surface and out and out terrible.
The toes have a hard covering to protect the leather and keep you warmer.
Overall, think of these as a fall shoe, not a winter mountain bike boot. And I would not recommend anyone buy these. They are garbage and should have a recall about how dangerous the slippery sole is. 5
Specialized Says: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftr/shoes/mtb-shoes/defroster-mtb
- Lightweight injection composite sole with sturdy co-molded lugs for traction in the nastiest conditions: 5.0 stiffness index(WTH does that mean?)
- Performance-enhancing Body Geometry contours in the outsole and footbed
- Waterproof and seam-sealed upper with low profi le waterproof cover to lock out cold and moisture
- Lightweight Boa® L4 rotary closure for dynamic fi t and on-the-fl y tunability
- 400 gram full-shoe insulation for added warmth
- Thermal fl eece-lined Body Geometry footbed uses a refl ective metallic barrier to trap heat around the foot
- Reflective heel accent for visibility on dark training rides
- Snug-fi tting neoprene collar forms a gusset to lock out cold and moisture
- Compatible with all major MTB pedals
- Approximate weight: 400g (1/2 pair #42)