Rain booties for friend's enormous feet and platform pedals

January 27, 2013 3:36 PM

My roommate bikes about 4 miles to work. His feet are size 13 and he uses platform (flat) pedals. He wears pretty chunky shoes. We live in Portland, OR. For HolidayGiftingTime I bought him some Sugoi Resistor booties, but within a month they have shredded and ripped to the point of uselessness. What are some other options for the large-footed, shreddy-pedaled biker? Are there any booties specifically for platform pedals?

I think the key is that the replacement booties need to not have any material around the ball, arch, or toe.

I'd like to not spend more than $50. I'd like to buy them from somewhere with a decent return policy.

Alternately, if there's some $7-$10 surplus military or just plain cheapo option, that might work, and he could just replace them on his own after I buy him a starter pair.

I am also open to alternative ideas. There is no way my roommate will spend $100 on his own for bike shoes, though.

posted by MonsieurBon to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (5 answers total)

The cheapo option (also endorsed by some serious randonneurs) is the tubular plastic bag used to deliver newspapers. This may vary from newspaper to newspaper, but apparently in a good fraction of the world these bags are made of something that provides a pleasant balance of waterproofing and breathability. You would put one on each foot, outside the sock but inside the shoe. If you get him to try this method and he likes it, you could buy him a paper subscription to some newspaper he reads.

N.B., you need a reasonably waterproof shoe with solid leather all around and no mesh panels. When I was riding around Chicago on platform pedals in street shoes, a pair of leather oxfords worked well for me.
posted by d. z. wang at 3:47 PM on January 27, 2013

I have similar sized feet, similar pedals, a similar commute and live in a similar climate. I've got these from MEC and they work really well for me.

I don't know if MEC ships to the states but I definitely recommend that style. I see them on most other commuter-type cyclists around town, too.
posted by no regrets, coyote at 5:06 PM on January 27, 2013

Splats from Rivendell. Little tents for your shoes! They're relatively cheap, work over a clunky shoe, and since they only cover the top of the shoe, they're not susceptible to being shredded. They also look UNBELIEVABLY NERDY.
posted by hollisimo at 5:33 PM on January 27, 2013 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Rubber galoshes; they come in many styles. I was wearing really wide size 12 workboots so regular cycling-style booties didn't really work. Since the galoshes I have are designed to be worn over workboots in muddy construction sites (also part of my job means wearing them all day) they are thick-soled. I like these because I can put my foot down and not worry about major soakers from puddles and whanot. They are big and bulky though but I've never had cold feet wearing them.
posted by glip at 7:40 AM on January 28, 2013

Response by poster: Galoshes are a great idea!

I chatted with him about his needs, and it sounds like he mostly bikes with relatively impermeable shoes. Most of the water gets onto his ankles and the tongue of the shoe. So I'm considering having him try some stretchy REI gaiters, since they would hold his rainpants around his ankle and protect his socks, tongue, and laces.

Thanks all!
posted by MonsieurBon at 11:28 AM on January 29, 2013