Winter Biking Shoes?

Trail running shoes generally will be more water resistant than road running shoes. Some (e.g. NB 110) have high ankle extensions that would help keep spray from hitting your ankle in and coming in the top of the shoe. A lightweight hiking boot might also be a good choice since your commute isn't terribly long.

before i went to toe clip shoes, i commuted in lightweight hiking boots that had a gortex liner. they worked pretty well most days.

A Garmont or Sportiva approach shoe works well for me. I'd add that you need to give added care and attention to your bike chain during the winter months. A snapped chain will ruin your commute.

Good suggestions, I'll look into them. I was hoping a trail shoe would be enough, but I feel like it won't be.

I store my bike indoors so the only issue with a snapped chain would be after it sits outside for three hours while I am in class. What should I do to help avoid it snapping? Anything else besides oiling it?

There are thermal shoe covers for cycling. Just get a pair of them and pull them over some comfortable shoes.

+1 on the shoe covers

Another option would be skateboard style shoes with a leather upper. Those are popular among mountain bikers because of the wide, grippy bottom and the upper will repel the wind.

you can't ask a question about biking shoes and not expect to get slaughtered with questions about how you should get clipless pedals (that is, the kind you clip in and out of via a shoe-mounted cleat).

anyway, cyclists' shoe covers are a good idea, but if you're not serious about biking and therefore bike with any old shoes on platform pedals, then any old shoes that otherwise suit your purposes will do. literally any shoe that you don't mind getting wet (if you're so inclined) or that don't let your socks get wet (if you're so inclined). traction on your platform pedals is next to irrelevant. any shoes that look even remotely like running shoe will probably have enough ventilation to make you regret wearing them in rain (if you're the kind that prefers dry socks).

5km is pretty short.

Save yourself some money and buy some heavy wool socks

Anything else is overkill.

I biked to class and back year-round for all of college. From Wisconsin means this lots of snow, which is a blast to bike through. I only had running shoes too and invested in a pair of these bad boys:

http://amzn.to/GAQ4rl

They are gore-tex and cut out all the crap and yet you can slip them over any shoe. Seems like the best of all worlds, just shove em in your backpack when you get to the bike rack.

awegfadsfsd wrote:

There are thermal shoe covers for cycling. Just get a pair of them and pull them over some comfortable shoes.

^This.

No shoes are going to keep you dry unless you go with over the ankle gore tex hiking boots. Just get a pair of cycling booties on eBay for $25... done.

Yeah, I figured anything that looked like running shoes would get soaked easily. I'll look into the covers and the boots. I might not go with the wool socks because I plan on wearing the same shoes indoors for my classes, so while the socks will keep me warm, the shoes will be soaked which is an issue when I put on new socks. Maybe I have the wrong idea, let me know if I do.