Caratti's Neoprene Windproof Toe Covers are the perfect riding companions as the transition from winter to spring takes place. They cover the vents of your summer shoes first thing in the chilly morning and slip easily into your jersey pocket when things warm up a little.
- Pros: Impressive windproofing for something so simple, cheap
- Cons: One size fits all could be an issue on smaller shoe sizes
The Caratti toe warmers have quite a few uses. This time of year, they are a nifty solution for those early morning rides when you know that the temperature is going to warm up while you are out, or when things are really brutal – think snow and freezing temperatures – they can be an extra layer above or beneath a pair of traditional overshoes.
> Buy these online here
The 3mm neoprene construction offers some impressive windproofing and even if you do get wet feet they hold in a lot of heat to stop you getting cold toes.
Being stretchy they fit snugly over the front of your shoes, and thanks to their length they cover the vents that you'll normally find on the toe box of your shoes and the one at the front of your sole. Being a one size fits all product, though, they'll come quite far up the shoe if you have small feet, covering laces, buckles and so on, although they do have the stretch to do that securely.
Thanks to some beefy stitching around the sole area and the outskirts of the cleat hole, they'll stand up to plenty of wear and tear as long as you don't tend to scuff the toes as you walk.
You can whip them off in a matter of seconds when the temperatures warm up, and thanks to their slim profile they'll slip easily into your jersey pocket without taking up much room.
> How to keep your feet warm while cycling in the cold
Value-wise, what can you say? They're a tenner, which means that they look much better value than the likes of the Q365 Termico Toe Covers that cost £26.99. They are cheaper than the Sugoi Resistor Toe Covers too, although dhb's toe covers are the same price and come in different sizes.
Verdict
A simple and cheap solution to keeping your toes warm
Make and model: Caratti Neoprene Windproof Toe Warmers
Tell us what the product is for
Caratti says, "Perfect for those colder rides where a full overshoe maybe too warm. The toe warmer forms a windproof barrier around the most exposed part or your foot, to keep your toes warm but allows for airflow around your ankle to help counter act over heating."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Caratti lists these features:
Light Weight neoprene
Windproof
Reinforced Cleat Opening
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Plenty of reinforcing around the edges.
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Rate the product for fit:
8/10
Plenty of stretch so that they aren't baggy on smaller shoes.
Rate the product for sizing:
6/10
One size fits all, which might not...
Rate the product for weight:
9/10
Rate the product for comfort:
9/10
Rate the product for value:
9/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
They keep your toes warm even when wet.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Great windproofing.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Possibly a couple of size options might benefit those with smaller feet.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Cheaper than many on the market; same price as dhb's (which come in different sizes).
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
Simple and effective, what more is there to say?
Age: 40 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed
Id argue they had decent brand recognition via the Movistar link up (didnt they sponsor Bigla too ?) and could use that to show they were leading...
And on it goes ...
Unicycle for full marks. Velomobile for Flintstones points (feet out of the bodywork pushing).
Alpine opened a shop near me in Edinburgh a few years ago. Nose bleed prices, even their sale prices were high. Shop was always empty. Closed last...
I know its vindictive but man I want that council to crack down on all the people who are illegally parking on their "driveways". Maybe one night...
Man who lives behind us was driving in the Petworth, West Sussex area pre-COVID and when cresting the brow of a hill was blinded by the sun...
Good article....
Lorry destroys Chinese takeaway and damages pub in Bayston Hill, near Shrewsbury. The family at the takeaway are now homeless and have lost their...
I can have a little sympathy with the police here, given their underfunded/underesourced/undermanned state: given that the Airtag can only provide ...
There's kind of a standard for these kinds of devices, but the pin spacing can be different (this link is for a 2.84mm spacing): https://www.ebay...