Best Shimano SH-MW81 Shoes Deals

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These shoes are very light and keep my feet warm and dry. I rode for over two hours in temperatures below 32 degrees and my feet stayed warm. I also rode in a heavy rain, sleet and snow shower for over an hour and again my feet were warm and dry. These shoes work for me!

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I have been riding for several years and winter riding has always been a challenge. But after trying unsuccessfully to get a pair of shoe covers to transform my summer shoes into winter shoes and never finding more that flimsy toe covers in my size, I broke down and ordered these. What a difference! I suffer from poor circulation in my feet anyway so these are just fantastic. Only my first ride today but they worked so well I wanted to get the review in right away for others who are looking for warm feet on winter rides. I've had my other pair of Shimano shoes for years and they are still very comfortable and holding up nicely.

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Took my first ride yesterday on Long Island with the tempature at 28 with a wnw wind of 15, wind chill in teens. Rode for two hours and feet did not get cold. A first for the contitions. Like the shoe very much. Takes awhile to get used putting on.

Honest reviews on Shimano SH-MW81 Shoes

Half-way through winter it had come to the point where I was using three layers of booties on my summer shoes to try to keep warm. When it was getting to single digits I went for two layers of socks, and that was the final straw to admit failure. The compression from the booties and the extra socks only served to lower the insulating qualities of my setup by squashing the hell out of my foot. And we all know air is needed for insulation to be effective. So I knew I had to, at the very least get another shoe a size larger, if not step up to an expensive winter shoe.

Then I stumbled on this and from the reviews it looked like the answer to my prayers. After a month of use it has proven to be a bit of a hit and miss. Kinda like the hot girlfriend who annoys and exasperates the hell out of you. You wanna love her, but so many things make you shake your head in frustration. Okay, back to the shoe.....

I normally wear a 45EU in Shimano, so I went for the 46 thinking I'd have extra room for thicker, or another sock to add to the DeFeet Blazes that are my winter standard. It seems like only a half size bigger, so it's either an extra thin cotton crew over the Blazes, or thick winter boot socks by themselves. This'll take me to the low 30's without the need for a booty. When it's into the 20's, it's time for the Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Mtb Shoe Cover (expensive at the moment, look in the off season) to come out. Now I can ride into single digits for about an hour before discomfort becomes a major factor. Since my commute is only 5 to 7mi, it hasn't been a problem.

Things I think are great about the shoe is the rubber lugs on the bottom have good traction and protect your cleats well. Plus the lugs at the very tip of the shoe are perfect for holding the loop that's at the front end of the previously mentioned P.I. shoe covers. Now I'm only walking on the shoe, not a cover that'll wear out faster, or cause me to fall on my keyster at an intersection for the entertainment of my motoring adversaries. And the shoe is insulated, so now even the bottom of my foot is protected, whereas before all the layers in the world did nothing to keep the cold on my sole at bay.

Now for the not-so-good. The rubber cuff that extends up your ankle for water-proofness (to be fair, it's labeled as "resistant") was designed by someone who can't possibly be a cyclist. As you can see from the picture, the back of the "Hi Top" portion is cut lower than the front. HUH??? Um, it's 30 degrees out, and I'm pedaling furiously to make a light, the last thing I want is my tights coming out from the rubber that's supposed to be holding back the elements. Because it's cut so low, the accumulation of many pedal strokes and the articulation that your ankle's doing with every go 'round, your tights will work free. I even pulled them below my ankle bone, thinking that if I pulled the velcro closure extra tightly (which is problematic as it's pretty stiff leather and doesn't really conform to your ankle) that I'd be able to keep this from happening. Nope. Fail. Trudging through waist-high drifts as they describe? Yea, good luck with that.

There went one star, and combined with the cost (now I see it's 30 bucks cheaper, damn those algorithms!) I had to take another away.

So, love the shoe with the cover, alone, not so much.

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The shoes work well but make sure you order a few sizes larger than normal. I have other Shimano shoes that are size 46 so I ordered these in a 47, hoping for some extra room for thicker socks. What I got was a shoe that seemed 1/2 size too small. I can wear them but it's pretty uncomfortable. They work well but will be going back for an even larger size.