Gore C5 Windstopper Thermo overshoes review

Gore's C5 Windstopper Thermo overshoes use the brand’s high-tech fabrics to give you warmth, windproofing and water resistance, without the bulk of neoprene. They're relatively expensive but a good choice if you can't stomach the rubbery look of standard booties.

Gore’s fabric overshoes provide a good level of insulation, without too much bulk. There’s a soft, brushed thermal lining throughout that kept my feet comfortably warm on cooler, damp rides (around 5°C), even when water did find its way into the overshoes.

• Best overshoes for cycling
• Best winter cycling gloves

At the rear of the overshoe, that lining is combined with a breathable, DWR-treated outer fabric. The front of the overshoe is made of a tougher DWR-treated fabric that’s still flexible and thin, but provides a bit more water resistance.

There’s zigzag stitching between the two parts and another zigzag seam up the centre of the front section. Gore says the seams are all taped, although you can’t see this from the construction.

The fabrics used by Gore are a good combination that add extra water-resistance where it’s needed, without feeling stiff as you pedal, or getting uncomfortably hot or sweaty.

Gore’s fabric tech is among the best out there, so I'd expect its DWR treatment to survive repeated washes well. Surface treatments do tend to lose their effectiveness over time, however, and in sustained rain the overshoes do end up wet, although the windproofing helps protect your feet from too much windchill.

The sturdy-feeling zippers are located on the inside of the heel, which reduces the tendency for them to rub on the back of the leg, and keeps them out of the way of wheel spray too. Since they’re not waterproof and don't have a backing strip, they need to be this well positioned to stop the wet from finding its way in too easily.

At the very rear of the overshoe there’s a reflective tape strip built in and there’s also a reflective Gore logo on the outside front. The yellow option will add daytime visibility, but will soon get mucky.

Turning to the underside of the overshoes, there are large heel and cleat holes, so they’re easy to walk in and there’s no interference with cleats, although this does make them more prone to water ingress. Taping around the holes helps keep them from fraying.

The toe is made of a tough Cordura fabric that copes well with stops and walking, but the mid-sole section is a seamless continuation of the upper fabric and will quickly suffer from abuse if you walk on uneven ground or ride on your instep at all, rather than clipping in immediately.