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review
£29.99
VERDICT:
Impressive overshoes with some excellent details, let down slightly by a lack of proper reinforcing on the toes
Weight:
188g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
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Lizard Skins' Dry-Fiant insulated overshoes do a good job of keeping your feet warm and dry, but a bit more toe reinforcement would be nice.
For regular winter riding overshoes are a cost effective and simple way to keep shoes and feet warm and dry. Good pairs can make a real difference to how much you enjoy time on the bike in inclement conditions, and a bad pair ruin a day out.
Lizard Skins Dry-Fiant are lightweight and stretchy, with a water repelling surface and a microfleece lining, intended to keep the feet warm. They use a zip and Velcro closure that is positioned neatly on the side of the ankle. The base of the zip has a little loop tab that makes putting them on much easier. There is a Velcro closure on the underside of the shoe to allow for any wide fitting shoes.
There are some nice touches and details. The zip covers are a reflective material and there is some reinforcing to the toe of the shoe that I presume is intended to get longer wear from it. Sadly, the latter doesn't really stand up to regular push-offs and the toe has become torn on my pair fairly easily. This is a minor issue with what have been a pretty reliable pair of overshoes, and hasn't resulted in any major water ingress from soaked roads.
I am a regular commuter through the winter and often find myself needing different clothes choices for a morning and an evening. What I liked about the Dry-Fiants is that they are light and flexible enough to be packed down into a jersey pocket, pretty easy to put on even at the roadside, and provide a good measure of protection from the elements.
They are sufficiently waterproof for light showers, but struggled a bit with persistent rain and large amounts of spray from standing water. The benefit of them being so lightweight is that they dry quickly, whereas many of the heavy duty ranges absorb a lot more. They also offer a noticeable windproofing.
They are lightweight but with a microfleece lining that does extend the wearable temperatures a bit, although as the mercury dropped to 3 °C and below I did find my toes getting a little cold. For such a lightweight overshoe it has performed well in a broad variety of conditions.
Verdict
Impressive overshoes with some excellent details, let down slightly by a lack of proper reinforcing on the toes
road.cc test report
Make and model: Lizard Skins Dry-Fiant Insulated Shoe Cover
Size tested: Black Large
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Enigmatic description on the Lizard Skins website simply gives a list of the key four features. No bluster and hard sell:
Wind resistant fabric
Microfleece lining
Water resistant
Reflective logo
In practice these are road-focussed overshoes, with a decent cut out for a road cleat and heel stop. Rear zip and Velcro closure with reflective trim. Velcro strip to the underside of the shoe to adjust to different shoe widths. There is a small area of reinforcement on the toe which isn't quite up to the job.
The material is light, stretchy and pretty waterproof.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Rear zip and Velcro top closure. Nice reflective touches and accents , particularly to the zip. There is a fabric loop at the bottom of the zip that makes it easier to pull the zip up, and the zip is positioned to the inside of the ankle which makes putting them on more straightforward.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
7/10
Well constructed, the materials fit snugly and the zips, closures and cover seem well put together.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
They kept most of the rain out, but on a heavy downpour and with deep standing water my feet did get a little wet. The microfleece lining is warm but not quite warm enough for temperatures of 2 °C and below.
Rate the product for durability:
7/10
Seem to be well made – no sign of wear around the heel and cleat (where I find a lot of overshoes take damage), but the toes to both have holes already which suggests the reinforcing isn't quite sufficient.
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
7/10
No advertised weight from the manufacturers, but these aren't bulky.
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
8/10
They fit well and kept my shoes and feet pretty warm.
Rate the product for value:
7/10
They generally retail for about £25, which is comparable with other brands in a similar style.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
They are easy to fit as a result of the zip position, and generally kept my feet warm and dry.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
They are easy to put on. The loop at the base of the zip in particular is a small but effective touch.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The toe reinforcement already having developed large holes after only a few months regular use.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes, probably.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
About the tester
Age: 37 Height: 182cm Weight: 69kg
I usually ride: Specialized Allez Sport 2008 My best bike is: Moda Tempo 2010
I've been riding for: 5-10 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, touring, sportives, general fitness riding, Triathlon
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