Spatz Roadman 3 Super-Thermo Hi-Viz Reflective Overshoes with Kevlar

The Spatz Roadman 3 Super-Thermo Hi-Viz Reflective Overshoes with Kevlar are the most extreme overshoes I have used, offering very impressive weather protection. Given their construction, they're also likely to avoid the typical areas of wear that we see with most overshoes thanks to their strap-only construction for the majority of the underside.

We've reviewed Spatz overshoes before – Matt tested the previous Roadman 2 version almost exactly a year ago, along with the gravel version, GravelR, for our sister site off.road.cc. He was impressed, but these Roadman 3s, according to Spatz, are not only reflective but warmer, and re-engineered for 'easier use, an improved fit and increased toughness'.

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If you missed Matt's reviews, safe to say these are not your typical overshoe. They're basically a neoprene welly, coming up to practically your knees. They are also not what you would call subtle, with the aesthetic being what I would call Optimus Prime cosplay. However, the protection and effectiveness that they offer mean I've been more than happy to look a little strange because they have, hands down, provided the best weather protection of any overshoes I have every used.

The insulation is still great, as Matt mentioned in his review. Spatz has used thick neoprene throughout, which in itself offers impressive insulation, but there's additional insulation up the shins and down the outside of the ankles. I used these down to around -2°C where I would usually be on the brink of adding toe warmers underneath my regular overshoes, but I was more than warm enough with these by themselves.

As with every other set of overshoes I have used, these are not entirely waterproof, but they are very impressive. The neoprene construction means there isn't any water getting in through the material, and with the tight fit at the top there isn't any water ingress there either.

Water can spray up through the bottom but it's much less than with pretty much every other set of overseas I've used; my feet have stayed impressively dry even in soaking wet conditions. It's worth noting that the thing that will control this the most is the number of vents on the bottom of your shoes.

As Matt noted in his review, and as you can probably imagine with overshoes that are this high, they are relatively time-consuming to put on. For each overshoe I would estimate it would take me roughly a minute and a half to put on. Matt even provided a five-step guide to how he did it...

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They're secured by a single Velcro strap beneath the shoe and silicone grippers around the top of the overshoe. Everything stays in place well; there was no noticeable slippage during my rides.

These are also impressively durable, with Kevlar reinforcement in the areas that are most likely to wear out quickly, such as the inside of the heel and the toe box. For these newer versions, the Kevlar reinforcement around the toe box has been improved, allowing it to sit lower on the bottom of the shoe, so more of your foot is covered.

A month-long review period isn't likely to test their durability, but I didn't find any issues that would suggest they're not going to last well; even if the neoprene were to be cut for some reason I can see no reason why you wouldn't be able to simply glue it back together the same way you can with pretty much everything made of neoprene.

The other obvious improvement Spatz has made to the overshoes is their visibility. High-vis yellow stripes make these easy to see, especially in low light conditions, in addition to reflective elements that sit practically everywhere across the overshoe. When caught in car headlights your shoes and legs light up like Blackpool Tower.

Value

The Roadman 3s cost £5 more than the Roadman 2s, which seems quite reasonable given the high-vis elements and Kevlar improvements. There is still no getting around the fact that these are expensive compared with most overshoes, but with the performance they offer it might well be a price you consider worth paying.

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And they still compare well with some: Rapha's Pro Team overshoes are £80 but don't offer the same level of protection given that they come to just above the ankles.

Conclusion

Overall, I've been really impressed with these overshoes. The Roadman 2s that Matt tested last year seemed a hard act to follow, but the 3s have improved on those with the addition of high-visibility elements and extra reinforcement of the toebox area, for just a fiver more.

Verdict

Excellent overshoes that offer protection against everything you could throw at them