Oversocks
Oversocks
While most clothing can thrown in the washing machine after a wet ride, the same can’t be said for cycling shoes.
Come in, oversocks.
Oversocks offer an intermediate solution for when it’s too warm for overshoes and so are regularly called into action at this time of year. Cycling shoes are typically designed to offer plenty of ventilation for long, hot summer rides, but that allows cool air to pass through, and so oversocks offer an additional layer of insulation when there’s still a nip in the air.
They also go some way to keeping your feet dry. Ok, an oversock will quickly soak up moisture but in light rain or a passing shower it will stop that water – and that which runs down your leg – immediately entering the shoe.
A ride in heavy or persistent rain (when overshoes will offer more protection) will still leave your shoes and socks soaked-through, so it’s perhaps a marginal benefit, but more importantly, oversocks will protect your shoes from the grit, grim and muck thrown up off the road.
We invariably turn to Prendas when we need oversocks. The Dorset-based online retailer’s Cordura oversocks tick all the boxes: they’re breathable, quick-to-dry, durable and have pre-cut clear and heel holes. They’re also available in fluoro yellow for a flash of high-vis colour.