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review

Alé Nordik Shoecovers

7
£45.00

VERDICT:

7
10
Really good overshoes, but size up for buckle-closure or Boa shoes
Weight: 
113g
Contact: 

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The Alé Nordik Shoecovers are really strongly performing overshoes that keep most of the water out and the warmth in. However, sizing really is an issue that Alé need to sort out.

Testing happened over a freezing few weeks when most of my rides saw temperatures drop below freezing. It was therefore lucky that the Alé Nordik Shoecovers are warm, thanks to to the neoprene exterior and fleecy inner. I found that even when I was riding in temperatures as low as zero Celsius, I could easily get away with just a single pair of Merino socks.

This warmth is helped by decent windproofing, which kept all but the coldest air on the fastest descents. It was only really in temperatures under 3°C and at speeds over 30km/h that I really felt anything at all.

Waterproofing is pretty good, although as with all overshoes, they're not 100% water resistant. They kept out most of the water, but in sustained downpours they would let in some, especially around the seams. However, in regular weather and showers, they were fine.

Ale Nordik Shoecover - heels.jpg

One aspect that isn't so good is the fit. It's clearly designed to be aero, but this makes the overshoes difficult to put on if your shoes have any other fastening system than laces or velcro. I used them on shoes with buckles, single Boa systems and double Boa systems. Either I couldn't get the overshoes on at all or could only do so with a five-minute struggle followed by a worry about the zip breaking. If you use buckle or Boa shoes, go up a size or two.

Despite these fit issues, the zip survived, which is testament to the really good quality of construction. They also have a really robust, almost-tarpaulin-like material on the bottom which didn't show any signs of tearing or ripping despite me being forced to walk on them for about 1/2 mile.

Elsewhere Alé have included a fair amount of reflective material, with dots running from the top of the foot up to the top of the overshoes, a stripe down the back of the ankle and another on the ball of the foot. All of this material makes them light up like a bulb when hit by a headlight which is a really nice touch.

Ale Nordik Shoecover - underside.jpg

They have also put the zip on the inside of the ankle, which is normally an issue as this is traditionally where a lot of water sprays up. However, unlike the rest of the seams, Alé have fully taped this area, so there wasn't any noticeable water getting in there. The zip positioning was well thought out; it didn't cause any kind of irritation, which I often find an issue when the zips on the back of the ankle.

Nordik Shoecovers have an RRP of £45, which is certainly expensive. However, they are incredibly well made and have some strong features that go some way to justifying the price.

Overall I was impressed with these overshoes but Alé need to work out the sizing for them to be truly great. They have strong construction, and some really well thought out features, which makes the odd sizing such a shame. That said, these were close, and when I wore them with lace-up shoes they were really good, but ithe sizing slightly lets them down.

Verdict

Really good overshoes, but size up for buckle-closure or Boa shoes

road.cc test report

Make and model: Alé Nordik Shoecover

Size tested: 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?

A windproof, warm set of overshoes.

Alé say 'Winter shoecover for windy conditions.'

They have everything that they promise on their description, although not too many adjectives to judge against in those 5 words.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

* windfront material

* side zipper

* reflective details on the back

* reinforced toe

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Really well made, good material choice, strong zip and nice reflective elements.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Performance was strong, good use of materials, windproof, waterproof enough for most purposes too.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Good durability, with a clearly strong zip and reinforcement in key areas.

Rate the product for fit:
 
5/10

Difficult to say, on lace up systems it's great, anything else it's not great.

Rate the product for sizing:
 
5/10

Again, difficult to say given that they fit perfectly on flat lace shoes, but not at all on anything else.

Rate the product for weight:
 
7/10

Not noticeably heavy or light.

Rate the product for comfort:
 
8/10

Really nice touches like soft fleece inner and zip placement are excellent.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Well made and strong material choice works well, so about what I would expect to pay.

How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?

Fine, no issues with shrinking (luckily) and everything stayed together at 30°C.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well, kept off the wind and the cold whilst keeping out the worst of the rain too.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The warmth and windproofing was excellent.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Inability to wear with anything but laces.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? If I wore nothing but laces.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? If they wore nothing but laces.

Use this box to explain your score

A really good set of overshoes that do everything well...if you wear laced systems.

Overall rating: 7/10

About the tester

Age: 29  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Evo 6  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 5-10 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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