FizikArtica R5 Winter Road Shoe(Return to Product Page)

I use these in winter once temperatures drop below 35'F. Above that, toe warmers work fine for me. These work into the teens for a hour ride, and longer rides in the 20'F range for me. They run big: I typically wear a 44.5 in Shimano road shoes and went with 44 after reading other reviews. That's fine with thicker socks (DeFeet Woolie Boolies). Maybe 43.5 with thinner socks? But 44 is good and I'm not worried about fitting a toe warmer pack in there. I replaced a pair of NorthWave winter boots with these because these look sharp and BTD was running a screaming good deal. Don't worry about Gore Tex -- these don't have it, they're waterproof anyway, and GoreTex makes your feet sweat.

Using this winter shoe since purchasing it in early December. Went for a ride in the light rain, but before I could get home it turned into a soaker! These shoes were completely soaked inside by the time I got home! I had my rain pants on and the cuffs were outside of the shoe tops, so it didn't run in that way. To be fair, they seem to be good in light rain or just wet roads with the associated road spray. Wish they offered 1/2 sizes. I have to wear 2 pairs of socks, which is not a bad thing in the winter. If I go for any more rides when it is really raining, I will use my old BTD shoe covers!

The shoes are completely waterproof. Your fee will not get wet and no air will get in. That said, air activated foot warmers will not work in them. They keep my feet warm when it's it's in the 40's but any rides in the 30's or colder result in feet chilled to the bone. Their sizing is very large, and I had to send my first pair back and get a smaller size. There is a noticeable performance difference between these and my normal SIDI shoes, with the SIDI shoes being much better.

Great shoe for cold and wet days. I bought these in the late spring of 2020 so I'm just now starting to use them regularly. Only real complaints are minor. The zipper on left shoe is a bit tough to operate (seems like there is a bit too much material so the zipper doesn't lay flat enough to move smoothly).

The sizing is a bit bigger than I expected. The size 42s are significantly bigger than my size 42 Shimano MTB shoes and Cronos road shoes. I just wear much thicker socks which works out fine for winter days but not ideal on warm, wet days.

If it is raining, you should wear rain pants that extend over the upper or these will fill up with water like a pair of buckets. The removable insole is great for reducing the drying time. They can get soaking wet on my ride to work and be mostly dry for my ride home.

I have always ridden with regular cycling shoes through the winter and y feet are always cold. It was time for some boots. I now have warmer and dry feet. The Artica is definitely waterproof; so far I've had it through some good rains. There is plenty of room in the toebox to wear a second pair of socks and put a toe warmer packet in there if need be. I did that on a chilly 35 degree ride and my feet were toasty warm for 2.5 hours. Unlike some other reviewers, I have had no problem getting the shoe zippered on, but in their defence, I do have small ankles. I agree with other reviewers that you should not tuck your tights into the boot becasue water will run inside off the tight. Compared to paying for a top of the line cycling shoe, the price is very reasonable. Would buy them again.

One only has to remember there are no bad rides, only poor choices of riding gear. I have now put these Winter Road shoes thru one complete winter and have started 2, without any regrets, they are durable! The winters in W & NW Oregon are wet, cold and with enough snow to just make it down right miserable at times, Occasional rain, downpours and slushy roads can be the unexpected. These shoes will not let you down. I have had no trouble with ankle rub, zipper use, poor fitting or filling with water. Of course, the rider must review their choice of socks, riding tights for ankle fit and of course appropriate rain gear length and fit. You need to use them as they were designed to be worn. Laced, zipped and strapped. If you do, all you will have to deal with are warm feet. Removable insoles, speed up the drying time, considerably.Temps down into the low 30's are not a worry. You just can't go wrong with them.

As winter approached, I was using my normal shoes, adding toe caps. When it got colder I tapped the vents on the bottom of my shoe and used various Gore boot covers. Then added toe warmers. My toes were still cold. I then got these shoes and have had no problems. I use Woolie Boolie socks, toe warmers and these shoes and I'm good to go. Have been out in 26F and feet nice and warm. Great investment.

With these shoes I can comfortably ride when the temperature is down to freezing or slightly below. Much better than riding in regular road shoes with the best shoe covers I could find.

Lacing system allows for a custom snug fit. Soles are stiff enough for good power transmission. I wear a 43 and these fit as expected. There is extra room at the front of the toe box which helps if I want to wear two pairs of socks.

Very nice rain boot

So far so good, under two hours where I carefully pulled my tights over the tops, my feet stayed dry. To go longer I needed to put a basic bootie over the boot and make doubly sure I got my tights over everything. Zipper a little tough to pull up but makes a nice seal. I like how dry my feet stay. Fit is good with wool socks, no rubbing at all on my ankles. After these first couple of months I am happy

A bunch of years ago at a job there was this crazy guy who always used the term, this is the tts, whenever he thought something was great. The rest of us would shake our heads because it seemed so random, if not inappropriate.

So flash forward a couple of decades and Im out in the rain riding with these rain shoesboots when a truck drives by and spits dirty water all over me. As I duck my head away from the coming heavy mist, I look down at my dry feet and out of nowhere I think to myself, these shoes are the tts. Boom.

I have worn these through some of the wettest Seattle months.

Pros

They are very waterproof. The only issue I have had is if water splashes up and over the cuff and comes in the top

They fit great and ride like a normal shoe

They are not overly insulated and in very cold weather you may need thicker socks (I rode these down to 40 with regular socks)

Cons

The zipper is very tight to zip sometimes

Other notes.

If they do leak they don't drain. I recommend in hard rain making sure tights go over the boot.

They are snug at the ankle which makes them feel different than a regular shoe. This is a trade off for what it is meant for.

I have worn these shoes a handful of time in NorCal rain and they work well in conjunction with a neoprene sleeve over the top with leg warmers over the neoprene. Stayed warm and dry on rides of an hour plus. Fizik informed me that I should size down from 45 in the Aria R3 to 44.5 or 44 for this shoe. I tried on both, and went with 44.5, and still a bit roomy. It is a high volume shoe with plenty of space for thick socks, and more comfortable due to the flex of the sole. The sole stack is 10.8 mm, so you may need to drop your seat a few mm compared to summer shoes. The high ankles did not bother me much, and since these are more about riding base miles, the sole flex and ankles did not bother me. A key pice of kit for rain cold riding.

This winter shoe is well made and keeps your feet really warm and at a great price. I would highly recommend it.

These have really been great at keeping the elements at bay, they are certainly warm enough when used with good shoe covers in less than freezing temperatures. Other reviews mentioned the irritation caused by the height of these shoes and it is the same for me, particularly my left ankle likely due to differences in my legs. I try to keep the strap loose and actually starting zip them up only about 23 of the way to prevent it from happening, rather extreme measures but I'm still enjoying using these shoes. I have the feeling Shimano's Winter shoes might have been a better choice.

Have worn these in 30 degree weather, and keeps feet warm. Only issue is keeping the shoes tight. The adjustment seems to loosen up some during the ride.

I rode 140 miles in these winter road shoes hoping that they would keep my feet warm, dry and comfortable. Well, it did the first two, however the high-top design chafed my ankle so it caused me pain and there was no way to adjust how snug the ankle opening was. I did loosen up the ankle by unzipping, but then torrents of water quickly filled up the interior of the shoes, so there was no way to make these comfortable and dry.

Nice looking and fit good. Easy get foot in and to tighten laces. Warm enough to 40 Deg.

These are great shoes, but not perfect. I honestly wasn't thrilled with how they felt right out of the box. I sized down 12 a size, and it's still borderline roomy, so I would say size down at least 12 size. I do have very narrow ankles, which may be part of why they feel roomy even though they are the correct size in the forefoot. The insoles don't have tons of support in the heel and arch, but they are covered with aluminum on the bottom to increase warmth. By adding some Specialized wedged inserts, I was able to fill up some up the excess volume and get better support in the heel and arch. Two things I would have done differently would be a BOA closure, instead of the draw string, and a reflective color instead of boring and invisible black. After a couple weeks of regular riding, the shoes now feel a lot more natural on my feet, which is probably due partly to them breaking in, and also my getting used to how they feel instead of comparing them to my regular road shoes. They have kept me riding in comfort in cold, wind and rain, and they do not overheat. In fact, my feet stay pretty cool in them. I have terrible circulation in my toes, so it's partly me, but I would say if you routinely ride in the low 30s or below, you may still need some kind of inner liner, like a film bag, to keep your feet toasty.

It is a rare treat when something is advertised as waterproof that it actually ends up being such. These shoes are both waterproof and warm. I have been wearing them for the last three weeks just about every day, about 500 miles of cycling in low temperatures and rain. In all cases, and every day they were used they were fabulous. They are very comfortable with a roomy toe box. The internal lacing system if perfect. The sole is as stiff as my Giro Factor AACs. They are light weight and very efficient. I really haven't found anything about them that I don't like. I have gone through at least a dozen different bootie systems. None were as effective at keeping my feet warm and dry, nor were any as easy to get in and out of as these shoes. I have never used a Fisik product before, but I will definitely look at their products when a need arises. I am impressed.

I found these shoes to be warm and comfortable those zipping them all the way up to the ankle sometimes is a little difficult. I follow the recommendations of others and bought them a size smaller than I'm used to and that was the perfect choice.