ShimanoSH-MW81 Gore-Tex Cold/Wet Weather MTB Shoe(Return to Product Page)

I've been using neoprene shoe covers for years on my winter commute. No more! These shoes are terrific! I've been using them the past month in wet and cold (near freezing) early morning and late evening commutes. Not only are these shoes warm, they do a nice job of keeping moisture out. They are fully lined with a sealed Gore-Tex membrane. The only moisture getting in is what might trickle down my pants and inside the neoprene cuff. I no longer have to put wet shoes on at the end of the day for my homeward commute! If I have a concern, it is how well long the neoprene cuff will last before tearing away from the boot. I'm trying to be very careful when pulling them on (there is a pull-tab at the back of the cuff) in order to avoid excess wear and tear. My feet are happy!

I bought these shoes because I was tired of using the neoprene booties that I had. They never really kept my feet warm, and also allowed water to seep in on longer rides. These shoes have been the answer for me. I have ridden in temps in the mid 30's with nothing more then a pair of Defeet Woolie Boolie socks. The main reason I love the shoes though, is that my feet stay dry. I have had these on several very wet rides and they never have failed to keep my feet from getting wet. I use them for every type of riding during the winter, including training rides on my road bike, commuting and of course mountain bike rides. The only weakness is they are not the stiffest or lightest shoe for road riding, but I don't use them for that to often anyway. I will also mention, that are the easiest bike shoes that I have ever walked in. Another plus when commuting or mountain biking. As others have said, these are not the cheapest shoes out there, but dry warm feet are worth it for me. When you catch these on sale here at Bike Tires Direct and get your VIP points, there is not a better deal to be found!

The adage you get what you pay for holds true with this shoe! It may be a little pricey, but this has been a great shoe for my 18-mile (one way) commutes in the wet and cold Portland winters. Thanks to the BikeTiresDirect sales staff for your kind advice when I was trying out different winter shoes (e.g., Mavic, Giro and Sidi).

I typically wear a size 44 road shoe (Sidi Megas) or mountain shoe (Shimano). I bought this size one size larger to accomodate a wool sock. I sometime pair it up with another windstopper sock during windy days. I recommend that you get one to two size larger to accomodate one or two extra layers of socks.

The shoe is very well made and very comfortable even with my wide feet profile. My winter commutes are in 30 to 40 degree weather and it is not necessary to put on an outer shoe cover layer. The shoe is very soft and I have no encountered any feet numbness or hot spots. The four velcro straps and Goretex layer create a great seal against any wind or water instrusion. The dirt and mud can be easily wiped off after each ride with a wet towel.

This is a great bang for the buck! Plus you cannot go wrong with an additional 10% credit back from BikeTiresDirect as a returning VIP buyer.

cyclocross in mostly off road conditions down to 15 degrees this season. these shoes handled snow rain sleet! always warm and dry. great for all training conditions. wouldn't race in em.

First, biketiresdirect is great. Easy to buy from & great customer service. I had to return the 1st pair, too small, and the process could not have been easier. I wear a 46 MTB shoe and ended yup with a 48. If they made a 49 I would have gotten those. So 2 or 3 sizes on these.

Everything I read about trying to keep your feet warm lead me to buy a dedicated winter riding shoe. I have ridden with these 3 times now. When it is above 35 they are great. On one ride it was 25 and my feet were pretty cold. Not numb or anything but colder than I had hoped for. I had thin wool socks under a pair of thicker wool socks so that may have messed things up. With the extra socks on the fit was snug where maybe there needs to be some room in there? I'm still trying to figure that out.

These shoes are really well made. They wipe clean with ease. They go on and off easily. Clipping in is a little tougher due to the thicker soles around the clips but no big deal. I can still clip in pretty quick. Walking in them is pretty comfortable if you have to walk anywhere. With the amount of money we spend on our bikes I would say these shoes are worth the $230. Hopefully the right socks will keep my feet comfortable into the 20's.

I am on my second pair after two good winter seasons. Make sure to be careful puting these on wih a coule pair socks especially. I ripes the Gortex ankle material. Otherwise these are the Portland winter shoe for me

I recently bought this winter pair of cycling shoes and they are outstanding. I tested them last weekend on a 23 degree day with only one pair of medium weight wool socks and my feet were so toasty all day. I also wore them on a day that started out very rainy, then hard sleet and back to rain for 4 hours in the raw elements. I again had mid weight wool socks and my feet stayed dry and warm. These shoes are surprisingly light weight and very comfortable. I have already recommended them to my friends as a must have for our wet winter mtn rides. Thank you for carrying such a great product.

I was looking for a cold weather shoe that won't break the bank but that still performs reasonably well compared to my regular shoes. My solution thus far was to use a neoprene toe booty over my regular shoes but this did not provide enough warmth in sub 35 degree weather to keep me comfortable so I resolved myself to go to a dedicated winter shoe. I realized I would have to make some concession in performance but was pleasantly surprised by how well the MW81 performs even though it does not have a ratcheting main strap. The sole is reasonably stiff. The cleat has excellent clearance to my Shimano XTR pedals. The waterproofing and insulation proved themselves during several hike-a-bike type rides in 6-12 of snow. I have a low volume foot and wish I could get the forefoot and top straps a little tighter, that's where a ratcheting strap would be key. But the neoprene cuff on the MW81 is effective at keeping the heel planted in the heel cup. Sizing for this shoe seems spot on. Width is medium. Toe box is roomy. The workmanship seems excellent. In terms of design, the gore-tex liner does an excellent job of keeping the water out yet is breathable enough to almost eliminate any build-up of perspiration on my socks and dry equals warm. I've used these shoes down to 15 degrees and never felt cold. All in all I am very satisfied with these shoes and recommend them highly.

Purchased these to extend my riding in less favorable temperatures as my road shoes even with chemical foot warmers and covers were letting my toes get cold on typical 2 to 4 hour rides near freezing down to 25 F. My rides are typically hard with 50% of the time spent at or near threshold power. As an older rider (late 50's) I do suffer from circulation problems in the extremities which results in cold toes and fingers at temperatures that would have been fine in years past. Like most of us, I prefer riding on the road to the trainer and so having warm cycling gear helps me avoid loss of fitness over the Winter as I am putting more time in on the bike

After switching pedals I have used these on several rides in the upper 20's and low 30's At freezing and above, no chemical warmers and no covers, they keep my feet comfortable. Likewise, in the upper 20's with chemical warmers my feet are comfortable for these rides and I haven't had to try using toe covers for additional warmth however I expect they would be good to the low 20's for me. They do breath well, but are not drafty, no problems with sweaty feet. For people with better circulation they should be good even lower.

For fit, my road shoes are Shimano R-170s in a 44, and I purchased these in a 45 to allow a bit of extra room for thicker wool socks and the toe warmers when needed. Sizing up 1 size was a good decision for me- they fit just the way I wanted. I have enough room in the toe box to wiggle my toes to help keep them warm while using the chemical warmers and thicker socks. The strap system still let's me get an appropriate fit so these aren't loose moving around on my feet. They do take more work to get into than regular cycling shoes but they aren't difficult to get into, just takes a bit more time.

The high top on these come up high enough to cover the bottoms of my Gore and Castelli wind blocker insulated tites and don't restrict movement for riding or walking. I haven't had a chance to ride in the rain yet however on wet roads they have kept my feet dry on a bike with no fender protection from spray off the front wheel.

Cleats are recessed adequately so they don't drag on a hard surface, I can walk around on our hardwood floors (albeit carefully) without scratching them up, and there are spots for spikes in the front if a person wanted them - they aren't included with the shoe though.

I can't comment on durability or performance off road as I haven't owned them long enough and only ride on the roads however I can't see any reason they wouldn't be good long term performers or do well off the road.

Overall, if you are looking for a high quality warm shoe to extend your riding season in comfort - I would highly recommend

I bought these shoes for cyclocross during snowy and muddy conditions. The protection from snow, mud, and wet was great. My feet stayed dry and comfy. But on relaxed rides in the cold the insulation wasn't enough to keep my toes warm the entire time. I'll be using these shoes down to 40 degrees and switching to warmer shoes below 40, but I think they'd do fine down to mid 30's for an hour or so.

With all that said, the caveat is that my toes get pretty cold no matter what. So if you're someone with generally warm feet, they'd probably do great.

Traction on slippery surfaces was just okay as is, and perfectly acceptable with toe spikes. If you're going to be walking up a slippy incline, you'll need spikes.

They're nice and stiff so power transfer was good. The tread is very tall, so I had to shim my cleats, and even with that, clipping into my crank brothers pedals was frustrating on occasion.

Like all winter shoes I think you lose a little connection to the bike, but it's not too bad.

I think they look good too...not overly bulky like you're wearing mukluks or something.

I normally wear a size 40. I bought a 42 and it was perfect for a smart wool sock and a thin sock together. Two smart wools are a bit tight, but doable (though you might be reducing circulation at that point).

Overall I'm very pleased with the shoe. I wish the tread was a bit more aggressive and provided a bit better clearance for the cleat, and maybe a smidgen more insulation would be helpful for long rides.

As the title says, these shoes fit my foot really well. I wear an 11.5 normal shoe, so the size 47 Shimanos are awesome. With my thick socks on, wearing my summer biking shoes, my toes still got cold. That is not an issue with these shoes! Toes stayed warm and toasty, yet not overly clammy. I liked the overall feel of this shoe so much, i chucked my Mavic Rush summer shoes and bought a pair of sh-xc61l shoes, in size 47, for the upcoming season.

I got these for the winter months in New York State. I was advised by a friend to go up one size (US) from my normal, which was good advice. Running one winter sock feels good, but you can sneak two in without too much trouble. The windwater proofing, high ankle along with wool socks let me go down to the low teens (F) for 2 or so hours without discomfort. The hard plastic sole, can make dismounting, or dabbing on ice very exciting. Putting a short metal screw into the plastic helps tremendously with this. Overall very happy with the shoe. 4 rather than 5 stars only because the sole is so incredibly friction-less on ice.

Keeps my feet comfortable and warm on my commutes and winter training rides. For the most part they will keep things dry for a short commute in moderate rain without shoe covers. I did one longer ride where I was out for a while on a very wet day and the shoes got soaked through even with covers.

I use these on my fat bike. During winter riding my feet stay warm and they keep the snow out when I happen to fall off the bike! I plan on using them on my road bike for early season riding as well. Wish they had speed play compatibility.

I bought a pair for my wife and I. If it weren't for these shoes we couldn't have been biking this winter. So far we have biked in temps down to 23 degrees and these shoes keep our feet warm. We've gone up to 40 miles without a problem. Shimano hit a home run with these.

Use this on my commute. 30 miles round trip. When the temps are below zero, these and a thinmed weight wool sock keep my feet nice and warm. Have used on weekend cold rides of three to four hours. Very comfortable once the straps are adjusted properly

I've had these shoes for about a year and have ridden several rides both road on my cyclocross bike and MTB. I was surprised to see all the 5 stars. In regards to keeping warm, with 2 pairs of socks I keep my feet nice a cozy for a good 3 hour ride. I put toe warmers on them for colder days too. In regards to water ingress, I'm not very satisfied. I can go about an hour in drizzle and I can start to feel the water start creeping in typically draining down the neoprene seal against my ankle. I've tried putting my pants over the neoprene and it extends the dryness by about a half an hour.

I'll be looking for a better option for me next winter I think.... Not a bad shoe for the money, but I think there are better options.

I had tried all kinds of combinations of socks and covers but this shoe takes the cake! My toes were nice and toasty on my cold, wet rides. I'd lean toward a size larger than normal or plan on thinner socks, it's a snug fit. Definitely worth the money for warm feet.

I haven't had a chance to ride in these below freezing yet, but near it and in wind they are decently warm yet breathe well with a thin sock. Not warm, but not cold on rides up to 3 hours at 32-35. I imagine with a thick sock you can get into low temps comfortably. The fix is on the wide and long side. They seem quite sturdy so far in the singletrack, but not so gnarly that I feel silly having put Time ATACs on my road bike for the winter.

This shoe keeps my feet warm during cool weather riding..... So far I've worn them them while riding in temps as low the low 40's and with a woolie boolie sock my feet stayed warm.... They also have kept my feet dry after a good many creek crossings.... I orderd 1 size larger than what I normally wear in a Specialized brand summer shoe to accomodate for wearing a thicker wool sock and the fit is perfect....