Review - SideTrak Booties

I'm not one to flagrantly spend my money on bike stuff, although I won't deny myself a treat or three. When it comes to booties, though, I've stuck with a favorite for many, many years. I think I've had these for 5, maybe 7, maybe more years, and I first started using them in the early 90s.

SideTrak booties.

I took this picture from Excel Sports. I don't take such good pictures.

One of the cool things about the SideTraks is that you can get them at your local shop for the same price as it is online. I don't know exactly how they did this, but it works for me. For the record, I bought a pair online, but I bought other pairs in shops.

The best thing about these booties is how long they last. I didn't buy the last booties because of anything wrong with my old ones - I either (A) gave them to a racer in need or, more likely, (B) I left them somewhere by accident.

These reasons differ greatly from the normal cause of bootie replacement - bootie expiration. Usually booties expire due to one of the following reasonss:

1. The toe top wears through. What's the use of a bootie if your toes get a refreshing blast of cold Arctic air when you ride?

2. The side or back rips, usually due to crashes and abrasions, and then washing said bootie multiple times. What's the use of a bootie if... you know the rest.

3. The collar around the calf wears out, exposing piping and threads, abrading the skin there.

4. The zipper in the back fails. Have you ever ridden behind a rider with their booties held together with safety pins, duct tape, or the like?

Yeah, big fail.

Okay, fine, you can get zippers replaced at the local tailors (I did that once), but if the zipper if failing, Messieurs 1, 2, and 3 above can't be too far behind.

Bootie design fails for the following two reasons:

1. They aren't warm enough. I've bought $50 booties that felt like they were made with Saran wrap.

2. They aren't windproof enough. I've also bought booties that felt like they were made with mesh fabric. I could tell if the wind shifted by which part of my foot was coldest.

On all six accounts above, the SideTraks rock. The toes don't wear out, the heel doesn't wear out, the calf collar stays soft, the zipper doesn't break, the material is warm, and it's windproof.

My beat up and at least 5-7 year old booties.

It's hard to see the toe area, but it's reinforced with something that resembles steel wool crossed with Kevlar. It's a bit coarse but holy smokes it simply will not wear through. I haven't tried dragging my toes on the ground for any length of time but I figure the toes will be good for another decade or so.

The bottom is pretty simple. Look, ma, no heels!

I thought the open bottom would be a problem, but apparently not. I've never had a problem with my booties being too cold. It also makes for a simple set up - no cutting, no trimming, no fraying edges. Just unwrap the plastic, unfold the booties, slip over shoes, and ride.

The coolest part of the booties - the non-zipper.

I think SideTrak's patent either ran out or they're selling the rights to others. I noticed, for the first time (maybe I missed it before - I haven't paid attention to booties in a while), that a lot of other manufacturers are using velcro rear closures.

You wrap the back around as much as you want. I need to wrap a lot.

The edges at the top are soft and comfortable. It's actually really fuzzy, warm, and comfy when I wrap the back around my calves. I wish my other gear were as comfy. My gloves, for example, are not nearly as soft.

The rear velcro takes care of the collar up top and handles any potential zipper problem. Simple and straightforward.

The one negative is that to get the velcro nice and snug, you really need two hands. This means that it's hard to adjust while you're riding. That's okay if you're training, you just stop for a bit, but in a race... Now you know what I'm doing when I'm fondling my ankles for a minute at a time. I reposition the lower velcro, then the upper, then the lower, then the upper, repeating until my ankle feels like it's encased in an ankle sling.

I've been seduced by a variety of expensive booties over the years, dishing out $50 and more for snazzier booties with things like reflective piping, semi-hidden zippers, traction bottoms, and fancy looking fabrics. But all of them expired, much quicker than the 5-10 years I expect my booties to last.

I finally realized that there's no beating the SideTrak. They may be the cheapest booties out there, but they're more comfortable, more durable, and just as warm.

I'll stick with my SideTraks.