Explorer Waterproof Gravel Shoe Covers

The Explorer Waterproof Gravel Shoe Covers from GripGrab are designed to keep your feet warm and dry on filthy gravel rides. How did they cope with a lashing of good ol’ British mud?

GripGrab say the Explorer Waterproof Gravel Shoe Covers are for gravel riders “whose aspirations and adventures take them beyond the paved road.” They’re an evolution from the Flandrien Waterproof Road Shoe Covers that we reviewed previously. These took the old school idea of wearing a pair of socks over your shoes for cold weather protection and updated it.

The Explorer Waterproof Gravel Shoe Covers use the same three-layer knitted construction as their road counterparts. The outer and inner layers protect the middle-layer which is breathable and waterproof. There are cut-outs in the bottom to allow your tread to do its thing. The bottom edge has been reinforced to provide some wear resistance, however it’s the toe that has the most obvious protection.

Protection

Covering the toe of these shoe-covers are some serious looking TPU toe caps. These are there to stop you wearing holes in the front when schlepping through the muck. There’s also an underside wear patch on the sole to protect the soft material when standing unclipped on the pedals. Of course, this will also help when walking on uneven ground.

While social media may suggest that gravel rides are all about glorious sunny rides on bone-dry dusty courses; the truth is often a lot muddier. Riding around on wet trails can be great fun, but will take a toll on your kit. Being able to protect your expensive shoes and keep your feet dry makes a lot of sense.

How did GripGrab’s Explorer Waterproof Gravel Shoe Covers fare over the winter?

Let’s start with getting them on. You pull them up and over your shoes, just like an oversized pair of socks. The material is nice and stretchy, so getting them on isn’t a bother. It’s important to make sure you keep the shoe cover clear of the your shoe’s tread. Walking around on hard surfaces, with some of the material overlapping the tread, will accelerate wear and tear on the bottom.

A tip from GripGrab is to wear the Explorer Waterproof Gravel Shoe Covers under your waterproof leg-warmers when it’s raining. This way the water will run off the warmers rather than working its way under the shoe cover.

Warm?

While GripGrab don’t rate these as cold weather covers, you have to remember that they are a Scandinavian company. They come from a region that experiences proper cold; I ride in the UK’s relatively balmy south coast, we rarely see minus temperatures here. So I found these shoe covers could cope quite happily down to zero degrees. It’s not just that the winter’s aren’t as cold here though. Off-road you tend to ride slower, so you aren’t subject to the same degree of wind-chill as on road.

Waterproof?

When splashing through puddles they kept most of the water out. Most? Well on a day of rain and flooded trails, my socks were damp at the end of the day. Not soaked mind, just a little damp. I think the sheer volume of water just overcame them. Plus, I had forgotten GripGrab’s advice to wear waterproof leggings over the shoe covers to stop the water trickling down and on to my socks. On other, less biblical rides, I could wash them off using a hose without getting my shoes wet.

Walking

While most of my local trails are rideable, there are a few that become a bit more challenging when you add mud. Which gave me a chance to try the Explorer Waterproof Gravel Shoe Covers out on foot. I found they were fine for short stretches of walking through mud, especially if it wasn’t too deep. Being able to return home with clean shoes after a winter’s ride is great. Simply wash off the shoe covers and your shoes are still looking good; I even risked white socks!

However, I did have mud creep in on long, deep mud sections. It managed to force its way up through the front sole opening and onto the top of my shoe. However, unlike some shoe covers that I have used off road, they stayed put. I’ve had other covers come right off when walking through deep mud, so that was a plus. I think you need to make sure you get a good tight fit and make sure that mud can’t force its way in. Part of this involves pulling any loose fabric back from the toe to the back of the shoe and choosing the right size. To give you an idea of fit I wear EU43 shoe and these were a size large.

Conclusion

Overall I liked these Explorer Waterproof Gravel shoe covers from GripGrab. They kept my feet dry in all but the most horrendous weather and even then performed better than standard covers. And while you have to expect off-road gear to get dirty, it is nice to keep your shoes looking good for a little longer. As most of my winter gravel riding does include a fair bit of tarmac, while avoiding unrideable mud sections, they provide ample protection. Recommended!