Sidi Diablo GTX Shoe

I bought these when biketiresdirect put them on a spring sale. So far I am very pleased. When paired with my Showers Pass pants that go over top of the shoe, my feet stay completely dry even in heavy rain.

They fit a bit big which the product description warns about but beware that it is a significant increase in size. I have the Dominator 5 (essentially the summer version of this shoe) in 45 and that fits perfectly, but a 45 in the Diablo GTX is too big on me even with thick wool socks. I probably could have gone with a 44 or definitely a 44.5 but BTD does not carry the half sizes.

I've been using these shoes for a month or two in Portland weather (rain and upper 30s to lower 40s in the morning). My feet have been toasty every day. These shoes are much more convenient than my regular shoes plus neoprene booties, although the booties will keep rain from going down the shoe a little bit more.

This shoe is EVERYTHING! Perfect fit, warm & cozy, and keeps feet dry for hours.

NY is cold during the winter months but these shoe allow me to get out for a ride!

I have worn Sidis for years and these are as good as expected. Same high quality all around. Rode 2 hours in 15fht. Felt OK until the end when I started to get cold. Still that's good unless you move up to boots used in Alaska.

I love this shoe from Sidi. To me, however it is a boot. Compared to the Dominator, it is boxier (to accommodate wool socks!) and stiffer. Maybe I should say a LOT boxier and stiffer. But not in a bad way. They are sleek enough, and ready for anything Miother Nature throws. I think, once they loosen up, they will fit snugly enough around my ankle to avoid filling up with water in a downpour when I don't have pants tucked over them. Even now they effectively shield grit and water spray. I look forward to many riding days of inclement weather with these. I think they are a great buy.

These are very well built, but I don't really like the roomier fit. Rarely is it cold enough to warrant a thick sock, but it rains plenty here in Portland. I find Gaerne shoes are more comfortable and have a better fit, but their closure system sucks on the set of Eskimos I have. The closure on these is spot on. They keep the water out, and my feet warm enough down to around 30 degrees without thick socks. I'm sure these will last a long time, and I'll probably hang on to them until they're dead.

Summary

Not great but I would probably buy again since there are not a lot of choices (especially in bigger sizes).

About me

Ive been bike commuting year-round for 7 years in Seattle (75 min each way). So not new to this stuff, but these are my first waterproof bike shoes. Prior to this I did Sidi Dominators with Neoprene covers. In serious rain, I use plastic bags over my shoe, under my cover. A winning combo but a pain to put on.

SizingFit

I wear size 13 in normal shoes and my size 48 Dominators with DeFeet Blaze socks (year-round) is a perfect fit. The Diablos were huge when I got them. I was worried I should have bought size 47 and spent several weekends searching for thicker socks to help make up the difference. Having used these for the last six weeks Im glad I got size 48. Theyre still bigger than Id like but Im getting used to them (with my old socks). My overall sense is that these remind me of cowboy boots, not shoes.

The other problem with the fit is the ankle part. It doesnt go up high enough so sometimes my tights pop loose over the top (even though I use a pant cuff strap on both legs). Additionally the ankle part doesnt completely seal around the leg. I have average size legs in the ankle and there is always a gap. Then when your foot bends during the pedal stroke, the gap opens and closes as you cycle. It should be about 2 to 3 inches taller. Having said that, theres a weird sensation having something tugging against your ankle (compared to the Dominators), though after several weeks you stop noticing that.

Waterproof

These are not waterproof in real rain. In normal Seattle showers, theyre good but in a downpour (somewhat rare to me) water is getting in and I dont know how. I suspected it was dripping down the gap in the ankle I mentioned above but Im not sure if thats really the source. My toes have been very wet and my ankles felt quite dry. In the worst downpour I felt water sloshing around in my toes. When I was done with the ride, water didnt pour out of the shoe, but my socks were soaked. On the plus side, my feet didnt get cold on those downpour days (all above 42F).

Warmth

To begin with, my extremities (hands and feet) tend to run colder than other people I think. Two things I learned First, my DeFeet Blaze socks are not warm. Second, the Diablos arent warm. On my maiden voyage with the Diablos it was 36F and my toes were as numb as usual. I would say the Diablos are quite a bit cooler than my old Dominator with Neoprene covers. Over the last 6 weeks Ive tried a few different combos of socks and my Costco brand wool socks were fairly warm (except too tall). I havent found a better cycling sock for warmth yet. (There was a pair of Thorlo Running shoes with cushionin