Castelli Diluvio C Shoecovers 16 review

The Castelli Dilvuio C shoe cover's 3mm neoprene material doesn't sound very thick but its snug fit makes it surprisingly insulating. The top sits close to the ankle, I prefer to wear them with tights rather than knee warmers but, importantly, they don't slip down like some other over shoes can do and they hug shoes very tightly.

Testing these, I found that they were waterproof in light rain, or if the ground was wet, but if it was lashing it down over a sustained period time water would seep in at the cuffs – it took around 40 minutes on one ride in the heavy rain. What's important though is when it did ingress, it didn't result in chilly feet because of the insulating properties of the neoprene.

Watch: Buyer's guide to overshoes

Neoprene doesn't breathe very well, and at the end of rides I would find I had damp socks. Whether this was from water leaking in or due to my own sweat wasn't clear but the important thing was my feet never got cold because of it.

A long zip makes it easy to slip the shoe covers over your riding shoes, and the zip closes without feeling stretched or being pulled too taught. An easy pull tab and a little give in the neoprene also takes some of the chore out of getting these on, avoiding the winter morning wrestle other overshoes can challenge.

Finishing details include reflective additions on the heel and zip. It's enough to offset the black of the overshoe but if you want a bit of colour they also come in fluorescent yellow and bright red.

On seriously wet days I'd opt for something more waterpoof but in light rain or riding over wet ground the Castelli Diluvio C Shoecovers 16 do the job very nicely.