Giro Ultralight Aero shoe cover review

The Ultralight Aero is a classic Belgian bootee style shoe cover rather than a full-blown overshoe, but made in something a bit more sophisticated than a knitted fabric.

It’s made from a stretchy Lycra, with an even more stretchy insert at the rear to help get it on and off. The toe is reinforced to reduce wear and tear when putting a foot down or walking.

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There’s a front cleat hole and a rear heel hole which are taped around, but the section under the instep is made from the same lightweight Lycra as the upper, so it wears quite quickly. However, the lightweight construction does mean it’s easy to adjust your shoes through the shoe covers while on the move.

With no zip it can be a bit of a struggle to get the shoe covers over some shoes, particularly if they have prominent buckles or dials. Once on they’re comfortable enough, but it’s a bit easier to fit them over your shoes before putting them on.

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The shoe cover’s main function is to keep your shoes a bit cleaner on dirty roads, but Giro also suggests some aero benefits.

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There’s a bit of extra warmth too from covering up the shoe’s vents, but not as much as you’d get from a more substantial overshoe. And they’re not waterproof, so if it rains or there’s water on the road your shoes and feet will get damp.

So apart from a slightly slicker look and their claimed aero benefits, these Giro shoe covers really offer no additional benefits over a standard oversock and are more expensive than most.