Review: Pro Tarmac NPU+ Overshoes

Posted Wednesday 1st December 2010 –

The Tarmac NPU+ Overshoes are Pro’s cold weather offering designed to keep you’re feet comfortable in temperatures below 5 degrees and down to minus 15. Whilst we’ve been lucky enough to not have to test them out at minus 15 yet we’ve used them on several evening commutes over the past few weeks where the temperatures have dropped below zero and the snow has been falling and they’ve kept our feet nice and warm even when wearing regular socks.

The warmth comes courtesy of the 3mm neoprene shell along with a fabric backing to the neoprene for extra insulation and whilst no overshoe is going to be completely waterproof, given that by their nature they’ve got a big hole in the top and bottom, the water resistant coating and internally taped seems do a good job of keeping your feet dry in all but prolonged rides in monsoon like rain.

In Pro’s marketing speak they’re designed with Optimal Panel Construction (OPC), we’re not quite sure what this means in real world terms but whilst fitting them can be a bit of struggle once on the fit around the shoe is good and you’ll notice the lack of any seam down the front of the overshoe which is an area that bears the brunt of the cold, wind and rain so it’s clear some thought has gone into the design.

The only slight disappointement is that whilst the toe area is reinforced with kevlar is doesn’t really extend very far under the toe of the shoe. We’ve not had any issues with them coming unseated due to this but with some shoes having ventilation holes in the sole near the toe area it would have been nice to see the overshoe extend a bit further under the shoe to cover these.

For reference we used a size large on a size 42 shimano road shoe which is in line with the manufacturers recommended sizing guidelines and the fit is just about perfect. There are 5 sizes available in total, medium to XXXL, covering shoe sizes from 37 to 49 and are compatible with all 3 bolt road style cleats.

The overshoes are lined with a red bamboo charcoal fabric which as well as helping to keep your feet warm is also designed to absorb moisture, prevent bacteria growth and reduce odour, it’s hard to tell how much affect this really has but so far they’re not smelling so I guess it works.

Looking inside the overshoe you’ll also notice the main seams down the front and side of the overshoe and around the toe area are also taped to help keep the water out.

Manufacturer’s Specifications –

• Optimal Panel Construction (OPC) Design (registered)
• 3 mm multi-stretchable neoprene with waterproof PU coating for cold and wet conditions
• Bamboo Charcoal Fleece inner with strong insulating and antibacterial properties
• Specifically designed for race shoes with a semi closed sole for a perfect fit and functionality
• Rubber reflecting strap
• Sealed seams, Kevlar reinforcement on the nose and a reverse slide YKK zipper

Price – £34.99 RRP

Sizes – M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL

Weight – 197g per pair (size large)

Our Verdict

Well made and super warm, they should deal with anything the British winter can throw at you. The large logos may mean they’re not to everyones taste as the styling certainly isn’t subtle but they’re definately worth considering if you want to keep riding through the colder winter months as they’re hard to fault and do exactly what they’re designed to.

Have your say…

If you’ve tried them yourself let us know what you think by posting a comment below.

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