Answer Kashmir Winter Shoe Review

• There are many coping mechanisms for riding outdoors in the winter, ranging from wool and neoprene socks to waterproof booties to Gore Tex hiking boots to the newspaper-bag-over-the-toes. Since most year-round cyclists are likely to already own a pair of road and mountain/cross shoes -- the thought of a dedicated pair of winter cycling shoes is difficult to swallow, especially since there really aren't any budget oriented offerings. Or so I thought.

  A few weeks ago, I was discussing the topic with a fellow from Kreitler rollers, which is located in Colorado. As much as I love my Adidas' mesh for off roading in the summer, the blessing rapidly becomes a curse as the temperature drops. And with the existing winter offerings from Sidi, Lake, and Gaerne coming in at $250+, the I was unlikely to be buying any time soon. But he said that most of his crew used the $150ish Answer Kashmir for both winter and rain rides, and that it was every bit as capable as the more expensive competitors. And so I bought a pair.

  AESTHETICS
  While not exactly pretty (no winter shoes really are) -- the Kashmir is not nearly as ugly as many of the other Answer shoes, which I have avoided like the plague for years. In fact, the Kashmir if very reminiscent of the 2006 Sidi Freeze: basically a three strap black leather high top MTB shoe with a plastic heel cup and a comfy neoprene liner. The accents and logos are silver, and there is a small reflective button on the heel cup. Also included are a set of toe studs.

  CONSTRUCTION
  The sole and main shoe body appear to be glued and stitched as well as one would except with a midrange shoe. Like other winter designs, the weak point is clearly the stitching between the neoprene liner and the leather outer material. A long term review will follow in early spring.

  FIT
  As others have observed, the Kashmir is designed to be worn with thick socks, and might seem a bit roomy at first. That said, it does take a bit of work in order to squeeze into the neoprene liner. The shoe comes with a very thin removable sole and has a flat footbed, so if you wear custom insoles in your road shoes, you will certainly want a pair for the Kashmirs. The back of the liner does have a loop of fabric in order to tug the shoes tight. And once on, they extremely comfortable and supportive. I do wish that the neoprene liner had a more elegant closure (it uses an awkward velcro bit that seems doomed to failure eventually) but it is functional.

  STIFFNESS
  The Kashmirs are comfortable enough to run in for short distances, and therefore not the stiffest soles in the world. But for regular winter use, they seem to offer a good balance of stiffness and compliance. Power transfer for general riding, cyclocross, and light road rides would seem sufficient.

  WARMTH
  Most importantly, the Kashmirs are completely waterproof and very toasty. Thus far, I have tested them on rides ranging up to three hours in temperatures as low as -15C. Even worn with thin summer weight cycling socks, they have kept my feet within a comfortable range. When combined with wool socks and/or an extra neoprene sock, I expect to go down to -25C quite easily.

  CONCLUSION
  The Answer Kashmir fills a gap in the market by providing a less expensive, but fully functional winter cycling shoe. The shoes offer all the utility of much more expensive shoes. For those riders suffering from cold feet/toes using other piecemeal strategies, the Kashmirs are the obvious choice. TATI will absolutely be stocking these shoes next winter. Unfortunately, Answer is entirely sold out for the year. However, if you do need to pick up a pair for what remains of this particularly difficult winter, you might get lucky with an online vendor.

  Answer Kashmir Shoes