Looking to keep my feet from getting soaked while running in the rain and show. Do they make running shoe covers?
There may be some kind of a gaiter or some other gimmick to use, but take it from me, I ran through 25+ Canadian winter’s, both the snowy, slushy, cold kind in Toronto and the rainy, wet muddy kind in Vancouver, and nothing will keep your feet truly dry. You just keep running! 
Sock choice is key! That’s where you need to invest some money/time.
So what kind of socks do you use? What should I be looking for?
Make the switch to trail shoes. Some companies are making them now with gortex covers. Solomon makes some nice ones.
**So what kind of socks do you use? What should I be looking for? **
Like anything that fits tight and is next to your skin, this becomes a personal choice. Some like thick and others like thin etc . . For running, I liked something in between - perhaps a bit thicker than cycling sock thin but not overly thick, like say the Thorlo brand
Obviously in terms of material, it needs to be synthetic and or the new smart-wool.
I never had issues with cold-feet running - even down to around -20C. But again, I know there is a range of sensitivities to this. In Vancouver, it was a wetness issue. What I found there, was having two sets of training shoes in rotation helpful - one drying the other in use, so that at least you could start out runs with dry shoes!
I know that many of the manufactures claim to have shoes that are waterproof, perhaps even made out of Goretex etc . . But most people’s feet sweat so much that your feet will get wet more from the inside than they will from the outside!!
Thanks. So I guess the answer is that there is no magical running shoe cover. Maybe I just came up with a great invention!
I too ran in lovely Toronto winters for a number of years. I just got used to wet feet on those days. I think the proper Slowtwitch response is HTFU.
On snowy and/or icy days, I’d use my winterized pair of running shoes. I used 15 6mm long, self tapping sheet metal screws in the bottom of each sole. I had 14 around the very perimeter of the sole, with the hex heads pointing down. They would grip the snow and ice really really well. On pavement they would deflect the edge of the sole slightly. They’d make a bit of noise on pavements, but were well worth it for grip.
Screw #15? They would go in the middle of the sole. It made a big difference with safety and speed. Particularly on icy days, other walkers and runners would be tentatively slipping around while I’d fly by. Didn’t help with water, but safety and speed was enough for me.
You could look for some things called ‘puttees’. They are ankle and shoe covers that tie under the midfoot. I used them when running in fresh or deep snow. They weren’t perfect but did make things better. Look around for them also.
Thanks. So I guess the answer is that there is no magical running shoe cover. Maybe I just came up with a great invention!
If you can get them to work
Guy who owns the local tri shop ran the Frozen Otter last year. He got a pair of the Soecialized Shoe covers, cut the bottoms out and then glued them over his trail running shoes.
Worked great…
Not a bad idea.
Note that the ones he used were the rubber-type like the old Pearl Izumi wind / TT booties. They weren’t a neoprene or forever style. They were stretched pretty tight over the shoes.
I’ve experimented a lot with attempts to make shoes waterproof, snowproof and sandproof (this is an issue in desert ultras).
My conclusions:
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There are plenty of trail shoes that advertise as “waterproof”. They are generally a better solution than waterproof covers for regular shoes.
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They are still crap. In most circumstances, I’d go with Fleck’s answer.
The problem is firstly it is hard to keep water out. At the minimum it tends to run down your legs and into the shoes.
The next problem is that Goretex & similar are very good at keeping water in. Your feet will get wet, and continue getting wetter the longer you run. There is no drainage at all with these shoes.
A related problem is that sweat accumulates in waterproof shoes. You may not think this is a problem when running in the rain, but you might be surprised.
Goretex works OK to release “water vapour” in applications like jackets where there is a layer of air between you and the garment. It doesn’t work that way with tight shoes.
Short run, cold day, light rain, no deep puddles to navigate; waterproof can be a good choice. Otherwise, like Fleck says, let the shoes get wet, rely on good socks.
http://bikernate.blogspot.com/2012/12/new-balance-mt110-boot-winter-shoe.html
These have been the best things ever (wish they would bring em back at 99 bucks). The tread is also awesome bc its soft in the middle for icy spots. and hard grip on the heel and forefoot. I do think the need for gore tex or something other then just socks is needed most of the time if you are running roads esp in an area/time where there is running water from melting and you just want splashing water to stay out but not have a giant rigid trail shoe built for running in the mountains. I liked the old north face with gore text that had three rubber bands built in with a gaiter as well. Used those for 5 years only when I needed. Currently doing the same with these.
I also just picked up a pair of Mizuno Kazans bc at Boulder Running Company I got to test run a pair for 5 miles in wet snowy conditions in thin socks and they performed great. Not sure what it is about the outer but it shed the water well enough on a nasty day when only about 5 people showed up for a demo run with freebies. Let ya know how they work in a northern WI climate. Wish I had them today bc its 45 and raining (not bad enough to put some wear into the new balance)
I read a while ago that Nike was relaunching their ACG series. If they bring back the Dri Goat, I’m buying 10 pairs. Goretex and a zipped lace cover. My wife still curses the fact that they stopped production. Great winter running shoe.
As other said, good socks will keep your feet warmer. I like the smart wool ones. My wife has a pair of Gore-tex socks that work for her, but don’t like them.
Nothing will keep your feet entirely dry and warm in all conditions. I never had much success with gluing anything onto my shes, so now i just wrap the toes/front in duct tape. It needs to be replaced pretty frequently, but it is cheap, and it works. I run in slush, snow and temperatures down to -25C. Used to run in colder weather but a bit of frostbite on a couple of toes (during a x-c ski event) made them pretty sensitive to cold.
For snowshoe running, I use neoprene cycling booties that are large enough to put my shoes inside.
Salomon has something like this out now. I think it’s called the snowcross or something like that. There may be other brands as well. I’d check someplace like backcountry or REI just look under trail running shoes.
Looking to keep my feet from getting soaked while running in the rain and show. Do they make running shoe covers?
I have a pair of the Sauconys on this page and they are AWESOME. No snow, no water gets in and they are really stable on snow.
http://realtheme.co/winter-running-shoes-saucony/
The ones I have are third from the bottom.
I’ve had good results in rain & wet snow using Rust-Oleum Neverwet on shoes along with smart wool socks.
What you are looking for is called a gaiter. Covers the top of the shoe, the tongue and the ankle area to keep snow and water out.
Salomon Snowcross:
http://www.salomon.com/us/product/snowcross-cs.html
Saucony used to make a similar one called the Razor…you can snoop around and find a few online. Adidas made one too but I haven’t seen those in at least six years.
La Sportiva Crossover:
New Balance made one called the 110 and it was a high top.