WATERPROOF SHOE GROUP TEST

March 13, 2026

We have decided to add to our busy schedule with a variety of small product group tests, putting products across different segments head-to-head to see which reigns supreme. In this first test, we took a pick of waterproof shoes that looked the most intriguing, and that we hoped would keep our feet dry through some grueling days on the trail over the winter.

Rob and I devised a very scientific bucket test to assess the waterproofing of these shoes. It involved dunking each shoe in water in two different stages, to see which shoe took the longest for water to ingress and where the water first penetrated the shoe. Okay, maybe it wasn’t actually scientific in nature, but it was informative, so make sure to give the video a watch if you want to see how that went!

After the dunk test, we sat down and chatted more about the real-world application of the shoes and how they fared on the trail. Let’s meet the contenders!

FOX UNION BOA ALL WEATHER

The Fox Union All Weather shoe has the most striking looks with its extra-long gaiter extending well past the cuff. The $344.95 price tag is the highest on test for the Clipless version. The Union All Weather shoe is offered in sizes 37 – 47 with the option of either a flat or clipless version. The shoe features a single BOA dial for adjusting your fit, and some large loops on the gaiter to help get your foot into the shoe.

Both the Flat and Clipless versions come with Fox’s Ultratac outsole and a D30 insole for further vibration damping. The insole offers two arch support height options to tune the feel to your foot shape. The midsole is “tuned” for both performance and grip, but Fox offers nothing more on the midsole construction to support this. Our size EU45 flat shoe on test lands at 633g (slightly damp, used condition). When it comes to waterproofing materials, Fox does not share the tech that has actually gone into making this shoe resist water intrusion, but it proved to work well.

Fit

Getting the Fox Union All Weather shoes on your feet is extremely difficult. The stiff neoprene collar produces a signficant challenge, even with the generous pull tabs to help. At the beginning of the test I was carrying an ankle ligament injury on one side, and was nearly unable to get the left shoe on or off. This experience was echoed by Drew on the clipless version – be prepared for a fight to fit and remove the Union All Weather Shoes. But it may be worth persevering for their performance.

Once on the foot, the Fox Union All Weather shoes are extremely comfortable. The gaiter helps to hug your ankle and offer an extra level of security and reassurance. The inside of the shoe feels to have slightly more space than the standard Fox Union shoe, and the single BOA dial doesn’t let me get the shoe quite as snug on the foot. Even so, the fit is still excellent, if a little less connected than we’d love on the clipless version.

Performance

While the ankle gaiter is not fully waterproof, it does a good job of resisting light splashes and keeping the foot relatively dry inside. The remainder of the body is fully waterproof, as reinforced by the bucket test, so your feet can stay remarkably dry inside if the water stays below the cuff. I was able to walk through puddles and endure huge puddle splashes, with perfectly dry and comfortable feet inside. They even remained fairly dry when spraying the mud off the shoes at the end of the ride. Breathability is not excellent, but for the typical colder temperatures these shoes are likely to be used in, it was satisfactory to maintain comfort.

The UltraTac sole on the Fox Union All Weather flat pedal shoes feels slightly more sticky than the standard Union flat shoes. As a result, flat pedal traction is very good, if not quite rivalling the best on the market. The clipless sole feels the same as on the standard Union clip shoes, putting Drew in a happy place. The stiffness underfoot sits in the middle of the range, balancing power transfer and comfort happily.

Quality and value

As the most expensive shoes on test, the value proposition of the Fox Union All Weather shoes is not great, but their quality is excellent. Initial concerns of torn gaiters and degradation from the huge effort to fit and remove the shoes did not result in any durability issues. The Fox waterproof shoes survived the Scottish winter without any notable degradation, which was very impressive. So it seems they may survive long enough to give a solid return on investment, but you have to desire a waterproof shoe strongly to part with this kind of money for a pair.

ENDURA MT500 BURNER WATERPROOF SHOE

The Endura MT500 Burner Waterproof shoe is offered in both Flat and Clipless versions in sizes 38 – 47. The retail price of $210 for the Flat and $220 for the Clipless. Our size EU45 weighed in at 602g in its slightly damp and muddy condition.

The MT500 Burner Waterproof shoe has a dual-compound rubber on the outsole, using the Endura StickyFoot Grip and Dura rubber compounds. The StickyFoot compound is found in the center of the shoe where they make contact with the pedals. The Dura material is featured on the Toe and heel, with a slightly more rugged tread pattern, to offer grip when walking.

On the outside of the shoe, there is a leather velcro lace cover and a neoprene ankle cuff, both key ingredients in keeping water off your socks. The upper fabric is made with fully waterproof fabric with a breathable ExoshellFW membrane. To secure the shoe, Endura uses both a Speedlace system and a velcro ankle retention strap, helping to mitigate heel lift. It is worth noting that the upper ankle cuff opens up with a velcro strap, providing an easy on-and-off experience.

Both the toe and heel box feature reinforced protection to help manage rock strikes and off-bike excursions. Inside the shoe at the heel is a Sharkskin Fabric to help further hold your heel in place when getting rowdy.

Fit

The combination of Speedlace and midfoot velcro strap on the Endura MT500 Burner Waterproof clip shoes gives a very solid connection between the foot and shoe. They run true to size, with a mid to generous internal volume. The Ergnonomistry insole features a strange padded lump in the middle, which can take some adjusting to, but isn’t too offensive.

The cleat track combined with the shape of the sole surrounding it demands some attention to your clip pedal and shoe interface. I fitted an extra cleat spacer when using the OneUp clipless pedal, else I felt to be stuck in the pedals occasionally when trying to unclip. Otherwise, the cleat position and sole were comfortable and effective for both riding and hiking.

Performance

Endura knows a lot about riding in the rain, with their foundations deeply rooted in building gear for Scottish mountain biking. As such, my feet staying dry for everything but full river submersions came as no surprise. Whether it was heavy rain, large puddle splashes, or the post-ride hose down, the Endura waterproof shoes did an excellent job from a waterproofing perspective. It was only when the foot was submerged that water was able to find its way under the lace cover. And their breathability aided in keeping them a little more comfortable than the Fox shoes on warmer days, feeling more like a normal gravity shoe.

Sadly though, I never quite gelled with the feeling of the shoe underfoot with the OneUp or Crankbrothers pedals I tested with. I struggled to get the right balance of shoe-to-pedal contact, with the sole’s flex often creating contact when unclipping outside of a perfect angle that left me feeling a little stuck. And while I haven’t tested the waterproof flat pedal version, my experience with Endura’s flat pedal sole on the standard MT500 Burner shoe would have me hesitant about riding aggressively, as it is far from the grippiest on the market. When clipped in and riding without thinking about unclipping though, I was happy with the overall balance of characteristics the Endura MT500 Burner Waterproof clip shoes provided.

Quality and value

The Endura MT500 Burner Waterproof shoe is a high-quality offering overall, and with the smallest price tag on test, its value proposition is comparably reasonable. They are built well and held up amicably, but their performance doesn’t quite hit the highest marks for my preferences. That said, with this price tag, their waterproofing and comfort may be worth the investment.

SHIMANO GE900GTX

The Shimano GE900 GTX lands in at $300, and is offered in sizes 38 – 48. This model only comes in a clipless version; flat pedal riders will need to opt for the GF800 GTX. Our size 46 weighs in at 530g with Crankbrother cleats and spacers installed.

There is an inner waterproof Gore-Tex membrane to help prevent water ingress, and a water-resistant elastic ankle cuff to help deal with splashing. The membrane is a sock-like insert (non-removable) on the inside of the shoe. The outsole features Shimano’s ULTREAD GE rubber compound, balancing grip when off the bike and durability. The tread under the toe box is widely spaced to help clear mud when hiking off the bike.

On the inside of the shoe, there is a Torbal 2.0 full-length nylon midsole that is reinforced with Carbon fiber. While the shoe remains stiff under compression load, the carbon allows for some torsional movement to help improve comfort on long rides.

The GE900 GTX has two ways of securing your foot in place. Up top, there is a velcro strap to help manage heel lift, with a shielded BOA L6 dial to fine-tune your fit.

Fit

The GE900 GTX feels like a normal shoe, with no weirdness to report. I run the Shimano GE9 HS as my normal daily driver clipless shoe, and the waterproof version feels similar. With that said, I get slightly more heel lift in the GE900 GTX, as I am right on the cusp of sizing and generally err on the bigger size so I don’t smash my toes when jumping off the bike. If you generally are on the smaller end of the spectrum, going down half a size should not be an issue. It is worth noting that this was only noticed when walking, and has not been an issue when riding. The toe box is roomy and does not mash my toes together, which is something I dislike in many shoes.

The combination of the BOA dial and velcro strap means I can really snug down the shoes for aggressive descending and pedaling efforts. Even when “overtightened,” I do not get any hot spots of discomfort, just overall a very tight feeling. The biggest thing that stood out for me and my foot/ankle shape was the ankle cuff, which fit pretty loosely around my ankle. When combined with its short overall height, it allowed for water intrusion from the top on the wettest days.

Performance

I have had great luck with these shoes, keeping my feet dry even when walking in a creek after falling off an embankment when hiking out of a trail. Other reviewers found them not to be waterproof, but that has not been my experience thus far. I wish the ankle cuff was a bit tighter and extended further up, as that is where the only water I got in the shoe came from. In the bucket test, the shoe did incredibly well, all the way up to the ankle cuff. Based on my on-trail experience, I was not surprised by this. The inner membrane truly is waterproof, as shown by how much water came out of the toe box with a completely dry hand inside.

I have been using the Shimano GE900 GTX shoes quite a bit when the temperatures have dropped below freezing. Their waterproof membrane acts as a nice buffer to the winter temps here in Spokane. I have not had any temps above 50 degrees with rain, so I can’t fully speak on how well they work at expelling heat. But, for me, that is pretty low on the totem pole of wishes out of a waterproof shoe.

The shoe’s midsole is supportive without being uncomfortable, with slightly more flex compared to the GE9 HS. At the end of my rides, my toes were always completely dry, with only the upper ankle portion of my socks being wet at times due to the lower coverage of the elastic material.

Quality and value

Value is always a tough one. At $300, the Shimano GE900 GTX shoes are not cheap. Their waterproofing proved to do a solid job. I only have about 3 months of use on them, so their true long-term durability is yet to be tested, but so far they are holding up well. I spent all summer with well over 300k feet of descending on the GE9 HS version of the shoe, and that has held up incredibly well. I expect similar results from the GE900 GTX

LEATT HYDRADRI PROCLIP 8.0

Leatt’s HydraDri 8.0 will set you back $285, and is offered in sizes 38.5 to 48.5. Our size 47 weighs in at 519g with Crankbrother cleats and spacers installed.

The shoe features a fully waterproof HydraDri EVO membrane booty construction, coming in at a 20k waterproof rating and 20k on breathability. On the outside of the shoe, there is an extended water-resistant gaiter and weather-sealed zipper. Securing the shoe on your foot comes from a BOA Fit System Li2 dial, which has micro-adjustments for a more fine-tuned fit.

The HydraDri 8.0’s outsole is made from Leatt’s RideGrip compound, with the most aggressive tread pattern on test, making hike-a-bikes that little bit more enjoyable. Both the toe and heel box get TPU reinforcements, aiding in the shoe’s durability.

Inside the Control Flex Shank is made of 20% carbon and 80%, delivering a stiff and supportive on-bike feel. The removable EVA insole is made with a quick-drying, anti-bacterial fabric, keeping the stench down post-ride. The shoe’s construction delivers a low-top feel that is aimed at pedaling efficiency. The extra-long cleat channels allow for mid-foot placement for more gravity-focused riders.

Fit

The Leatt HydraDri 8.0 shoes have a narrow overall feel to them, giving a more XC-style feeling on the foot. They were not overly cramped for me, but riders who have issues with low-volume shoes might want to look elsewhere. The single BOA dial did its job, but they lacked a fully locked-in feel. This is in part due to the low profile of the main shoe body. This low profile was developed to help increase pedaling efficiency, which I feel it does, but it lacks support for more gravity-oriented riders as a result.

Performance

I had high expectations for the performance of the Leatt waterproof shoes based on how they looked, and those expectations were met. I was surprised that the shoe did not fare so well in the water test, but with the gaiter not being fully waterproof, that makes sense. On the trail, though, I had no issues with water intrusion. I went on a horrendously wet morning ride the day after the shoes arrived, and ended up wearing the same pair of socks for the rest of the day. That’s a first for me! The extended gaiter did a great job at brushing off splashes and kept my feet dry on long, wet days.

The Leatt HydraDri 8.0 shoe is quite stiff, and on longer chunky descents, I experienced some mid-foot cramps and discomfort. This shoe is not really aimed at gravity riders, being more of an XC/Trail shoe, so this makes sense. For the Norco Revolver we have in for a long-term review, these shoes were matched perfectly. The rigid construction lends itself to top-tier power transfer. The inner shoe profile is quite low, with little to no ankle support, delivering a sort of naked feel on the bike. When paired with the shoe stiffness, this left me feeling a bit fragile when getting into more technical terrain.  This is the shoe that XC and trail-focused riders will enjoy the most.

Quality and value

With the shoe having TPU reinforcements front and back, it has held up well to normal abuse. The stitching across the shoe is seamless and has not presented any problem areas. With this being just the first season with them, long-term durability is still unknown, but all signs are looking positive. As a gravity-focused rider, these do not deliver the underfoot feel I seek, so the personal value proposition for me is low. However, if you are an Trail or XC rider or a bike commuter, these shoes would do you well. When value vs waterproofing is compared, they get a high score, even more so than the Shimano shoes, due to the extended gaiter.

The Wolf's Last Word

If you are commited to riding come rain or shine, having the option of a pair of waterproof mountain bike shoes is likely to be much appreciated. If you only ride in the rain only a few times a year, we would suggest trying out some waterproof socks instead. But if you are out in the rain a few times a week, the best waterproof mountain bike shoes can make riding in inclement weather much more enjoyable. While none of the waterproof shoes on test are perfect, they offer some great improvements to our wet-weather riding. 

Cole's Pick: Shimano GE900 GTX  

Rob's Pick: Fox Union All Weather  

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