Every winter a new set of weatherproof bike shoes dance into my life, promising to solve all my wet foot problems. And, every winter—without fail—I find some major issue with said shoes that disqualifies them and leaves me a little bit heartbroken. Maybe I should have learned my lesson by this point, but I can’t help getting excited when another brand launches its version of “the ultimate wet weather riding footwear!”

This time, Fox has gotten closer to the mark than perhaps any other shoes I’ve tried. Fox’s new Union All Weather isn’t the most affordable option, and it looks a little like exotic fetishwear, but so far they’ve delivered the best balance of comfort, weatherproofing, and general usability that I’ve found in this class.

Fox Union All Weather Details

• Sizes available: 5-13
• Sole rubber: Ultratac
• Size Tested: 10 US, 43 EU
• Price: $329.95

Fox Union All Weather Fit

Disclaimer: Shoe fit is one of the more personal issues in mountain biking. There’s no substitute for actually sticking your foot in a shoe. But, here’s the guidance and context I can offer: I have wide, tall feet. Length wise, I can hypothetically fit in a size 9 from most brands, but the width and overall volume is rarely adequate. So I typically size up to a 9.5 or 10. With the Union All Weather I bumped up to a 10, because I wanted to be able to fit thicker winter socks. That turned out to be the right call.

On my feet, the size 10 Union All Weather is a tiny bit on the roomy side, but the BOA system cinches it down nicely. And, more importantly, there’s plenty of room side to side, so my toes don’t feel scrunched, and I don’t have any issues with my instep being crushed. These feel notably wider than Five Ten’s Trailcross line in the same size, and a touch wider than the Shimano GF8 GTX.

Fox includes customizable insoles with swappable arch spacers and D30 inserts for impact absorption. I typically pull out and throw away the stock insoles in most shoes and replace them with Superfeet insoles, but so far I’ve been quite happy with the stock Fox insoles. It’s nice when $300-plus shoes don’t have useless insoles.

Fox Union All Weather Features

The Union’s gaiter looks simple compared to its competition, but in my experience it has the best ratio of weatherproofing to ease of entry I’ve found. It’s tall, and it doesn’t have any kind of zipper or velcro to allow it to open and close. Instead it relies on its stretchiness and its height to do its job. So far, I’m quite enamored. I’ve had issues in the past with gaiters that, because they had a zipper or velcro, compromised the seal of the shoe. I’ve also used shoes with shorter gaiters and zippered openings that were still harder to get on and off than the Union All Weather.

There are two factors that allow the Union to shine here. First, the rear webbing finger loop on the gaiter isn’t just sewn to the gaiter itself; it runs all the way down to the clog. So you can really pull on it without worrying that it’s going to tear out.

Second, the Union’s heel cup is robust enough that I haven’t had any issues with it folding or collapsing when I put on the shoe. That’s what killed the Shimano GF8 GTX for me—that heel pocket kept wadding up and eventually tore as I slid my foot into the shoe.

The Union uses a BOA fit system to cinch everything down. I’m generally pro-BOA on bike shoes but especially so for wet-weather shoes. It’s really nice to just pop the knob and pull your shoes off at the end of the day, instead of struggling with wet laces and numb fingers. It’s also nice on a shoe like the Union, that will probably get used for digging and bushwhacking, because it’s much less likely to snag and come untied on undergrowth.

Entry and Exit

I have been privy to a few other riders’ experiences with getting these shoes on and off, and it looks like some folks have been having some issues. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve had my fair share of issues with getting other winter shoes on and off, but the Union is one of the easier weatherproof shoes to deal with that I’ve found. That said, I do have three tips. One: Wear socks. Don’t jam your sticky little toes into these shoes without socks. I don’t know why anyone would do that, but, without naming names, group texts with gear-reviewing colleagues at another outlet revealed that if you put these on without socks, you’re never going to get them off.

Two, you might want a boot jack, or to use your other foot as a boot jack to get them off. I haven’t had real issues here, but I also don’t have super prominent heel bulges.

Three: getting them on when they’re wet is much harder than when they’re dry. When I remember to throw them on the dryer after a ride, I’ve been fine, but getting right back into them when they’re saturated is challenging.

Otherwise, so far I’ve had zero issues with getting these on and off and, more importantly, they’ve done a better job of keeping my feet actually dry than any other wet weather shoes I’ve used.

Fox Union All Weather Performance

Any winter bike shoe is graded on two scales: how well it keeps the elements out, and how well it performs as a bike shoe. So let’s start with the simpler question. I’d say this is a good bike shoe. Its sole is fairly stiff (it feels similar to the Specialized 2FO DH) and grippy enough. It’s definitely not as grippy as current Five Ten or Specialized shoes, which I think are vying for the top contender here, but it’s good enough for me. It feels similar to Shimano’s current flat pedal rubber. That said, a jump to a stickier rubber is my number one request for this shoe. I’ve found myself not trusting it quite as much on wet rocks and logs as I do Five Ten’s Stealth rubber.

Where the Union All Weather really shines though is in how it handles adverse conditions. This shoe keeps moisture and debris out better than any other bike shoe I’ve used. I think that very tall gaiter gets a lot of the credit here. I get enough overlap with my pants that I never get any duff or dirt in my shoes, even when I’m raking steep terrain, ankle deep in loose material. That’s made these my number one choice for winter trail building.

That same height also comes in handy when things get wet. I’ve had issues with some other shoes where water runs down my pants and directly into the top of the gaiter. That’s not an issue with the Union. Instead, the only moisture I’ve dealt with, after a bunch of very wet rides, was produced by my feet. These certainly aren’t the most airy and breathable shoes, so when I’m working hard and it’s warm out I have found that my feet get a little clammy.

That’s to be expected: this is a true winter shoe, and it’s definitely overkill for “damp autumn rides” as opposed to the “terrible winter rides” where it shines. That said, I’d love to see this gaiter design make its way to a lighter shoe, with, perhaps, a little more aggressive tread. I’d be very interested in a Trailcross-esque version of the Union, that was optimized for adventure riding and digging.

For Now

The winter flat pedal shoe conundrum is a hard nut to crack. I’ve tried, and been failed by enough options that I’ve generally moved to just riding in summer shoes and waterproof socks. But Fox’s new Union All Weather Shoe has won me back. If you can stomach the premium price tag, it’s the most practical, most weatherproof flat pedal shoe I’ve used.

Learn more: Fox