Estremo means ‘extreme’ in Italian and the Castelli Estremo shoe covers are, in Castelli’s words, for “days when most people ride the trainer.”
There are 12 different pairs of shoe covers – or overshoes, both terms mean the same thing – in Castelli’s lineup and the Estremos are the most expensive offering at £140 / $169.99. They are said to be the brand’s warmest offering, too, rated for use between -10C/8F to 5C/41F. They focus on insulation and windproofing in an attractive overall package.
The premium retail price puts the Estremos in the same bracket as the Spatz Roadman 3 or Pro 2 offerings or the Assos GT Ultraz, although all are designed with slightly different overall goals in mind. I tested a range of overshoes this winter ahead of writing our best cycling overshoes buyer’s guide, so here’s the full rundown of how Castelli’s spendiest solution stacks up against the market.
Specifications: Castelli Estremo overshoes
Price: £140 / $169.99 / €149.95 / AU$245
Material: Body: Polyester / Lining: 88% Polyester – 12% Elastane / Bottom: 47% Polyurethane – 36% Polyester
Available sizes: S – XXL
Colours: Black
Design and Aesthetics
Regarding the Estremo design, I have to start with the feature that jumped out at me immediately when I first received them. That is the incredibly plush fleece lining that they use to create warmth, they are easily the thickest overshoes I have felt. Castelli has actually had to do a ‘Wheel Well’ single-layer construction around the inside ball of the foot area to help ensure the overshoes don’t rub on your cranks, which should give you an idea of the plushness we’re dealing with here.
The Estremos aren’t neoprene overshoes, instead, they use Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper fabric on the outside which has a DWR (durable water repellant) coating. Inside there is a Polartec Power Stretch inner fleece layer and the two layers are easy to spot.
The zip is at the ankle’s rear and isn’t offset to one side like the Endura Road overshoes I reviewed recently. The zip here is a nice, red YKK aqua guard zipper. This zip features polyurethane laminated tape which effectively seals the zipper when it’s done up. The ankles themselves extend fairly high up the ankle/calf and are around 16cm long.
Castelli is printed in reflective lettering on the outside of each…
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