I know it's August, but...........

[mjf]

Originally Posted by tellyho

Year round commuter in the Boston area. Winter shoes are a necessity. I'm on my third pair. I quite like Shimanos MW7. Im a 43 in Sidi and the 44 in Shimano is big enough for extra space. Haven't tried Lakes because I'm concerned about water absorption. Add a boot drier and you can wear them every day.

After commuting in Boston year round for 10 years, I would say they're helpful, but not necessary.

If all that you're doing is commuting, the realistic time frame that I needed winter boots in Boston was between late November and the end of February. Buying a separate pair of boots for those 3 months was something that I couldn't justify while I lived there when a thicker pair of socks and shoe covers were more than adequate to keep me dry and warm during the minimum ~100 miles I was riding every week.

If you're doing more riding outside of that, especially if you're going to be in the snow for long periods, winter specific shoes can definitely be a worthwhile thing to consider.