Every so often a piece of gear lands on our desk that really catches our eye. The Sealskinz Halo Lightweight overshoe was one such product. At first glance, they look like nothing special, but upon closer inspection you will see a round circular disc on each heel – this is an LED light that has been built into a little pouch. Always keen to be as visible as possible, we thought that this was a jolly good idea.
Claiming to be a world exclusive, the flashing light also claims to be visible from over 500 metres and has 120 hours of run time on continuous mode and 240 hours of run time on flashing mode – not bad on both accounts.
While I cannot confirm the 500 metre visibility claim (I forgot my measuring tape), the girl I was riding with said the lights we very effective from behind on dark roads on a January evening.
Elsewhere on the Sealskinz Halo Overshoe there are other nice touches. The reflective zipper, located on the side as opposed to the back of the overshoe was one, the Velcro strap underfoot was another as it made the overshoe super easy to pop on and off and very versatile fitting onto a wide range of shoes – mtb and road.
One thing to note is that these overshoes are not what we would call a full on winter neoprene offering, they are pretty lightweight as the name suggests. However the shoe is pretty water resistant (I took them out for a quick spin in the drizzle the other evening and came home unscathed) and the addition of a cosy fleece lining meant that even my toes which as particularly susceptible to cold toes were saved that achy cold feeling after a two hour ride on a very early and cold winter’s morning around Richmond Park.
As for durability, I can’t address that quite yet as I haven’t been wearing them long enough. But knowing Sealskinz products, I am pretty optimistic they will take wear and tear in their stride.
Overall verdict:
So far so good! I think these overshoes are PERFECT for commuters looking for a super easy to pop on overshoe that will improve your visibility.
RRP: £40
Available from: Sealskinz
