{"id":20911,"date":"2017-11-02T11:14:48","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T11:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/?p=20911"},"modified":"2017-11-02T11:18:22","modified_gmt":"2017-11-02T11:18:22","slug":"hate-wet-cold-feet-check-spatzwear%e2%98%94","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.merlincycles.com\/blog\/hate-wet-cold-feet-check-spatzwear%e2%98%94\/","title":{"rendered":"Hate Wet Cold Feet? Check out Spatz Pro\u2614"},"content":{"rendered":"

Now and again at Merlin, we get the opportunity to be involved in something different. We were very keen to take a look at a product designed by former UK professional rider, Tom Barras. Tom is one of the most down to earth, plain speaking people you could ever meet. So when Tom told us his product is a game changer, we were all ears.<\/p>\n

Here’s the story behind SpatzWear:<\/p>\n

Way back in 2006, after his racing season had finished in Belgium, Tom got sick of having cold, wet feet on training rides back home in the Yorkshire Dales. This is when Industrial Design graduate Tom, made the rough first sketches of the Spatz overshoes.<\/p>\n

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Tri and Stay Dry…<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After the initial concept and sketches (and a failed\"\" attempt of making some out of motorbike inner tubes), Spatz were shelved untill he finished his racing career and could set aside the time to develop them further. Fast forward to a wet & cold December in 2016, Tom met up with a very famous triathlete (cannot be named because of a sponsorship contract) on the weekly Wednesday ride following the River Wharfe in the Yorkshire Dales. With Tom’s feet dry because of his Spatz prototypes, the wet-footed triathlete became a business partner. The pair alongside former NFTO boss, renowned clothing retailler and Everest Summiter, John Wood, set about changing cycling overshoes forever.<\/p>\n

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Q&A with Tom Barras of SpatzWear<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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So what is so different about Spatz compared to other neoprene overshoes?<\/p>\n

“The difference is in the attention to detail within the design. Also the quality of the neoprene, welded seams and seals used in manufacture. There is only one factory capable of producing the quality that we insisted upon for Spatz. They are expensive to produce because of the technology that goes into making each pair. You won\u2019t find anything like this, and we\u2019ve patented it…” explained Tom.<\/p>\n

What’s wrong with traditional overshoes?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

“They don’t work! Despite the continual technological advancements in cycling, overshoes have pretty much stayed as they were in the 1980’s. We shouldn’t have to accept having feet like blocks of ice after a couple of hours in winter. It is 2017, we’ve got WiFi and loads of cool stuff – there’s no need to ride with wet cold feet! After years of wrapping my feet in plastic bags and cling film I decided to develop a product which would allow you to train in the cold and wet for hours longer than your competitors. If you can train more, you\u2019ll be better. Simple. And they look cool as…”<\/p>\n