Ornot Goes All In on the "Muppet Fur"
Ornot expands its Polartec Alpha lineup with new gloves and shoe covers. Here is why putting "active insulation" on your extremities is a smart move for winter riding.
Polartec Alpha has always felt like a cheat code for winter riding—it’s that rare material that dumps heat as fast as it traps it, so you don’t end up in a "boil-in-the-bag" scenario the moment the road points up. Ornot has been using this active insulation in their vests for a while (sewn right in Oakland using deadstock fabric), but I’m particularly intrigued by their decision to finally wrap our extremities in the stuff. The launch of the new Alpha Gloves and Shoe Covers feels like a necessary evolution; if the goal is to keep riding through variable conditions without the clammy aftermath of standard neoprene or heavy fleece, applying that specific breathability to hands and feet is a brilliant move.
While the vest gets a sharp new "Azul" colorway, my eyes are on the shoe covers. Ornot made a specific design choice there that solves a chronic gravel headache: the closure system.
What Matters
- Velcro Underside (Shoe Covers): Instead of a fragile zipper that gets jammed with mud, these use a Velcro closure on the bottom. If you’ve ever had to hike-a-bike in expensive booties, you know why this matters.
- Exposed Back / Wind-Block Front (Vest): The construction keeps the wind off your chest but leaves the "fuzzy" Alpha insulation exposed on the back. It’s essentially a thermal mullet—business up front, ventilation in the back.
- Active Moisture Management (Gloves): Unlike deep-winter gloves that just pack in heat, these are designed to facilitate air exchange, which is critical for those high-tempo rides where sweaty palms eventually turn into freezing fingers.
