Waterproof Socks?

[One Half]

Just saw these? Has anyone tried them? Have you actually worn them while hiking?

http://thatoregonlife.com/2016/01/7358/

My concern of course would be that they keep my feet too hot and thus wet or that they produce blisters. I wonder if they would make a good substitute for camp shoes? They look like they might be worth carrying just for water crossings to keep your boots dry in certain instances.

[SWODaddy]

This isn't a novel concept - membrane socks have been around for a while. I was intrigued by the idea at first, but I can't really justify how they would be used.

[hubcap]

Great for standing in a stream fishing. Horrible for hiking. Sweat has no where to go. Feet get soft, then blister. Not a pretty sight.

[MuddyWaters]

I have rocky, but umbrella bags work and are tougher than bread bags.

[Malto]

I have been using various "bread bag" concepts for years. Here's what I have found.
1) durability is the biggest factor. I haven't been able to get more than five miles out of any bags including oven bags etc.
2) They are great in temperatures around freezing or below. the best is cold mucky slushy muddy crap conditions. Will your feet sweat, yes. But you will be warm and damp (wet) vs cold and wet especially in conditions with a constant change of water.
3) I used to have problems with the bags slipping down into the shoe. recently I discovered a great solve. By putting the insole into the bag the bag is trapped between the shoe and insole, holding it in place. I also found it more comfortable. I wore them on a 34 mile very wet day hike a week ago and didn't have to pull up the socks once.
4) to solve the durability issue, I started making my own. I first tried cuben, lasted less than 60 miles. My latest is made of PU coated nylon. I estimate that I got about 200 miles before than coating broke down. They are still usable but they seep. My next pair will be silnylon, I expect those to last a bit longer especially with the insole idea.
5) I wear very lightweight sock liners even down in the twenties. This keeps my feet from overheating.

i would not use these in warmer temperatures, the thought of wet feet is ten times worse than reality. But in colder temperatures or very muddy conditions these socks can be helpful.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

I like sealskinz in the winter when its cold and and wet. I dont wear goretex trail runners for a lot of reasons and this work for me

[Dogwood]

I haven't tried that specific brand but I do have and like, under the right conditions 1) Hanz 2) Sealskinz 3) Dexshell WP socks. Good for when it's cold usually in low cut non WP trail runners perhaps 1/2 size larger than normal. I recognize this system as having a WP trail runner with a removable WP membrane which addresses many of the issues folks have with WP shoes.



One reason I'm immediately skeptical about that brand for hiking is they obviously bunch up which causes problems in LD hiking situations. I don't have that issue with any of the other brands I listed. I want a form fitting but non vasoconstricting WP sock. I want a WP sock with a good but not overly constricting top seal. If my feet are heavily sweating in a WP sock the sock isn't serving me well(it still has to have some vapor transfer but be WP) or the conditions aren't right for a WP sock.



What I've found I like is taking along a sock mix in highly variable trail/weather conditions, one being a mid calf or top of ankle WP sock and a pr of merino socks. I switch out for hiking and in camp depending on the conditions aiming at always having something dry to slip on my feet. This also allows my feet to recover from wearing WP socks day after day or all day hiking then also in camp. I do not regularly wear WP socks in camp moving around extensively. This is a time for my feet to recover so I have a dry pr of merino socks to change into for camp. Andrew Skurka had some good things to say about caring for feet under wet conditions to which I would say aptly apply to my system as well. I treat my skin on my feet for adding back in or retaining more of my feet's skin's natural moisturizing oils.

[Dogwood]

The thing I don't like about a non permeable WP barrier, bread bag or CF socks(bags) for example, which is a VBL, is that by definition there is NO vapor escape leaving my feet almost always bathing them in moisture even during winter which is not a time when I want wet skin. Some deal with it effectively though.

[sliverstorm]

Have you ever used wool socks? Good wool will keep you warm even when wet, and dry out extremely quickly. In my experience old-school wool (ragg socks) is superior to merino wool at repelling water and drying out.

[Rain Man]

I wore a pair of SealSkinz this weekend on the John Muir Trail in the Big South Fork here in Tennessee. Had to ford a cold creek. High temps that day were in the 20s, low that night in single digits.

One sock leaked some.

Fortunately, it was before lunch and by afternoon, things had dried out to normal.

I don't see any way that socks nor shoes/boots can be made waterproof for any length of time as each step flexes the material. Bend sheet steel enough and it'll break along the crease. Same for paper. Same for waterproof fabric.

[Casey & Gina]

My Keen sandals have a little "waterproof" tag. Right next to the big holes that go through to my feet. Always cracked me up. I guess the fabric is waterproof or something, but who really cares? And though I haven't tried waterproof boots, I have heard that they both hold in sweat and end up leaking water in bad enough conditions anyways, where it is then very difficult to dry out.

I don't understand what the fuss about wet feet is about. I wear about the farthest thing you can get from a waterproof boot (Vibram Trek Ascent LR's) along with wool socks (Injinji Outdoor) - my feet get wet and life goes on. Never had a blister nor a complaint about discomfort. Feet get a bit cold when it is below freezing out, especially when having to put on still-wet socks and frozen-stiff shoes in the morning, but 5 or 10 minutes down the trail and they are warmed up again, the water evaporating as you go. Unless you're stomping through deep snow I don't really think it matters - I suspect it might matter more then since with every step your feet are exposed to sub-zero temperatures on their outer surface, so wet socks might become quite a problem.

[1azarus]

pleeeeeeease someone actually buy a pair of these socks and try them out! conjecture is, well... FWIW, I really like Rocky's goretex socks, but always looking for something better.

[QiWiz]

pleeeeeeease someone actually buy a pair of these socks and try them out! conjecture is, well... FWIW, I really like Rocky's goretex socks, but always looking for something better.

Have also had good experiences with Rocky Goretex and mesh trail runner combination. Seal Skins did not work as well for me.

[1azarus]

Have also had good experiences with Rocky Goretex and mesh trail runner combination. Seal Skins did not work as well for me.
that is my wet cold weather combo -- with a large enough trail runner to fit a really heavy wool sock as well as the Rocky sock. and hello.