Ok, so following on from the overshoes thread which won’t fit over either my shoes or boots and the fact that Sealskins let the water in the big hole at the top once it’s ran down your leg!!

Anyone use Neporene socks or spear fishing boots as socks? My thinking is they will seal tighter on the leg so no water gets inside and the water that makes it into the boot itself is going to be no worse than with SS’s. Another plus is that body warmth should keep feet warmer even if wet (that’s how a wet suit works right?)

Logical thinking or being daft and missing something?

living down under at moment but for winter in yorkshire wet suit socks def’ my sockwear of choice for many years

Yes, when canoeing in winter.

Warm. Sweaty. Sweaty. Sweaty. Warm.

Used to use them trail riding in the winter. Standing up to my thighs in a Welsh bog trying to lift a 604 CCM out meant that nothing was staying dry. At least tight fitting wetsuit socks kept the water warmish.

As Matt said, they get sweaty. 2 pairs of thin socks under them helps and feet stay warm.

I’ve gone through a few pairs of black industrial rubber gloves over the past few years….. Got the long arms / gauntlet ones & cut the hand off to make gaiters. I wear these over a pair of Shimano goretex boots to bridge the gap to my ankle to keep the water out. They work pretty well.

Welsh winter bogs make using wetsuit socks pretty much essential if you want to remain with warmish feet.

Cold feet in winter really take the joy out of riding. I’m currently trialling some ‘camaro’ high calf ones. They’re 1mm thick.

They’re warmer and comfier than seal skins, and seal better at the top of my leg, having a wet suit style smooth rubber lip instead of fabric.

Currently I’m wearing a thin summer sock under them.

They seem to work better than longs with kneepads and I’m effectively waterproof to the bottom of my knee.

Despite being non breathable, on balance compared to seal skins, they’re actually drier. Only short rides so far, Max 2.5 hours, but so far I’m reasonably impressed.

What should be quite useful on big winter days is that unlike seal skins, if you get water in them, you just empty it out, give them a shake and they’re virtually dry, which raises the possibility of some spare dry socks in a bag, just like I do with spare gloves sometimes.

My experiment continues.

Search for ‘Two Bare Feet’ neo socks on eBay – £6

Combine with thick merinos underneath

Receive warm feet – even in the most horrid conditions.

I only ever use Sealskins in the ‘right’ kind of semi-wet conditions – zero rain and small puddles. Utterly rediculous, but that’s all they are good for!

Neoprene socks plus merino will keep you happy in everything, frost, icy rain, ankle deep icy puddles, etc.! 🙂

Thanks for the responses.

I hadn’t thought about a thinner sock underneath the neoprene one, as I’d assumed that you’d still get wet cold feet because your body heat can’t dry the sock once the water had penetrated the neoprene. I guess it’s going to be trial and error with a pair but things seem more positive than using the SS’s I’ve got.

I’ve tried the ‘cut off gloves as a gaiter’ thing, and it didn’t work for me, it’s trying to stop water getting into the sock not the boot/shoe

Looks like I’ll be trying out some 2mm or 3mm neoprene socks soon

body heat can’t dry the sock once the water had penetrated the neoprene.

Neoprene is waterproof. Water can only get in at the top. One is in, your body heat warms the water. Since neoprene is close fitting, there only space for a thin layer. Once it gets in, you won’t be drying them out until you take them off. Thats the reason I got the tall socks – to minimise the chances of water penetrating.

Yes, for years and I keep going on about them in my club when anybody complains about sealskins.

Nookie Ti socks for me. More expensive but work really well. Started using them as I had them amongst kayaking kit. They used to keep my feet warm standing around and getting soaked doing safety in icy rivers in winter and are fine on the bike in cold wet conditions.

Your feet will get wet and if you are out for a long one then they will start to go all wrinkly – but they will be warm.

How do those Nookie Ti socks size up? I’m an 11 normally, should I get a 12 so I have a bit of space to put a normal sock on underneath. I’ll be wearing size 11 shoes

Another plus is that body warmth should keep feet warmer even if wet (that’s how a wet suit works right?)

Nope Wetuits work by being layer of 2 to 5mm foam between you and the water, they work best when the inside is dry. Cheap neoprene is barely stretchy and the cut of wetusits made form it are really baggy to compensate, so they don’t work. Hence why surf school rentals are 5mm suits even in summer. Expensive suits are a PITA to put on because they stretch so much, my winter one has to be put on inside out, feet into the ankles first and rolled up (there’s no zip, just two overlapping layers making up the neck/shoulders).

Best thing to wear under them is polypropylene as it sheds water, under a normal wetsuit it’ll dry out fairly quickly as the water just wrings out of it and runs out the ankles!

The trick with winter sailing is to minimise heat loss, so the important bits are insulation (polypro base layer, wetsuit) and keeping evaporation rates low with a windproof top layer. So what you don’t want is a thin neorpene sock on the inside, surrounded by a bootfull of cold water exposed to the wind. Much better to start with a waterproof boot and gaiter that keeps the wind and water out. Then wear fast drying insulating layers underneath.

Much better to start with a waterproof boot and gaiter that keeps the wind and water out. Then wear fast drying insulating layers underneath

Nope, I definitely find neoprene socks warmer inside a normal boot than a so called winter boot wearing fast drying insulating layer.

Mine work a treat. Even if water gets in they stay warmer. I rode yesterday withou them and my feet were frozen after 2 hours.