chrispo – Member
My conclusion is that unholed Sealskinz socks are great against the odd puddle and spray but cannot cope with serious MTB wetness…
I beg to differ.
A little test I did a few years ago when trying to find what would work for wading icy rivers etc
First put your sandal in some nice refreshing icy water
Remove from water and go for walk
My feet were toasty in no time.
This beat all the boot combinations I did the same with. I don’t think I could ride with boots high enough to keep the water out like calf length SealSkinz.
I wear a pair of those quick dry cycling socks, then a thin merino, and then the SealSkinz. One benefit of the sandals is that they seem to adjust better to a loose fit. I have done some of the coldest StrathPuffers with this setup.
As ransos says though, you have to keep your core temperature up, and one of the best ways to do this is avoid unnecessary heat loss from icy spray. That = full mudguards if you want to spend a full day in the mountains.
Edit: washing – I turn mine inside out and stick in the machine with my wool wash. Seems to work ok.