Are SealSkinz the only brand worth considering, or are there others?

I’ve used Sealskinz for years and they’re “OK”. I now prefer the Gore sock. They are tighter at the top and don’t wick moisture down the leg so much. They have no lining, so wear them over whatever weight of sock you prefer.

FWIW, I’m also tempted by the full length Sealskinz as that would put the “hole” much higher up and less liable to water ingress.

I use the Sealskinz trekking socks for running and cycling in the winter. They’re great for dealing with puddles, shallow streams and wet grass – until the rain runs down you leg and the sock fills with water. I might try druidh’s suggestion and get a longer pair in the hope that less water will find its way in.

I bought some neoprene socks for using flippers, there were £10 from a surf shop, IMO they are better than waterproof socks, as these never seem to fully keep the water out and besides your feet would get wet from sweat anyway and water seems to get in as mentioned above when the rain roolls down the leg. The wetsuits socks although not dry do keep your feet warm

I’ve had several pairs of SealSkinz over the years – to get around the water ingress from the top of the sock I made a rubber ‘flashing’ from a pair of domestic gloves; just cut off the fingers at the narrowest wrist section, slip it on over the sock & bob’s-your-uncle no more water soaking down inside the sock.

I’ll probably end up with SealSkinz agains, but my OP was just to see if there’s any comparable alternative. It appears not.

FWIW, I’m also tempted by the full length Sealskinz as that would put the “hole” much higher up and less liable to water ingress.

I’ve a pair of these, basically knee-length. They are great at keeping your feet dry, though also quite warm as they keep your shins warmer too. So I tend to only wear them in the depths of winter/snow.

They are ACE in snow though, particularly when it gets slushy.

Oh, but when it all goes tits and you end up filling them with water they do hold a good pint each foot! Worth emptying them after getting submerged.

Problem with sealskinz is half the insulation (or more) is outside the waterproof membrane, so that gets wetted out and transmits heat, making them next to useless.

I got some rocky goretex socks from the states, they go over normal socks and work much better, same sort of thing as the gore ones, but a bit longer and available in full grown man sizes.

…and don’t let your wife tumble dry your Sealskinz, can you still get Porelle socks?

sealskins = fail IME.
2 shouts up there for goretex socks and mine’s the third. you can pick whatever sock you want to go underneath, so can tune fit and warmth, they have a snug seal at the top to stop water running in, and they breath. win.

What about the Oxford Chillout socks? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=24092
Any good? Not sure if they are actually waterproof?

I tend to wear my sealskins under a pair of tights, with my Shimano walking boot goretex spd shoe things. Not had wet/cold feet since.

+1 for knee-length Sealskinz, I’d gone right off Sealskinz as they just end up as cold & wet bags on your feet but the knee-length ones are much better (I use 3/4 waterproof baggies over them). My feet still got cold the other week when it hit -1c though (with Spesh Defrosters on to) so have bought some merino liner socks to use with them on cold days.

I love my sealskinz socks. Find they keep my feet at a nice temperature too, even at sub-zero temps.

Only problem I’ve had with them is water getting in the top. First time this happened, emptied the near pint of water out of them, then used gaffa tape around the top. Tickled a bit taking them off, but was worth it for the 8 hours riding I was able to do. I now wear water resistant leggings over the top and this seems to keep the majority out.

I know I’ve got legs like 2 pieces of frayed cotton, but every pair of Sealskinz socks I’ve had have been really baggy around the top, the design just seems poor. And they stretcheven more, especially if you store them by sticking one inside of the other.

But, they obviously work under waterproof trousers, or something semi dry that diverts water over your socks like a gaiter. And in non-rainy, wet conditions.

But…..they dont keep my sponge-like 551s dry.

For a biker who took 15 years off cycling and returned with vengeance this year, i think sealskinz are one of the best inventions ever

My feet haven’t gone numb yet!!! What a result

Yeah, they let a bit of water in, but nothing is 100% waterproof in mountain biking is it??

they work a bit like a wetsuit when there is water in them, so your feet keep the water warm

If you wear them with leggings, the leggings generally stop the water getting in