DexShell Waterproof Ultrathin Socks review

Dexshell Waterproof Ultrathin socks that are thin enough to fit inside your normal shoes – great for summer and winter in the UK.

• Dexshell Ultrathin: £22
• Dexshell Ultrathin Crew: £25
• From: Upgrade Bikes

If you’re a mountain biker in the UK you need waterproof socks. Especially if you ride flat pedals. There’s every chance you need waterproof socks all year round – they’re no winter-only accessory.

Whether the water is coming at your from the sky, the ground, or both, a pair of waterproof socks can make the difference between some serious misery and comfort.

I like to ride flat pedals, so in the quest for comfortable feet I have worn a whole host of different waterproof socks. As well as the level of actual waterproofing and durability, the key challenge I find is comfort. Waterproof socks tend to be thicker than normal socks, meaning they don’t always fit into your shoes. Maybe you’re in a position to have multiple pairs of shoes: ones that fit with normal socks, ones that fit with waterproof socks, and another pair that fit with waterproof socks for when the others a drying out from the day before? That’s quite a lot of shoes.

I compound the thickness problem by preferring, in deep winter, to wear a normal or merino sock under the waterproof one. Yes, there are warm lined waterproof socks, but somehow I don’t think that’s ever quite as effective as the layering option. There’s a reason we wear base layers under jerseys under jackets.

Anyway, all of that is to say that I’m always on the lookout for a nice thin waterproof sock, and the DexShell Waterproof Ultrathin Socks are just that. They’re basically the Bamboo Dexshell socks that I reviewed before, but in different colours. More importantly, they’re now available in different lengths: there’s still the short version which I reviewed before, but there’s now a longer Dexshell Ultrathin Crew sock. The Crew sock (with yellow toes here) is only very slightly longer than the standard sock, and I would still like a slightly longer sock – not so high as a knee sock, but a bit more calf length. That would give you better overlap with waterproof or riding trousers on grim days.

Like the socks I reviewed before, thanks to the bamboo lining they’re comfortable enough to wear like normal socks, or you can layer them up for winter. And since they’re fairly thin, you don’t need a special pair of big shoes for winter.

Overall

Yes, like everything else waterproof they’ll wet through eventually with time and friction, but they’re comfortable to wear, not too bulky, and now they’re available in a length that keeps a bit more water from getting in over the tops. Flippin’ marvellous. Two wishes have been granted. Can I have a third wish of ‘longer still’, please?

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Review Info

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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