any good? the answer to cold winter feet without having to buy comedy winter riding boots?
They don't keep your feet toasty warm and dry ime as water gets in over the top - they do however stop my feet from hurting then going numb, as there's a kind of wetsuit effect.
I have a couple of pairs but never use them now, I find decent wool socks (like woolie boolies) + overshoes/comedy winter boots are warmer & more comfortable.
yep they hold water in - but my feet always stay warm.
i use the cuffs from some rubber gloves and put them over the tops to stop too much water getting in. i get black ones from the pound shop.
sounds a bit blue peter but it does work...
Merino lined ones are ace, if a little bulky, but they fit in my etnies ok.
I use sealskinz thermal liners (about 6.99) and overshoes the best combination for my cold feet at the moment. Dont find the socks help much at all really
Yes I have some and yes they are waterproof. Haven't been out in really wet conditions, but they seem pretty warm so far.
They work up to a point...
if its raining you'll still get wet feet if you are in shorts
your feet will be warm* if you have shoes a size bigger than normal
*unless its getting close to zero
one pair of mine appears to have shrunk after being on a hot radiator
mine have become leaky after 2 winters and wont make a third
same as above pretty much. The only time water hasn't run straight down into them is when I've been wearing those Ronhill trackster type pants with the stirups on the outside of my socks and winter boots, the water stays out then. they do keep your feet reasonably warm tho.
if your going to get some i would get some quick as there will be a shortage soon:
[url= http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/European-Commission-To-Announce-Seal-Fur-Ban/Article/200807415049315 ]Clicky[/url]
too right, organic. The Seal Skinz factory is opposite what used to be the Campbells soup factory - it used to be the smell of oxtail soup that I hated - now it's the sound of thousands of slaughtered seals...
Tinned oxtail or other?
whatever is coming out of the factory chimney I guess. I assume tinned.
Got some. The seem bulky. Water runs in from the top. No warmer than a warm pair of socks. Uncomfortable compared to normal socks.
Wouldn't bother
i use them and really like them. mid thermals i think mine are.
in the instructions, it tells you not to put them on radiators i think, and allow to drip dry (though i do put mine on the towel rail above a radiator)
I still wear my original pair and this will be their 4th winter. I also have the merino lined ones which are fantastic on very cold days.
When I first bought a pair of seal skinz, the guy in the shop was trying to persuade me to buy some socks maybe made of neoprene?
Fully waterproof but not breathable. They had a rubber gripper style ankle.
Anyone know what they are and can you still get them?
People say "Sealskins aren't warm"- the standard ones aren't supposed to be, that's why there's a thermal version, and a seperate merino liner for the standard version available.
I love mine- they're not flawlessly waterproof, they do leak around the top but they're still a million times better than warm merino socks as soon as things get wet. Wouldn't be without them at this time of year.
i totally rate mine. they are the thermal version and paired along with some goretex boots my feet stay warm down to temps of -10C
Got the half calf merino versions.
Warm toastie toes, very comfy, stop my toes going numb, and in the Scottish slop - excellent. Water running out my shoes at times, and feet are none the wiser !
Best 25 quid I've ever spent on Kit !
One vote here for SealSkinz - gloves and socks awesome.
I think they are must have items for the winter. Water will run down your leg into them if their worn with shorts, but if you wear winter long tights over the top this stops the problem. These are winter socks after all - so I kinda think the two go together.
Another advantage is that you can put on your wet muddy set of riding shoes and your feet are non the wiser. My shoes don’t dry till summertime.
I like them. What is important is to get them so they are not stretched on your foot. I use them for wet muddy rides in winter and don't hesitate to wade through shallow water.
My sealskinz socks lasted about 4 rides before one started leaking. 🙁
Put you a bag on your foot, fill it with water, that's how effective I have found them.
Yes they keep water out if you tread in a puddle, but on a bike the water just runs inside, and once inside it can't escape so you have nice sock full of water.
Worse £20 I have every spent IMO
Sealskinz are the way forward.
I use the full length ones with a pair of 3/4 e'vent shorts. I dont boil over. My feet stay warm and dry. I can pull them up over my knee if its really wet. Water never therefore runs in from the top as theres an overlap.
I did some riding in Scotland in October which involved a lot of river crossings. I just pulled the sealskinz up high and waded across. It felt like my feet were getting wet but it was just the initial cold hitting. Once out and riding again on the other side, within minutes my feet were warm again and felt dry inside.
At the end of a seven hour ride in horrendous rain with five rivers crossed and numerous sections of peat bog negotiated, on taking my socks off... they were dry inside and my feet were good.
When its really really cold I team them up with a pair of neoprene overboots. Toasty!
If you wear short sealskinz and ride in the wet then of course the water will run down your legs and into the sock. It ain't rocking horse science. Dont slag the socks of tho. They do exactly what they say they will. Socks that are waterproof.
MrCrushrider - I've wondered for a while if that's the way forward, but never really fancied putting yellow marigolds round the tops of mine. Personally I think they're good: I wear mine under footy socks and there's no doubt that my feet are less wet than before I had Sealskinz.
I have the ones with a seal at the top. So they are totally waterproof, but not warm at all. Think they need merino liners. Don't use them very often.
I find snowboard/ski/hiking socks with Gore Over socks (not over shoes) work really well.
nicko74, me neither - but i found some black ones with fur round the cuff in poundland, i just chopped them up and they work a treat. the fur gives them that extra 'something' too! 😀
Anyone tried any other brands of waterproof sock?
I found “Trekmates Amphibian Gore-Tex Over Socks“ under a search and was just wondering how they measure up to sealskinz?
Jimbo, (stu from HR here) if you've got size 7 feet (which I don't think you have some how) you can use a pair I brought a few years ago and decided they were c£ap !
But then you read some of the comments here and you start thinking "well maybe I should give them another go...if they fit you can 'try before you buy'!
