I've never really bothered with anything waterproof before. Just wear flat hiking type trainers and wooly socks. However my feet got soaked on Saturday and were subsequently freezing after 3 hrs in wet shoes. Worth investing in?
They are waterproof, but it wont stop water running down your legs and filling them up. What should happen is that your body warmth warms any water that does get in (think wetsuit).
When its cold make sure you do't over tighten your shoes was best tip i was ever given
Oh yes. Essential kit this time of year for me.
They are very good at keeping water out that comes up from the ground, however, if it is falling from the sky, water will get it as it runs down your legs. This results in feet getting wet but in my experience, they do stay warm.
If it is not raining but the trails are wet, they are ideal. I was wading in mine through some impassable sections of Green Lane on Saturday and feeling very smug I had them on.
I wear thin 'normal' riding socks inside mine.
I intend to invest in some taller ones. My first pair (15 years old) are starting to look a little baggy around the calf.
Yes, but they are not all created equal.
I have 2 pairs - the medium weight, long ones are good, but will eventually give in if your feet get really soaked. They are also starting to lose waterproofness from being washed.
However, the pair of army surplus thick ones I bought nearly 5 years ago now are still totally waterproof, and I'm sure will last the same again!
If you have an AS store near you have a look. mine were only £10 too!
*edit* and as above, even if you get wet you will be warmer in them.
As above, you'll end up with dampness but it is warmer.
They are a good(ish) but not perfect solution
I find them waterproof but very easy to wet out inside and then very cold.
But better than normal socks...
Wore my Aldi waterproof socks under my hiking trainers (needed more grip than my flat 5-10s with all the ice around) for a snowy ride at the weekend. Despite getting snow down inside my trainers, my feet were warm and dry.
I find the Aldi ones are better than proper Sealskinz, and half the price. Its worth buying a few pairs when they get them in. I wear them constantly for about 6 months a year
Much as above, your feet will still get wet but they'll be much warmer. I have a couple pairs and the long one's are amazing as they keep you really warm and stop the 'warm foot/cold shin' effect.
Got some thermal ones and some plain ones, the former are pretty good but the latter get hellishly cold.
Prefer just thick wool socks now TBH.
they do work. i have a pair of the original designs that i bought nearly 15 years ago. as previously mentioned water can get in through the top and once that waters in its not getting out.
the aldi ones are a good suggestion...must keep a lookout for them and get hold of a few pairs for myself.
Sealskinz changed a few years ago. The membrane they once used is now found in Dexshell Socks so it's worth trying those too.
They're very waterproof. So much so that at times water can run down into them and they fill up.
I think they have a new version that works better, think they're called Seal Skin HydroStop
They are waterproof, but it wont stop water running down your legs and filling them up.
I think how well you get on with Sealskins depends a lot on fit - they're not very stretchy, if you've got big feet and skinny ankles the they are like wearing knitted wellys - the tops of the socks are so loose water just runs straight in. I find even in dry conditions my ones seem to have a cold, clammy quality to them.
In proper cold, rainy weather I wear Reed Chill Cheater wading socks over football socks instead - partly for water-proofness but also because I don't own winter cycling shoes so they're good at wind-proofing your tootsies as well, where cold air whistles in through the mesh in my shoes. Being longer, tighter and stretchier the tops of them are over the height we're water thrown up from your tyres tries to get in and you can get a good sized overlap between them and whatever you're wearing on your legs to counteract water getting in from above too.
wrightyson - Member
I've never really bothered with anything waterproof before. Just wear flat hiking type trainers and wooly socks. However my feet got soaked on Saturday and were subsequently freezing after 3 hrs in wet shoes. Worth investing in?
Completely waterproof. When they fill up with water, NONE of it will escape. You'll have big bags of water on your feet for the entire ride, which you can pour out on the floor when you get home.
Awful product, total waste of money.
They don't really work for me. I suffer badly from cold feet and while, yes , they help , they are in no sense a perfect solution. I bought some after surprising some mates by jumping off my bike on a flattish road and starting to push. My feet were so cold , walking was the only way I could restore some feeling. Sealskins certainly work when you are likely to get that cold but my feet never get better than just cold!
Having said that I find the Dexshell version better. I have also just bought some very thin hiking liner socks which I hope will make a difference.
I use the Sealskinz Medium sock combined with Sealskinz overshoes. The combination is perfect. My feed stay toasty for about 2 hours. Once my legs are fully saturated the water runs down into my socks, but it's such a low volume that I just warm it up like a wetsuit. Once warmed up it's comfortable again.
With the socks alone I find that they fill up with water to quickly and don't stay warm, overshoes are a must.
It's also worth considering GoreBike Wear Gore-tex oversocks. These are much thinner than Sealskinz so you can wear a pair of warm socks underneath. The cuff is a bit smaller than the Sealskinz so seals better and doesn't "wick" the way that the Sealskinz do. They're not very long though.
Those having water entry problems might want to look at the knee length Sealskinz - especially if you're wearing tights or trousers over the top.
I like them.
Yes they let water in from the top, but that's like complaining that your gore-tex jacket didn't keep you dry when you went swimming. They're much better when used with trousers for blatantly obvious reasons.
But, they don't keep your shoes dry, which means that in the wet your shoes are still subject to windchill. Whereas waterproof boots are not much better at protecting from water running down your legs, they do stay warmer when they get soaked.
(think wetsuit).
Pedantry, but wetsuits are NOT designed to trap water, cheap and nasty ones that fit poorly and don't stretch might let water in through stitched seams and zips and allow it to sit there. But anything half decent will be blind stitched and glued, and a lot don't have any zips, they're much stretchier than cheap neoprene and fit like a second skin. They get their insulation from the thickness of the neoprene foam, not the water. You can even wear polypropylene (like a woven version of fleece) tops under them in winter to boost heat retention.
If a wetsuits doing it's job properly you should be dry underneath, you won't be because none are perfect, but it should keep you dry for at least a short while (and when it comes off its full of stinky milky sweaty water because they don't breath).
The knee length Seal Skinz do work very well for me, as with all Seal Skinz wear thin socks underneath to protect them from your toe nails though. With the shorter ones get a pair of the black heavy duty marigolds cut the hand off and use the cuff to make a gaiter over the top of the sock.
if you've got big feet and skinny ankles the they are like wearing knitted wellys - the tops of the socks are so loose water just runs straight in.
one of the problems that i have with them. last week when i used them i pulled the straps of my knee/shin guards as low as possible so the lower strap would go over the top of the sock. this worked until i started to pedal. i'm now considering using some electrical tape to seal the top of the sock to reduce the amount of water that gets in
i find they keep their shape better than normal socks so they feel more comfortable than normal socks when its soaking out.
as Binners said, the Aldi ones are betterer, aldi stuff is usually hit and miss but not with these socks.
I don't rate them at all.
I have skinny ankles, so they gape open and fill with water. You can actually feel the cold water rush in and flood them when you hit water.
The only truly waterproof solution that I've worn is knee-length goretex boot liners, worn with merino socks inside and winter bib tights over the top. Not a good look but effective.
Mostly I just go with thick merino socks and accept that they'll get wet but still stay warm-ish.
Agreed about the Aldi ones. I think the problem with these is that when they get wet they have to be dried on both sides and it takes a while. The GoreTex ones that scotroutes mentions are much better for this so better for multi-day trips.
Bette than nothing but when it is very wet they will reach their limits
At this point you now have a foot full of wet cold water and so it would have been better to just wear some socks that would have stayed wet
That said I almost always wear them in winter.
I thought they were rubbish and actually threw my first pair away in disgust after the first ride - where they filled up instantly like icy water balloons and froze my feet to death.
Iv since had another go and found that if I wear my Endura knee warmers which are long enough to go over the top of the sock...then they do work in terms of keeping feet dry from puddles, spray and light rain. In heavy rain however the feet still get soaked - I assume the rain saturates the lycra of the knee warmers and then runs down into the sock.
Yes, they're excellent.
And the Aldi one's too.
You still need to wear windproof, but ideally not waterproof shoes, or you'll freeze when it's soaking and really cold.
Tried waterproof KSB's with Sealskinz.
You could hear the sloshing.
I've made some gaitors, and they really help keep the water out, especially when also used in conjunction with full length tights.
When the outer is completely wet I think that they wick water up and over the top of the sock. I can't prove this, it's just my current theory on how my feet still end up wet.
I love my Sealskinz they're my essential bit of kit.
Yes you can pour water in the top of them but what the hell are you wading through? Mine perform best when under some tights. Even when my shoes are soaked my feet stay warm.
I value my sealskins, as above they'll keep your feet dry until water finds it's way in from the top. Then once the water's in it warms up and stays warm.
I wrapped some electrical tape around the top of mine once because I was getting frustrated with getting wet feet, worked great until the sock pulled away from the tape. I wouldn't recommend that though as it wasn't very comfortable.
I forgot to take any waterproof socks on a trip to my parents over Christmas, so I had a go at being creative. I put on a pair of high socks, then put some clear plastic bags I found in my mums kitchen draw on each foot, tucking them in at the top. The bags looked like the ones you get in the fruit and veg section of the supermarket but a little bit bigger. I tucked this into the top of the sock, then put another high sock on over the top. It wasn't raining but there were plenty of puddles, this kept my feet dry and warm. I'll defiantly be using that trick again.