Do any of you kind souls have advice / experience of thin waterproof socks?

Dex Shell ultra thin?, Sealskinz warm weather?, something else?

I have just completed a third week this year walking the GR5 in France, two weeks to Nice in 2024 I hope.

I have worn soft, light waterproof lined boots for the trek so far. These are very suitable but also hot and sweaty. Many seem to be wearing trail running shoes so I may try that next year.

When dry shoes should be great, most of the time however after a couple of wet days my feet may not be happy. I am thinking of carrying thin waterproof socks to be worn only when required .

Similar to you, after years of always wearing gore tex footwear year round, I’ve recently changed my hiking footwear to non-waterproof (Altra Lone Peak) after speaking to many people out in the hills who now embrace slightly wet feet (occasionally) on walks, in exchange for the continuous breathability and quick drying properties instead

My feet feel so much better since changing my setup

I prefer wearing darn tough thin merino socks, carrying a spare merino pair in my pack, in addition I carry one pair of Dexshell Ultra Thin Waterproof Bamboo Socks for wet conditions = I’ve found these far superior to my old collection of sealskinz

Sounds like you are walking in glorious locations and the benefits of breathability would likely add to your enjoyment

I’ve the dex shell ones, great for mtb, but not so convinced they’d be great for walking? They do feel a bit bin bag like? In my experience they stayed waterproof for the first few months, now act more like a neoprene wetsuit, wet but warm feet.
The socks wouldn’t stop your shoes getting a soaking, once they’re wet they’ll take days to dry?

I use dexshell and sealskin (and the cheap army mvp? Gore tex ones from eBay. Full knee length,

I like dexshell the best – seem to work (mvp very sweaty), and dexshell lighter than sealskinz (*other models may now be available)

Thanks for the replies guys.

It looks like Dex Shell are worth a look. Longevity and feel is not so important to me as my intention is to avoid wearing waterproof socks only in extremities……
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Can anyone let me know how thick the Dex Shell Ultra Thins are compared to a ‘normal’ running sock? Not much extra room in my shoes.</p>

Sealskinz warm weather work well for me on the bike.

Wetted out boots will be heavy and a heat drain. So it depends how wet you’ll be getting and the climate for keeping you warm and drying them out.

This year I switched to altras for that type of walking, they are non waterproof. 3 weeks in the Pyrenees convinced me of the lighter breathable shoe. I got wet feet twice but they dried within hours, in fact I barely noticed wet feet at all. The fabric holds very little moisture. Drying the inner sole out made the biggest difference as that was the only wet bit. Switching from a wet sock to dry once the rain stopped was great too. I never took waterproof socks and I don’t think I’d bother now for that type of trip.

Having done the whole Gr5, the last couple of weeks I would not be overly concerned about wet feet. Ime heat and sun is more of an issue, and water to drink.

Also do you have a plan on what you will do on arrival in nice? Don’t what ever you do spend the night dossing on the beach. It is **** dangerous. We had an early train booked and did exactly that, big mistake. Much better to camp up in the hill then arrive early at the route end, then get your transport out of town.

Speaking from a fell running angle, 360dry are good – much softer and less like plastic bags than Sealskin (which I hate). Must be handwashed though which is a pia.

Damn thanks to this thread and being bored and housebound with torrential rain I’ve just shelled out for some sexy looking lone peaks and am considering a couple of pairs of those darn tough socks! @charlie.farley are they really life time gaurentee?!

<p style=”text-align: center;”>Which dexshell are people using on the bike</p>

I’ve yet to claim on the lifetime guarantee @myti

However, they are made in the United States of America and claim to be made to a higher quality to ensure they last longer than other socks, which I can confirm they are the most premium and comfortable socks I have ever owned

I occasionally search Darn Tough Sale and there is usually somewhere selling them cheaper, which makes the initial purchase price more palatable

Here is Darn Tough UK’s Warranty Process, which all seems fair and transparent

I hope you enjoy your Altra Lone Peaks as much as I do

Thanks for that. Sock purchase incoming!