waterproof socks

[kevinhancock750]

anyone use waterproof socks? i'm thinking of getting some before my next trip as my boots are'nt too waterproof. i looked and seen a few different types with a great difference in the price also. so i thought i'd ask some advice first from people who use them.
just would like to know do they really work? are they breatheable or do you sweat your toes off in there? and how do the cheap one's (£5)compare to the (£30 a pair) expensive one's. any advice appreciated. ta

[mustaphapint]

I use sealskins all the time now. They are about £30 a pair for knee length, but they are breathable and comfortable. I prefer to wear a thin pair of socks inside them but that's my preference as when they do get wet you can feel the wet sensation coming through. Imagine your feet in a waterproof thin supermarket bag in a bucket of water. Your feet are dry but your skin is virtually next to the water so it feels as though you are wet even though you are not. An extra layer just makes that little bit of difference.
Can't comment on the cheap ones but I'd thoroughly recommend the sealskins.

[quastdog]

Five of us, just having finished a righteous asado, on our 4th or 5th bottle of vino, collectively having traveled all the continents, can't for the life of us figure out why you are worried about your feet getting wet.

Sheesh!

Daniel (germany)
Mirko (tromml)
Tom (mountainman)
Sebastian (tauradan)

[kevinhancock750]

Originally Posted by quastdog

Five of us, just having finished a righteous asado, on our 4th or 5th bottle of vino, collectively having traveled all the continents, can't for the life of us figure out why you are worried about your feet getting wet.

Sheesh!

Daniel (germany)
Mirko (tromml)
Tom (mountainman)
Sebastian (tauradan)

where's the party!!
i'm off to iceland so with the cold etc i wont be able to dry my boots out properly and will need to wear them the next day! normally i dont care as i'm further south in the sun

[AliBaba]

If you go to the interior you will get wet on your feet every day. The water comes mostly from glaciers and it’s cold. It’s not very hot in the evening and most of the time your boots will not dry up during the night.

I bought a pair of GoreTex socks but they where not waterproof at all and they use days to dry up. On the good side they were still warm when wet and they didn’t loose their shape after being wet for a few weeks.
The price was around 20€ in a sport shop in Akureyri..

[Threewheelbonnie]

Two solutions, both work in different ways. The waterproof socks (I have the £30 breathable kind) are 100% dry, but you still need to dry your boots. Overboots work just as well when riding but are a PITA to walk in. They do however keep your boots dry and are easier to dry than soaked leather.

I wear the over boots for riding in heavy rain and snow, especially when I'm going to camp in places where boots might walk off on their own if left out to dry. I wear the socks where there might be any wadeing or walking involved.

I think you'd be better with £30 socks.

Andy

[AliBaba]

Originally Posted by Threewheelbonnie

I wear the socks where there might be any wadeing or walking involved.

Slippery when wet (from Iceland):

[JonStobbs]

Kevin,seems like a silly sugestion but why don't you simply get yourself a pair of waterproof boots? If your next trip is "oop north" and you're expecting to get wet feet every day then i'd invest in a pair of Derriboots.I have a pair myself for just such trips,they're not that good in sustained sub-zero rides but are 100% waterproof and don't cost much at all....barely more than £30 sealskins actually.Take a pair of walking type boots with you to change into in the evenings though.

[Matt Cartney]

Kev,

I've got Sealskins too. V. Waterproof and quite breathable. Although I do get a little sweaty in them in hot weather, but that's OK as you don't need to wear them when it's hot, eh!?

Anyone who questions why you would want to keep your feet dry has never had really cold, wet feet!

Matt

[quastdog]

At least Kevin has a sense of humor (unlike Matt). We were a tad bit tipsy when we read that.

Cold, wet feet? Maybe we don't get to the point Matt speaks about - due to other approaches to covering the feet.

The Asado was at Dakar Motos, Buenos Aires. A bit of celebration - we're all splitting up - me to Africa tonight, Mirko to Germany to see his mum, Tauradan resuming his ride to North America, MountianMan who just got here from Africa on his new F800GS, heading north to his home in Canada, and Daniel, from Germany - who sort of lives here. Just good friends having good fun. Lighten up Matt!

[Matt Cartney]

Originally Posted by quastdog

At least Kevin has a sense of humor (unlike Matt).
Lighten up Matt!

Sorry Quastdog, I genuinely hadn't realised my post was 'heavy'! ('specially as I added my usual smiley face!) Was just trying to help out a fellow biker with some personal experience after riding in Scotland too long! (Cold, wet feet a national hazard!)

I'll try not to hurt your feelings in the future, okay diddums?

Matt

[brclarke]

Waterproof socks actually sound like a great idea to me. I've had more than a few rides where I've been riding pavement in rain all day, and having dry feet sounds pretty good to me.

[kevinhancock750]

Originally Posted by JonStobbs

Kevin,seems like a silly sugestion but why don't you simply get yourself a pair of waterproof boots? If your next trip is "oop north" and you're expecting to get wet feet every day then i'd invest in a pair of Derriboots.I have a pair myself for just such trips,they're not that good in sustained sub-zero rides but are 100% waterproof and don't cost much at all....barely more than £30 sealskins actually.Take a pair of walking type boots with you to change into in the evenings though.

i got myself some waterproof boots but i left them in france the other week and thought i'd pick them up on the way back north but something came up and i caught the ferry from spain to britain.= waterproof boots in france.DOH
another reason for using the socks is that i will be doing alot of off road with river/stream crossings and would like full protection with motorcross boots. i have a pair of overboots as threewheelbonnie mentioned and maybe i'll cut the bottom off them and fit them using velcro straps! this stop the splashing water and maybe some sealskins for anything that get's past this. any wading and i'll send my mate in to see.


did you forget the bike
i'm jealous quastdog! sounds like everyone calls in dakar moto's and has a great time. i'll call in sometime in 2010 when i do a big run of the america's for my 40th birthday. my present to me!

[Hornet]

Hi Kevin

I have just come back from two weeks on the South Island of New Zealand. Rode through rain and snow with boots that were not waterproof. Ended up putting my feet into plastic shopping bags to keep them dry. Not much fun when your feet are wet and cold.

First thing I did when I got back was buy a new pair of waterproof boots. If you are going to ride in wet weather, my advice would be to buy a good pair of waterproof boots.

Peter

[Threewheelbonnie]

Would these be waterproof motorcycle boots? IMHO there is no such thing. Boots from the various manufacturers aimed at leather baby suit types with goretex liners lack the correct fasteners to keep serious water out and once wet loose breathability and soak from the inside out. MX boots with lots of plastic are better but have similar issues. Both are at best splash proof. and designed only to get you home or to a hotel on a weekend ride out.

Your actual waterproof boot (wellingtons, derri boots etc.) lack protection or are downright dangerous (toe caps etc.).

This brings us back to overboots that keep the leather dry, or inners without an underwater opening that keep the foot and sock dry.

Did you find something new?

I tried to take a picture at the Elefant Rally of the result of **** "touring" boots, slush, a change in altitude and heated socks. Looked like my feet were on fire, but the steam wasn't visible on the picture

Andy