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Winter is on its way.
My clicky shoes have mesh toes and are neither windproof nor waterproof.
Would a pair of Sealskinz address this issue?
My year old Sealskinz ended Saturday's wet ride holding as much water as my 5-10s. At least it was warm...
knee high sealskinz socks and a wrap of electrical tap to stop slipping down
In my experience (and its obvious really...), no socks can keep your feet dry.
But sealskinz, as well as other similar socks, will keep your feet warm, and they're good for that.
Yes, but a really prolonged downpour will still get your feet wet. I was out for three hours in Saturday's swamp and my feet stayed dry for two hours but that was it, my feet got wet. My shoes however were absolutely full of water. Now I just have to wait a week for the FiveTens to dry.
The latest seal skins are clear and away a decent product compared to the horrible stiff rubbery things they were when they were first released - although I seem to wear through the big toes in about a year on the latest versions.
IMO unless you go full knee length, they're pretty pointless since the shorter ones have the top of the sock, which is the weak point, straight in the spray zone.
These days they're on my list of winter essentials.
So good for wind resistance, too?
Needed mostly for commuting and weekend rides.
Yes.
Commuting - road?
Neoprene overshoes and warm normal socks for the win.
https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CLPXOSH/planet-x-neoprene-overshoes
Off road - limited success with sealskins but not tried the proper long ones which might help with the wet coming down your leg and into the sock issue of the short ones.
I go for both outer an inner WP layers and still get cold, but dry feet.
Midlength sealskinz socks and sealskinz neoprene over shoes.
I don't seem to get water inside the socks, like some report. I find the cold will eventually find its way in (...the heat finds its way out?), but with the feet being dry it takes longer for it to happen and isn't as cold as when also wet.
Realistically though the only way it not get cold aand wet on winter rides is to only ride in the summer, or move to the southern hemisphere between the autumn and spring equinoxes.
Two plastic bags full of water with my feet in them Saturday, was the effect I was faced with. If you've got bare legs I reckon they're nigh on useless for keeping water out. You need to stop water coming in at the tops, so trousers are ideal.
I keep thinking of fashioning something out of some rubber ankle gaiters off a drysuit, but then I don't think I can be bothered enough.
New sealskins(called hydrostop)have grippy rubber seal round top(inside) which does good job keeping water out.
Wife loves them, I do not.
I tend to go for good merino socks and some tinfoil wrapped around my toes if it’s really cold. My feet get wet but stay warm that way.
Don’t forget the simple option of taping up the vents on your shoes, a bit of tape can make a lot of difference.
I've been happy with my Sealskinz. There never going to be fully waterproof with a hole at the top, but do a good job of keeping the water at bay and providing wind resistance and warmth.
Sock - Freezer Bag - Sock
...layering used to be my routine before I got some Northwave Artics.
On the road, neoprene overshoes take some beating.
Sealskins have always worked well for me...just a case of understanding their limitations given the big hole at the top of them
For commuting I’d look at Spatz overshoes.
Knee high sealskinz are brilliant, with kneepads over the top, and shorts covering top of knee pads, sorted.
The knee length ones are the ones that work.
However what's even better is good winter boots. Much better and much less faff than overshoes and endless combinations of food wrapping and fibre types.
^^ Same as Nobeerinthefridge. I was out on saturday for a few hours going through flooded fire roads where my shoes were under the water on some of them. Feet stayed warm and dry in the knee high Sealskinz. I did at one point get a spray of water right up the inside of my shorts which wasn't the most comfortable so I have ordered a Dirtlej suit to join the onesie brigade for the winter.
I like a Sealskinz/ Winter boot combo in the worst of the weather, but if sticking with your mesh clicky shoes, Sealskinz + overshoes.
One thing I've found is that there are Sealskinz copies that work just as well - someone bought me them for Xmas, I think they're half the price of the big S, but do exactly the same job. That's if, like me, you prefer to save money where you can - I'm aware most on here don't 😛
I keep thinking of fashioning something out of some rubber ankle gaiters off a drysuit, but then I don’t think I can be bothered enough.
If you want some but don't want to DIY:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gripgrab-cyclingaiter-rainy-weather-ankle-cuff
I might try some of these.
Waterproof socks without waterproof trousers are a bit pointless. they just fill up with water and you get footrot.
with waterproof trousers they work perfectly and keep feet warm and dry. It does mean you need to shell out on decent trousers that dont ride up - but thats no bad thing. Longer waterproof socks are more useful - short ones are pointless
When i was doing more XC, where trousers werent really practical, i ended up putting holes in tha bse of my waterpooroof socks as then, at least, they worked more like a wetsuit but without the horrible squelchy foot-in-a-bag-full-of-water feeling.
If you want some but don’t want to DIY:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gripgrab-cyclingaiter-rainy-weather-ankle-cuff
/a>I might try some of these.
I think they're meant to be worn with troos too? I can't see 2mm neoprene making a good enough seal to your calves. Rubber would work better but maybe be less comfortable.
If your feet get cold wearing Sealskinz they're either too tight, or your shoe/boot is holding water and conducting the heat away.
Wear shoes with drainage. I use Keen sandals with Sealskinz when it's really foul, but a pair of canyon boots with drain holes would also probably do the job.
EDIT: keep your toenails short too.
I think they work fine never as good as the Porelle drys which I still have one pair left .
Discovered again on Sunday that what they're best at is keeping your feet in two lukewarm puddles as opposed to keeping them dry. As above, water just gets in the top and can't get out.
If you want some but don’t want to DIY:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gripgrab-cyclingaiter-rainy-weather-ankle-cuff
/a>I might try some of these.
I think they’re meant to be worn with troos too? I can’t see 2mm neoprene making a good enough seal to your calves. Rubber would work better but maybe be less comfortable.
Actually, just thinking out loud. Maybe a couple of snips of an inner tube of the right size for your own legs (so as it didn't cut off your blood supply) stretched over the top of the sock might help... 🤔
i tried all sorts of heath robinson solutions commuting off road over the years but i found only decent waterproof trousers actually work to stop the water going down teh top with any actual consistency. if you ride for long periods in the pouring rain that is.
they can keep out puddle splashes and a bit of light drizzle without trousers.
I remember a ride at Afan where one of the guys grabbed a roll of gaffer tape and taped the top of his sealskinz to stop water ingress, it worked but at the cost of some of his leg hair!
If you want some but don’t want to DIY:
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/gripgrab-cyclingaiter-rainy-weather-ankle-cuff
/a>I might try some of these.
That's what I am going try with my winter boots this year.
As above, water just gets in the top and can’t get out
As above, knee pads over the top of knee highs, stops this, keeps yur knees warm and provides protection too.
Bare knees is stupido.
thin neoprene booties instead of socks = not bothered about water ingress then add on neoprene outers = toasty
i find sealskinz great for puddles, and the kind of accidental dunk which floods your shoe. not so good with prolonged rain
Mine kept my feet dry last night!
They work really well apart from water ingress coming down your leg into them from above.
Pair with some waterproof trousers if going for the shorter ones.
The long ones + 3/4 shorts are fine too.
MTB specific sealskinz (with the rubber inner cuff at the top), combined with Fox Ranger 3l waterproof pants is the best combo I've found for winter riding, feet warm and dry every time, using Shimano AM 9 shoes (the flap that covers the laces also helps keeping water out). The sealskinz are good for wind resistance and generally keeping warm feet, often wear them when its dry & cold with shorts but as already said if any water does find its way in it isn't getting out without taking them off. I will buy new ones when the couple of pairs I have eventually wear out
Year of trying to find the Holy Grail of dry warm feet on a cold, wet, long ride - and now fairly close: Sealskinz Mid socks + Endura MT500 trousers + Vaude Moab Mid STX boots (for flats).
I like mine. As others have said, you need the long ones, just to get the tops further away from puddles. They also need to fit right, for the same reason- if that bit's too tight it's uncomfortable but if it's not tight enough they leak more. I've got some dexshells which are basically the same but slightly better, but I get on fine with the sealskinz too. Obviously don't do any of the washy things that kills them.
I think people quite often judge them wrongly. The test isn't whether your feet are completely dry; it's whether your feet are comfortable. Even when water's getting past a waterproof sock it's still better than a normal sock, because the water doesn't circulate the same- it'll warm up basically. Makes such a huge difference. On one really wet kinlochleven race weekend I ended up poking holes in the bottom of a pair of sealskinz and that worked fantastically in those really bad conditions- nothing would keep you really dry.