waterproof off roading boots

richardbd said:

Isn’t neoprene porous - the whole point of wet suits?

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no . wetsuits trap a layer of water that the body heats up. drysuits stop it coming in.

the bonus of sealskins is.....your stinky feet , don't smell 'til you take them off .

wet boots stay wet.

the neoprene insulates the foot from most of the cold.

Marlou said:

Thanks for all the replies, I do wear trousers over boots and I also use Toucans on the mighty GS but its also the rigidity of the tech's range that I like due to an old ankle injury.

I have looked at waterproof socks but:
A which are best, sealskins??
B do you feet get cold although they are dry
C what do you do about wet boots and riding again the next day and the next etc?

I assume you suck it up and get on with it, I like to ride all year round off road so warmth is also a factor (or as warm as poss)

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Just my personal experience:

A: Sealskins are good but I have also tried Otter and DexShell and found them to work well too
B; I wear a thin liner sock underneath the waterproof over sock and never had cold feet. Some brands have a merino liner so they are pretty toasty. Like other pats of your body wet=cold, dry = warm (usually)
C: On multi-day trips out it can be difficult to dry your boots so I just let them stay wet. I do, however, take more than one pair of waterproof socks, so I try to start the day with a fresh, dry pair. Note that if you have sweaty feet, even waterproof socks can be damp inside from perspiration rather than water ingress.

ONe other tip - keep your toenails well trimmed, as there is nothing better for putting holes in a waterproof sock memberame than a nice sharp toenail

Marlou said:

Thanks for all the replies, I do wear trousers over boots and I also use Toucans on the mighty GS but its also the rigidity of the tech's range that I like due to an old ankle injury.

I have looked at waterproof socks but:
A which are best, sealskins??
B do you feet get cold although they are dry
C what do you do about wet boots and riding again the next day and the next etc?

I assume you suck it up and get on with it, I like to ride all year round off road so warmth is also a factor (or as warm as poss)

Click to expand...

If you're "proper offroading" then the problem is always being too hot. My last ride of last year in Mid November Wales was freezing cold and very wet. We crossed fords, streams and ploughed hrough mud and deep puddles.

I wear Tech 7's Enduro boots but on this occasion I forgot my Sealskinz. Even though my feet were soaking due to water coming over the top of the boot, my feet were hot. If you're up on your pegs and moving your bike around, you're getting HOT. Damp feet aren't great but you forget about them.

What do yo do with wet boots ???? You try your best to dry them out before the next day's riding. And boots without Gortex etc, dry MUCH faster. There are tricks like stuffing them full of old news paper of using a hair drier etc. It's just life !!

Back in the day, you'd put your feet in plastic bags. Now we have the luxury of Sealskinz. Get the longer ones.

Thanks all, waterproof socks it is and stick with the tech 3, Ive done the carrier bags in the boots bit as a kid and don't fancy that again ha ha.