SealSkinz Waterproof Oversocks combine the ease of use and looks of a cotton oversock with the water repellancy of a heavy duty bootie.
Nobody likes cold, wet feet, right? But full-on neoprene booties can also be pretty clammy, and most come with cumbersome zippers and Velcro tabs that like to bite into your leg warmers and get caught on seemingly everything. The SealSkinz Waterproof Oversocks hit a sweet spot of being easy to get on, with excellent waterproof capabilities but without the soaking-wet-from-inside effect that full neoprene booties often bring.
Durability is great. Over a winter and spring of use they still look new. You can throw them in the washing and drying machines without issue — again, no Velcro or zippers to worry about.
With these or any other booties, the key to keeping your feet dry when it's absolutely pouring out is to put your (preferably water-deflecting) leg warmers or tights over the tops of the booties. No, this isn't the pro look. But think roof shingles. You want water running over the booties, not into them. I had the best results using Castelli's new Tempesta leg warmers, which have a silver waterproof lower. They look a little Silver Surfer and feel a little plasticky, but they certainly do the trick to keep the water rolling down the legs and not absorbing into the warmers — and then leaking into the booties.
SealSkinz uses what it calls StretchDry as the waterproof membrane beneath the stretchy nylon exterior. It isn't as thick or insulating as neoprene, but it's much more breathable.
These have replaced the Pearl Izumi PRO Barrier WxB booties as my go-to rain booties. The Pearls are waterproof and much thinner than the SealSkinz, but the material just hasn't held up, especially on the bottoms.
SealSkinz now offers these Waterproof Oversocks in bright orange, yellow and pink.
