?footwear in the rain?

imported
#1

When it rains what is the best footwear to hike in and keep you feet dry? I know some of these boots even the ones that are over 100$ are suppose to be water proof. However I don’t have much faith in them. What does everyone do to keep there feet dry while hiking in the rain.

Steve

#2

Steve, I suggest that you don’t fight the rain. Wet boots and wet feet are part of the AT experience. There is no way around it—your boots and feet will get wet sooner or later on the AT.

Cookie

#3

There’s no such thing as waterproof. Your feet are just going to get wet, that’s part of the deal.

in the summer I did hike in sandals a lot when it rained, though, and just walked straight through the mud puddles without getting my hiking shoes completely dirty.

0101

#4

As 0101 mentioned, sandals work great in the rain. If your pack weight is low, you could hike the whole trail in sandals (I’ve done it twice). Neoprene socks (the perforated type) work well in colder conditions. I normally get around 750 miles per pair (i prefer Teva’s - they’re light & cheap).

If you do end up walking the trail in sandals, one problem that you might encounter is dryness and cracking of your feet (especially your heels) after a few hundred miles. This can be prevented by wearing lightweight low cut socks & using a foot moisturizer (‘Bag Balm’ works great).

Happy Trails!

freebird

#5

Thanks, You guys are awesome, I have a pair of keen strap sandals which I plan to take, I don’t have much fear of getting my feet wet. “but” there is a rubber boot that will go over your boots for when it starts to rain… The old term is ( Galoshes ) if I spelled that correct. I just figured there would be a new and improved version… LOL>>
but I guess not… LOL, there’s a million dollar invention…

Steve

#6

boots/shoes that have gortex are HOT and your feet sweat a lot so you get wet from the inside out!

bring a small thing of gold bond powder and powder your feet and in between toes every morning to help cut down on the foot rot!

HeartFire

#7

My rule of thumb has lately been;
Don’t try to keep water out, rather LET the water out.
Ventilated trailrunners in the long run are good for healthy feet. Once your “waterproof” shoe is wet inside it will not evaporate as well as a ventilated shoe. I also carry three pairs of lightweight smartwool adrenaline anklet socks. This way you generally always have a dry pair of socks to throw on in the morning. This is a nice luxury even if they are wet in twenty minutes. I hate putting wet socks on. Just like HeartFire, the powders are nice. Most swear by GoldBond, But I like non-menthol anti-fungal powder. I agree, however GoldBond is interesting on the nethers.

Ablejack

#8

First off i’d like to say that i HATE wet feet. But honestly, once you put your feet in your boots you get used to the cold wet feeling pretty fast.

  1. I live for GoldBond. I completely agree that it works wonders.
  2. Another thing to keep in mind is that far worse than damp feet is damp feet with blisters. Blisters will ruin any hike, so I like to stock up on such items as moleskin and dr. scholl’s blister treatment things or something called “second skin”…if a blister begins to form they work wonders to prevent it from getting worse and I usually find cheaper brands in grocery stores along the way that worked just as well. If you think you have a blister…stop, dry off your feet and put something over it IMMEDIATELY.
  3. Always take the opportunity to air out your feet. Stopping on the trail for a few minutes just to air out your feet is a good investment, even if its still wet out. It’ll give your feet a chance to breath and de-soggify. Yes, I made that word up. But its pretty good don’t you think?
    hope this helped!

Ivory

#9

So far everyone has been all for getting your feet wet. If you are wearing a well ventilated shoes then its a good alternative. IF you are wearing boots then you NEED to keep them dry at almost all costs. Gators are the best thing at keeping them try. If you get them wet, then miserably cold feet in the colder times are a danger to your health and metal well being. Blisters can make life quite miserable as well. If you are wearing boots, then gators are you best freinds, but good socks and a few pairs of socks are you next best buddies. Being smart helps out too. If the creek is too deep, then take them off (but lets be realistic, that type of creek is incredibly rare on the AT). Not shure how deep the puddle, then don’t step in it. Small things that will make you much happier. Even with well ventilated shoes, you have to be carefull in cold times. If I were hiking with shoes, then I would put drying off socks as a high priority. It will rain for a week strait at some point in time, so be menatally and equipmentally (I think I made up a term too) prepaired.
I’ll completely second Ivory’s post
TB

TurkeyBacon02

#10

There are plenty of deep wades in Maine if you go southbound. I’ve worn sandels for about 3000 mileson the LT, FT, amd the AT. I would never go back to boots. I always wear socks with them but sandels and your feet dry out quickly with a bit of sunny day. Also Sealskin socks work greta if the water is not too high for them. Also if its cold they make the sandels practical. I’m talking April cold not january cold in New England.

bamboo bob

#11

Anyone ever tried Gore-Tex socks? I see Bamboo Bob mentions “Seal Skins”. I have Seal Skin Gloves but they don’t breath and your hands get sweaty and than cold. On my hands I just use wool or poly glove liner, if they get wet the heat from your hands keeps them warm. I hike in Gore-Tex sneakers with gaiters, polyester/wool socks. Works well, no blisters with sneakers. Lighter on the feet also. I even hike in the sleet/light snow with this set up just fine.

coyote

#12

I have a pair and do not use them hiking. They do not breath well enough to bring them. They end up giving you moist feet anyway. They might very well work much better with a superbreathable trail runner.? Anything more than trail runner and they are not worth it. Even if I could wear trail runners, they would only get worn in wet and cold weather and would probably get sent home at some point in time.
They are great for cold weather cycling however. The shoes are far more beathable and actually allow them to work better, and extra gear cycling is not as big of a deal.
TB

TurkeyBacon02

#13

I carried Rocky gore-tex socks through maine this june, and had the only dry feet in the 100 mile wilderness out of my hiking group. Your feet will sweat in them at any temp over about 40 deg, and will get wet with sweat eventually, but if your shoes are soaking, its nice to be able to keep your socks dry for a while. Also, whenever my feet were wet, I would wipe them down with gelled alcohol at the end of the day to dry them off, before using gold bond. Worked well.

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