Poll:Gore-tex or non-Gore-tex shoes in winter

I only use Gore-tex in winter (Inov-8 390's). When snow is significant I make sure I have snug gaiters on prevent snow getting in them. I managed to get a pair of Gore-tex boots wet many years ago and ended up doing an entire two week hike in frozen boots. I'm very, very careful now.

No Gore-tex shoes for me. Snow will get into the shoes anyway. I just wear waterproof socks and I'm fine.

I think a lot depends on specific winter conditions, such as snow depth and temperatures. Generally I prefer my regular trail runners (bigger size to accommodate thicker socks) with Rocky gore-tex socks and eVent short gaiters.

Hmmmmm….. good question!

I've tried both, and (just) prefer the non gore-tex shoes with waterproof socks, especially on a trip lasting a few days. Good gaiters are v important to stop snow getting down the tops.

non-goretex shoes with goretex socks for me.

I generally use GT shoes/boots paired with gaiters (Sierra Nevada). I'd like to give eVent a shot at some point.

I just finished reading the LONG 3-part article by Will on winter footwear systems. Looks like the Rocky Gore-tex socks are the winners. However, I can't find any of these available for sale online. I think SealSkinz are readily available at my local REI–how do these compare?

It doesn't look like Rocky makes their socks anymore, but you may try these made by Cabela's.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/5gxobv

Thanks for the link. Has anyone here tested these? Should I size up to accomodate thick socks?

Still like to hear feedback on the SealSkinz.

Size up the shoes?
YES. About half a size.
The last thing you want is tight footwear in the snow!

Cheers

I've seen many negative reviews of sealskins and no positive ones although I don't have personal experience myself. I do use Rocky Goretex socks and I give them two thumbs up.

David, unless you are talking about a different product, MEC sells the Rocky Mountain Oversock.

You mean these?

http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302756165&PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441772599

Are they based in Canada?

OK, I wear 9.5. Should I order size 10?

David-
I bought a pair of their gloves- it took 2 or 3 hours for my hands to get wet. Not being in a position to return these, I figured this was a fluke and later bought another pair. I was wrong! Dont waste your money on this brand.

I've tried both and the key is a good gaiter system and you can make goretex shoes work very, very well. I think the thing that helps the Inov8 390s so much is that they have higher sides than normal trail runners.

>>OK, I wear 9.5. Should I order size 10?

My normal shoe size is also 9.5. Size 10 in the Rockys fits me just right.

Also, I had the same experience as Tim with the Sealskinz gloves. If the Sealskinz socks are similar, I'd have to give them a thumbs down.

OK, so it seems most of here prefer breathable trail shoes in conjunction with Gore-tex socks as a versatile winter footwear system. However, I have some concerns: a) won't the breathability factor be bad when it comes to blocking cold wind and b) won't your shoes become blocks of ice if they get wet and temps are below freezing? I don't see any way around these problems without wearing overboots. It seems like a lightweight leather boot to begin with would outdo the breathable shoes in repelling moisture and wind. Thoughts?

>>a) won't the breathability factor be bad when it comes to blocking cold wind
Gore-Tex socks should handle that

>>b) won't your shoes become blocks of ice
Trailrunners don't have alot of material to absorb water and Gore-Tex shoes can still absorb water in the outer shell.

You can always put your footwear in plastic bags and sleep with them to keep them warm.

I prefer GTX shoes instead of GTX clothes in winter time, usually,I wear GTX shoes and the both down jacket and down trousers.

Being in a place where there is a lot of wind and cold here on the plains I can say that I have never had my boots turn into block of ice when I used to wear them. As long as you can keep a lot of the moisture out of the inside you really should not have a problem. And your feet should keep them to some moderate temp so as long as you are wearing them and it is not below 0F, they should not freeze. If you see that there is a lot of moisture on the inside after you take them off, you might want to put them in the bag with you so they don't freeze.

That and I think most boots made for mountaineering or the really cold temps have almost no breatheability in them and the Gore-tex ones are only slightly better. So instead of regular trail runners which might let in some snow and this would cause the insides to get wet, you wet with your own sweat. Half a dozen of one, half a dozen of the other.

Some guy on eBay is selling different sizes of Rocky from REI for half price. This is where I am going to try option 3. For me to wear any kind of insulating sock I have to dial up the footwear to a size 15 which is almost impossible and very expensive. So instead I have rigged up Kahtoola Microspikes to fit on to my Chaco sandals. I just pop on a liner sock, the Rocky waterproof socks, and a thick fleece/wool sock to keep my feet warm. Or something like that. Just trying to find something that keeps the feet warm and is breathable.

I ordered one and if it works out I will be using it combined with Chacos. I usually can not find boots or s

> a) won't the breathability factor be bad when it comes to blocking cold wind
Breathability through a membrane does NOT translate into wind going through. So the answer here is no.

> b) won't your shoes become blocks of ice if they get wet and temps are below freezing?
Nope. Doesn't happen in the day time. Hopefully you are wearing enough clothing that your legs and feet are warm.
If it is really below freezing your shoes should not get wet on the outside. They may get slightly damp on the inside from sweat.
Overnight, wet or even damp footwear can freeze, but this only becomes an issue when the daytime temp was above freezing and there was lots of free water around. It may be prudent to store you shoes in plastic bags at the foot of your SB under these conditions.

> Overboots
Can be a useful idea. But very light WP/B fabric overboots are often enough. (I made my own – I don't know what is available in the USA.) You don't need neoprene overboots until it gets REALLY cold.

> a lightweight leather boot … would outdo the breathable shoes in repelling moisture and wind
Nope, not in practice. Marketing spin from the leather boots companies.

Try it and see. *Many* others wear lightweight joggers with a WP/B membrane in the snow all the time. It works.

Cheers