Is non-waterproof footwear really better?

[Brett Peugh]

I have the same problem with breathability also and use the Polartec Wind Pro stuff. Yeah, it does cost a bit more than normal fleece, but it really does help knock the wind down, but not stop it and allows me to breath through it. You can always buy a pair of MLD eVent Rain Mitts to go over them for when it rains.

[Arapiles .]

"I have the same problem with breathability also and use the Polartec Wind Pro stuff. Yeah, it does cost a bit more than normal fleece, but it really does help knock the wind down, but not stop it and allows me to breath through it. You can always buy a pair of MLD eVent Rain Mitts to go over them for when it rains."

The Taku Stretch are WindPrp and come highly recommended:

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/product-reviews/outdoordesigns-taku-stretch-glove-tested/3596.html

I bought a pair of densely woven polypro gloves a few years ago (made by Terra Nova, also a UK company) and they've been the best option 90% of the time. They're even fine when wet if the rain's warm.

I'm cycling through the winter here and gloves are nearly the biggest issue – I ended up carrying 4 pairs yesterday for an 80 k ride! (5 C and sunny at start, 10 C (sunny but icy wind)at 9.00 am and then riding home into the wind with rain threatening at 10 C)

I suspect that the approach above (woven plus eVEnt) would be the best option – if I could find a shell locally.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I wear Merrell mid-highs with Gore-Tex for winter stuff. I've been trying different low-tops for warmer weather. It struck me that waterproofing low-tops is like locking a convertible car with the top down.

There are a number of mesh shoes made for water sports. Most need a few tweaks to be good trail shoes. A few might go straight to the trail with good results. I'm surprised that the UL community hasn't gone towards this sort of shoe, and more surprised that the shoe manufacturer's haven't turned out a tough shoe with open mesh tops that is aimed at hiking.

IMHO if you are going to make a breathable, fast drying shoe, then don't fiddle around— use mesh sides, non-absorbent insoles, a good stiff footbed and traction soles, with ergonomics pointed towards walking rather than running.

[Lynn Tramper]

If you mainly hike in areas where most of the water comes from grass dew, shallow stream crossing or snow, AND you're feet don't sweat a lot, then WPB shoes may be fine. I can't think of anywhere in NZ where that would be the case. If it's raining, the rain runs in the top of the shoe and wets them out. If you cross a stream, it's almost certainly gonna be knee high or better. In these conditions WPB just doesn't work.

[Steven McAllister]

A shoe that has open mesh, like water shoes, would let in too much dirt and grit on dusty trails.
This could contribute to abrasion and blisters.

[Roger Caffin]

> A shoe that has open mesh, like water shoes, would let in too much dirt and grit
> on dusty trails. This could contribute to abrasion and blisters.

I don't know about 'water shoes', but ordinary mesh joggers such as the MT875OR or the MT876OR shoes (both reviewed here) don't create any problems at all when combined with thick wool socks. Yes, my feet might get a little dusty, but that has never caused any problems at all. And yes, I have been over some dusty tracks.

Blisters are not caused by dirt; they are caused by ill-fitting shoes and rubbing.

Cheers

[Mike W]

…

[Steven McAllister]

> Blisters are not caused by dirt;
> they are caused by ill-fitting shoes and rubbing.

What I mean is that bigger grit or pebbles can get in the wide openings in water shoes. These can cause lumps/pressure points between toes and sides.
This creates hot spots. Socks of course help, but you have to stop regularly to remove the pebbles or they wear through the socks.

The mesh on most hiking shoes only let in the finer dust that isn't so much of a problem.

[Roger Caffin]

> bigger grit or pebbles can get in the wide openings in water shoes. These
> can cause lumps/pressure points between toes and sides.

Oh – yeah, for sure. An understatement in fact!

Cheers

[James D Buch]

GoreTex warrants that your boots won't leak and that if they don't breathe well, you can return them for purchase price.

I contacted them about returning some Garmont boots that didn't work out well in summer backpacking – moisture buildup that wouldn't readily dry out overnight.

They were very pleasant about it. Gave me a Return Authorization number and asked for a note explaining the circumstances. They did ask me about socks used, and were satisfied when the answer was Smartwool – cotton was explained as a common source of the moisture problem. I enclosed the letter of explanation, and the sales receipt, since I had it.

In a week I received a phone call telling me that the there was no defect in the boots, that the refund had been approved, and about another week later, the check arrived. It appeared to cover everything – purchase, sales tax and shipping.

+1 for GoreTex in customer service, at least in this instance. A couple of business books have remarked that WM Gore is a great company.

[Rick Dreher]

I'll chime in that from winter through meltoff (whenever that is for a given year) I really like GT/WPB uppers. They do fend off snow and water and in cold and cool temperatures, do allow sweat to evaporate–both are key to keeping my feet warm and dry. But once the weather gets hot they too become uncomfortably hot and I then prefer footwear to be as breathable as possible.

There seems to be a fine art in designing breathable shoes to help keep feet cool and allow sweat to evaporate while not letting in vast quantities of dust and grit. It's not easy to tell in the store, so there are always a few surprises on the trail. Since my trail sneakers seldom last more than a season and since shoe models change annually, every year is a new experiment.

Cheers,

Rick

p.s. I've experimented hiking in Teva/Keene-type sandals and it's not practical on the trails I usually hike.

[John Vance]

I have gone back and forth between footwear that lets all the water in and footwear that keeps it out to varying degrees. I currently use a pair of Timberland Cadion XCR's that are just over 2lbs for the pair in my size 11.5 wides and haven't leaked a bit and breath enough for me. Fortunately my feet just don't sweat much if at all. I do however, sweat everywhere else to more than make up for the dry feet.

Unfortunately, these boots have been discontunued and I wish I had purchased another pair. If my feet sweat as much as my hands, I would struggle like many with this dilema but would ultimately end up with footwear that is as breatheable as possible without letting in small gravel/sand/dirt.

[Don Selesky]

"I'll chime in that from winter through meltoff (whenever that is for a given year) I really like GT/WPB uppers. They do fend off snow and water and in cold and cool temperatures, do allow sweat to evaporate–both are key to keeping my feet warm and dry. But once the weather gets hot they too become uncomfortably hot and I then prefer footwear to be as breathable as possible."

This reminds me of a trip I took many years ago. It was early April, with 40F temperatures and melting snow covering everything. I was using breathable fabric boots, and the wet snow got the boots soaked. There was no chance for the boots to dry, and wet, cold boots are really not fun at all. As a result I got a nasty cold. Lesson: never use breathable boots in cold, wet conditions when they, and you, can't dry out.

[Brett Peugh]

I have owned a few pairs of the Goretex and other waterproof boots over the years and find they only work at much cooler temps for me. Otherwise they hold too much heat and moisture in and my feet sweat and overheat. I know a lot of brands are using eVent in their boots and shoes now but really doesn't mitigate the heat factor for me.

[Adan Lopez]

Just to beat a dead horse…

I wear fast drying shoes and thin polypro socks which works pretty well. The system did fail me once when I neglected to stop and clean the dirt out of my shoes. the dust mixed with water clogged the outer mesh and prevented the shoes from drying well. this coupled with the very steep descent and intense foot traction required to get off the mountain that day resulted in pain on the bottom of my feet. Later in troubleshooting the problem, I discovered that I could no longer look into my shoe and see the sunlight coming in due to the mud caked inside the mesh. this mud was not clearly visible from the outside of the shoe, it was inside the mesh.

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