Any Tips for using waterproof(ish) mid boots (Merrell Moab Goretex)?

p.s. This was an REI order and I’m 50/50 on keeping them, others recommendations are more than welcome if they come in a 10.5 fat and are reasonably priced. I’d pay $200 for something worthwhile but beyond that it’s a risky investment for me.

Socks… wear a thin liner sock, VBL (thin plastic produce bag) on top of that, and a wool sock (Smartwool or Darn Tough). Use some gaiters that keep snow out of the shoe. Generously apply and reapply DWR treatment to the shoes as necessary.

plastic bags tend to make the foot slide around a bit … especially if you fit yr shoes a bit loose …

on technical trails that slip can lead to a stumble or fall …

in coastal BC in nov/dec/jan … expect mud pits, trails that are basically streams/ponds, cold slush, and wet snow … at higher elevations youll get quite a bit of snow when its colder

your best bet is goretex socks IF they fit you … however you only wear a thinner liner sock underneath, not thicker socks

after that a good WPB boot … sure your feet might eventually get wet, but at least theyll be warm

some folks also use a normal breathable shoes with a thick fluffy sock … which minimizes the skin contact …

the problem is that every step you take will be squishing water in and out of the shoe … potentially cold freezing water/slush … so your feet will always be cold and wet

typical coastal BC trail after a light autumn rain with gtx socks … use yr imagination for 40-50mm winter rain days

one thing that doesnt matter is all the crap about breathable shoes “drying out” … at 30-50F 100% humidity days and in the continuous rain no shoe will dry out breathable or WPB … my inov breathable trail runners take several days to dry out indoors in the fall/winter here

for a more realistic discussion on WPB shoes go here …

After Ditching waterproof shoes, did anyone go BACK? from Ultralight

;)

Thanks, Bob. I read people mentioning the importance of gaiters and I guess I forgot, sealing the top makes perfect sense.

So Eric you’d wear thin liner sock, then goretex socks, inside a Goretex boot? (edited in question mark, the answer is no.) I’ll keep that in mind for sure. I have “had” to hike in my Gortex socks when my trailrunners have frozen solid, it was comfortable enough. Fortunately my Goretex socks  are an excellent fit (I highly recommend Gore Bike Wear by the way, the cost of Rocky socks kept me from trying them.)

Annnd thank you for the tips on what to expect. I’m going to have to get used to the concept of elevation. Lightish snow, slush and mud is all I can handle for now

By the way when you gents say thin liner sock, is a thin wool OK or do I need to get a polyester dress sock? I’ve wanted to grab some cheap thin dress socks for about the past ten years, I keep forgetting…

IMO a thin nylon or coolmax sock is fine. It’s gonna get wet.

The thing about GTX socks is that they are still moisture-permeable and therefore the outer socks get somewhat damp. However, I’ve used them (I have some REI stretch GTX socks) and they’re not horrible; they’ll still keep your feet warm but damp.

wigwam ultimate pro synthetic liner sock -> rocky gore sock -> inov trail runner

get wigwam, theyre fairly cheap … and even if they get soaked you just squeeze em out and sleep with em on yr chest, theyres so thin that they retain very little water

if you have gore socks u dun need a gore boot

your feet might get a bit damp in gore socks, with a liner sock itll wick away from the skin … but MUCH better than having cold freezing water squish in and out with every step …

;)

OK, very good to know, synthetic liner socks are on my list.  And Gore tex socks inside shoes can kinda sorta serve like boots. .One concern is that walking on the goretex will cause the bottoms of the socks to delaminate really quickly. Maybe Goretex would warranty that…

My other worry is that snow will creep into my trail runners and even with gaiters I’m not sure I can keep it out. It seems like the Inov8 have much less mesh than my current shoes.

Anyway I’m not optimistic about walking far in the Merrells so they might get returned if I can get by with trail runners.

I should also mention I have had success with the plastic bag method. I was a dog walker in high school, rain sleet or snow….I swore by plastic bags and heavily waterproofed suede adidas.

One tip with the plastic bags for hiking — and you might already know this from previous experience — is that they tend to slide down over the ankles, and it helps to gather up the tops of the bags and tie a knot in front and secure the knot in the shoe laces. At least this has worked for me.

DC …

try the plastic bags going up steep rocky hills or muddy hills … or sidehiling on em to see if yr foot moves inside the shoe … typical PNW terrain

some folks use em out here, but no a lot of folks i see

if you do use a bag a not so slick one would probably be better

as to the trail runners … make sure that you can easily wear a thick fuzzy sock with em without being tight just fine … thats about the thickness of the gore sock + liner

and bring a thick fuzzy sock … for both sleeping and on those times when its pretty dry and you dont want to wear the gore sock

it should be loose and fluffy … either fleece or a wool blend

everything in the cold and wet should either be ultrathin and wicking … or thicker and fuzzy like a bear, fluffy like a bunny and airy like a bird

;)

I wasn’t going to hike in the plastic bags, but it is a fond memory. I tied them up as Bob recommended and I could trudge through snow for a long time. I once tied the dog up and fell into an ice covered stream :).

I feel like the goretex mid height boots paired with midweight socks and gaiters would offer the best cold protection comfort, but maybe they don’t suit my needs. If the conditions are changing it would be nice to hike in the trail runners and fuzzy socks as mentioned above. Good call.

I hope the excessive mesh on the New Balances isn’t going to be problematic.

take the Moabs back. i don’t understand why they are so popular…easily one of the least durable shoes i have worn in 15+ years of hiking. and forget the plastic bag plan. your shoes have to be super tight to not slide around (which can restrict blood flow and the warmth it brings) and will make your feet super swampy if worn too long. not a great combo in the PNW.

wet feet are going to happen on the NW coast. lived here most of my life, and the rain, wet flora, humidity, and stream crossing guarantees it. if its not cold, i would rather they get wet from rain than sweat, so i just wear light trail runners or hiking shoes. in the winter, warm feet is the priority. two ways to address this:

1. waterproof socks. when i wear them, it is over light wool socks, and with light trail runners/hikers that are not too heavy when wet. most of my non-waterproof shoes have mesh and/or built in drainage, because water-logged can get heavy. still susceptible to mud though.
2. waterproof shoes. avoid leather unless you wax it; that stuff gets heavy when wet. my hiking shoes are La Sportiva Synthesis Mid (avail at REI) because i really like the new GTX Surround (read up on it, easily the most breathable goretex shoe material). and i just got some new trail runners–Altra Lone Peak (also avail at REI)–because they use a Polartec Neoshell outer. really fantastic shoes through my 6 runs so far. do not get water-logged, more breathable than standard GTX (more testing needed to compare to GTX Surround), and plenty of foot box space. only potential drawback is they are zero drop, so make sure your legs can handle that.

either way, bring gaiters to keep the mud, rocks, etc… out. i prefer Rab and have a few different pairs from them, but OR is good as well, and i’m sure most others would work.

I don’t understand why Eric is suggesting to only wear thin liner socks in the goretex socks. It’s generally a good idea to only wear what you need to stay warm and not more so you can minimize moisture accumulation, but if liner socks aren’t enough why wouldn’t you wear a thicker sock?  For me a thin liner sock and a goretex sock don’t provide enough of an insulation buffer between a soaking wet shoe that is getting super cooled by snow.

Remember shoe/boot options (tall, mid, short, WP, non-WP, etc) are a little like using a VBL inside a sleeping bag–some love them others hate them.   Try different options and see what you like best.

Count me in as one of those that have gone back to WP Merrell Moabs…too many soaked and chilled feet experiences.  This was especially true when trails are lined with dew soaked vegetation.

What I do:   Use Merrell Moabs WP mids,  carry 3 pair of thin/quick drying socks (one worn, one  drying–on o/s of pack, and one for sleeping.  Use oven ‘Chicken Bags’ for feet VBL’s–only when needed.  These are very robust and can serve multiple purposes.  Short gaiters and WP rain chaps when needed.

DC,

I have the same boots (Merrill Moab Mid GTX) and here’s my DWR treatment.:

1. Wash with NIXWAX GTX wash in a big bucket and rinse well inside and out several times.

2. Soak in bucket with NIKWAX DWR wash-in treatment for 1/2 hour

3. Let dry slowly over 2 days

4. Spray exterior with the NEW version of REVIVEX.

This “double treatment” seems to last the longest for me.

To keep the boots in better shape rinse with warm water after a multi-day trip.

** For cold weather these same boots can be good to 10 F. (while moving) by wearing thin polypro liner socks under 3mm neoprene diver’s sox with a pair of GTX knee high gaiters. For multi-day trips you need to take 3 pr. of polypro liner socks. Wash & dry each pair daily. They dry overnight hung up in a tent. Also always turn the diver’s sox inside out after removing so they dry. *Then place in sleeping bag so they will be warm for morning.

The 3 mm diver’s sox are THE warmest and most effective VBL I’ve ever used.  I prefer US Diver’s/AquaLung brand.

Justin

the more material under the goretex sock, the more it can get soaked

remember that once it sees some wear and in constant puddles/streams the “brethable” nature is greatly reduced … Over several days itll almost become like a VBL sock

with thicker socks over constant wet usage, the socks might get quite damp with moisture

and thicker socks, especially wool, takr longer to dry out in 30-50F 100% constant humidity

A thin liner sock wont retain much water and itll dry very quickly

for 30-50F your feet shouldnt really get too cold as yr moving and basically have a VBL

below that i feel gore socks are the wrong item …

They are an item meant for cold wet constant rain for days

its a pretty specific application

;)