Thin Neoprene Sock Recommendations

When I’m packrafting or doing a lot of deep swamp-slogging, I like to use Seirus NeoSocks. They are approx 2mm neoprene. The foam (but not the face fabrics) has lots of small perforation holes that are supposed to ‘breathe’, though they don’t do much of that. The benefit is that they allow water to drain so you don’t have water balloons on your feet. I tried them with silk-weight poly liner socks, but that interface was too slippery and I scooched around inside my shoes a lot, so I just wear them like a normal sock. I use that setup if I am going to be in water a lot. Otherwise I just wear regular synthetic socks since they dry a little better and don’t make my feet sweat.

The thinnest neoprene socks are likely the NRS Hydroskins.

Nrs Hydroskin are .5mm. they are awesome

This time of year (wet slushy snow), I like to wear NRS HydroSkin 0.5 wetsocks over Fox River X-Static liners.  These fit nicely into my trail runners which I size up half a size to accommodate the neoprene socks. Ideally,  you would try all the components together in a brick and mortar store to make sure you get the right fit which is critical.   Too loose means sloppy hiking;  too tight means cold feet.  Find the sweet spot.

From my research, it seems that the NRS Hydroskin 0.5 Wetsocks do not prevent water ingress, but reportedly do a decent job of retaining heat.  Being very thin they also have a better chance of fitting inside your current shoe size.

The NRS Sandal Socks at 2mm and “Glued, blind-stitched and fully-taped seams” appear to offer a better barrier to water ingress. Has anyone tried these?

Lastly, it seems that if the goal is to protect from water ingress Gore-Tex socks are the better choice, while neoprene is selected more for retaining warmth.  Am I reading this correctly?

The NRS sandal socks seem like a good solution but  having never tried them, I can’t really comment.

I do have quite a bit of experience with Rocky Gore-Tex socks in size 10 and  Hydroskins 0.5 in XL When either sock is worn over a thin synthetic liner, my feet are happiest when I got up half a size with my trail runners.

Either sock will keep my feet warm enough but not completely dry. That is, when I peel off the outer sock, the liner is slightly damp but not soaked.

Lately, the Gore-Tex socks are staying in the drawer because I find that the neoprene socks are more comfortable and are easier to put on and take off.

Dondo – What shoe size do you wear?  Most reviews of the Hydroskins 0.5 say they run big.  I wear a 13 which according to the NRS size chart is an XXL.  FYI, my Rocky’s are size 14 and don’t think I could go much smaller.

JCH, my summer trail runners are Asics 10 4E.  In the winter, I go for a little extra volume with size 10.5 4E.  The NRS socks in XL fit my feet well over liner socks.  I tried the L and they were too snug.

You may be coming up against the limits of the NRS sizes.  Still, it’s probably worth trying a pair of the XXL to see how well they fit.

Thanks Dondo