Trail runners noob here

[Colin M]

Eric, I think you need to re-read then you need to consider the OP’s needs. What will happen is exactly the same thing that would happen with a trail runner and membrane socks: he will have wet feet the rest of his day hike.
I live in that “really wet climate” you talk about and deal with it during 25+ backpacking days and year round trail running in wet and snow. Wet shoes don’t wear faster? Maybe I need to switch to Inov8’s because every other running shoe does. But to each their own; glad trail runners work better in every condition for you.

[James holden]

no colin …

with gore socks you feet WONT stay wet even if water gets inside it … as i said you simply take off the gore sock, flip it inside out and dry our inside with a cloth, and swap out the wet liner sock with a spare … yr foot is then fairly dry again and will stay that way

oh and you can dry out that wet liner sock by wringing it out and putting it against yr chest while u hike or sleep … theres minimal water absorbing materials

thats all there is to it ;)

with gore socks one actually looks to step in streams and puddles as it cleans off the shoes from the mud

 

And this is how my runners usually die …. Water has no real effect on the failure modes i see … of course the ground here is pretty rocky …

 

 

 

[Colin M]

If you are bringing spare socks that is no different from taking off your wet socks from modern lightweight boots and putting on dry ones.  90% of my miles are done in trail runners but there are occasions and types of hikers where a tall, light, modern boot is a better choice so I would never claim that all hikers should use trail runners and never boots.
We are off topic here.

[James holden]

colin …

i use boots just fine … ive got nepal evos, some TNF insulated boots, and sportiva approach boots

and no .. i dont believe you are getting it (no snark intended)

if my boots get soaked my feet stay wet period as with single layer boots you CANNOT CHANGE THE LINERS …

even if you change yr socks the inside of the boots remained soaked and will soak your socks again

with WPB socks … you can simply change the liner sock that got wet and it WONT GET WET AGAIN since the wet part of the soaked shoe are not in contact with the fresh sock

you have in essense created a double layered shoe/boot like sorels or those plastic mountaineering boots …

the insulation and feet (sock INSIDE the gore sock) is isolated from the shoe …

literally i can jump in a river knee high, get totally soaked … and simply have dry feet again by simply wiping down the gore socks and changing the liner socks … and theyll stay dry

on a side note that means for actual deeper river crossings you simply take off the gore and liner socks, put on the shoes and run across … on the other side simply wipe down yr feet and put back on both sets of socks … and yr feet will stay dry despite your shoes being totally soaked, no matter what the conditions

;)

[Colin M]

Seriously, I get it; you’ll never accept anything but trail runners as they are the best thing in all situations for all people, got it. Check. Copy. Roger. A-OK.

[James holden]

Thats actually pretty hilarious colin as anyone who has been here knows im actually not a fan of trail runners for snoe and other such conditions (WPB socks have issues in winter as i recently posted about)

We sure didnt use trail runners earlier this month on a little easy day walk ;)

note no sealz were harmed in the photo

 

 

 

[Justin Baker]

If were are going to talk about staying warm in certain conditions, it’s important to understand that people’s bodies work in different ways as far as heat production. It seems like being male and having larger body mass mean that you can stay warmer with less insulation. While a guy with a broader build might be fine with wet feet, that small skinny woman hiking next to him could have numb feet. The type of small woman who walks uphill wearing full raingear with a synth puffy underneath in 50 degree weather and never sweats out underneath her rain shell.

[Chad M]

Basically they are mad comfortable. I didn’t want to be able to hike more miles quicker or anything. I just am noticing that they are super comfortable. Feel like the sneakers I wear everyday. So ill just use them in the right conditions. Thanks all!:)

[Kattt]

“Seriously, I get it; you’ll never accept anything but trail runners as they are the best thing in all situations for all people, got it. Check. Copy. Roger. A-OK.”

You did get it. This is what most threads on footwear end up with. No exceptions, all people, all conditions, no matter what. Then you go out and do what is right for you and let them keep arguing online ;)

[jared h]

Chad-

(skipping to the end, i recommend a leather/partial leather trail shoe or WP shoe with neoshell or goretex surround).

my feet are colder than average as well. rest of my body is fine, even a little on the warm side, but feet are sensitive to cold. i do a few things to keep them warm:

1. start with warm feet. for me (and a fair number of people i hike/cycle/soccer/climb with) my feet are the hardest thing to warm up. i try to start warm and keep them warm.
2. look into shoe covers. i have some for wind for cycling (purchased) and climbing (made myself). for water i sometimes use waterproof shoes or a water-resistant gaiter/cover depending on the situation.
3. thicker socks. someone said it, and i completely agree. i hike in midweight socks in all but really warm weather because they are more comfortable, with the added benefit of warmer in winter.
4. burlier shoes. something with less mesh on top. i know Hoka pretty well, and they are fairly breezy. i really like my Salewa speed ascents or La Sportiva tx4s in winter because they have leather uppers…rarely get cold feet anymore, and they have some synthetic panels so not too stuffy.
5. if you really want waterproof, look to Altra Lone Peak (neoshell) or La Sportiva Synthesis (goretex surround). both available low and mid cut, lightweight, and more breathable than standard goretex.

also have a weak right ankle (old soccer injury). beefy boots do help with stability if they have thick, sturdy uppers, but most trail/light hiking shoes are so flimsy that i do not feel any ankle support. also hokas are not great for ankles because the sole is so tall and squishy they allow your foot to roll within the frame of the shoe more easily than lower, stiffer-soled shoes. unless you have the hoka speed instinct, maybe try a more stable brand. or, as i have found, i am much better off using a dedicated ankle brace (got mine on amazon for $15) with all my shoes. have not had an issue fitting it in my shoes, and i use it for hiking and trail running in some close fitting shoes.

…have to weigh in on the waterproof sock debate. there are a lot of sweat glands on feet, so they are going to sweat. they do help keep your feet warm. not dry, but warm, and warm is sometimes more important than dry. if you decide to wear them, definitely wear a thin liner (i prefer merino) to help with comfort and avoid blisters (yes, first blister is several years from wearing WP socks without liners).

waterproof socks is one way to address keeping feet warm (PNW stream crossings, rain, wet ferns in the morning, slush in the cascades, etc…) when the temp is around freezing. but i worry about the impact of water inside shoes for blisters and the life of the shoes themselves. not an issue with trail running, as i like a snug fit, wear out the tread before the soul, and have more time to dry them between using. but i like to keep my hikers dry(er). sometimes carry an extra set of insoles for back to back nasty days.

and this from eric:

“as i said you simply take off the gore sock, flip it inside out and dry our inside with a cloth, and swap out the wet liner sock with a spare”

this may work for you, but two things: not simple, and not a great solution for the OP. this is a bit time consuming and if the conditions are poor, you have to find a place to stop and change, whether sitting (not ideal) or balancing on one foot at a time (not ideal). and if you do it more than once or twice, now you spending more time doing the liner shuffle, requiring you carry more liners. and still getting your shoes wet. have fun tying and untying cold, wet, muddy? laces.

and don’t forget how this all started. the OP said he has colder feet. not sure if you experience this as well, but for the times when i would actually wear a WP sock (wet and cold), the last thing i want to do is expose my bare, wet feet to the elements, cooling my feet down. i wear shoes to keep my feet warm during the activity, not to warm them back up after taking them off, otherwise they would be too warm to hike in.

[James holden]

changing the liners is actually pretty easy …

just sit down (yr wearing rain pants since were talking about constantly wet environments), pull of the gore sock, etc ….

you only need to do this should water get into the sock, which should be fairly rare … or on deep stream crossings …

it takes a few minutes for both feet … its no harder than taking on/off microspikes

all you really need is one extra pair of liners … which weight quite little, since you can wring out and dry out any wet liners with body heat easily

wet shoes are not the problem … constantly WET feet at cold temps are

;)

[jared h]

so many assumptions, and ignoring key points

not wearing rain pants. really do not wear them that often. i specifically mentioned wet ground (foliage), stream crossings, and slush getting your feet wet and cold. and even when raining, rain pants often stay in the bag unless really nasty and cold. rain pants are the least used clothing item in my pack, even living in the PNW.

clearly stated WP socks getting wet on the inside from sweat was the concern. nothing rare about that; feet sweat.

taking off shoes, socks, and liners, drying socks, changing liners, putting on shoes = taking off microspikes? ….you are doing it wrong. microspikes take me <30 sec for both feet vs. a few minutes to change liners. and completely ignored that people with cold feet need to avoid exposing their wet feet to a cold, wet environment. cannot get around that with your method.

one extra pair of liners? sure, you can have that one.

and wet shoes are a problem…for durability of the shoe and potentially blisters, as i stated before. a concern of mine, maybe not yours. and wet shoes are colder than dry shoes in cold conditions.

glad you found something that works for you, but for people with cold feet–the OP, myself–WP socks have some glaring flaws, and there are other solutions that also help keep feet warm when it is cold and dry.

[Colin M]

Jared, you are totally wasting effort arguing with him. You can read all the same stuff earlier in the thread, he doesn’t care what the OP says or his issues are.

[James holden]

oh hi there colin … do you not still understand the concept of a double layered system?

jared …

you arent changing your socks over and over again in a day on a trail …. once at most generally and thats once over several days except in camp

to put it simply if you arent using rain pants in the PNW when its REALLY raining … its simply not that wet and cold … softshell/nylon pants (and windshirts) will soaked out in less than an hour in constant PNW rain … if you havent noticed theres big blood vessels in yr inner thighs that will cool down rapidly when that happens

not to mention that if you dont want to sit on yr rain pants … you cant find anything else to sit on?

as ive said many times before WP socks are specifically for when its cold and wet between 30-50F ideally …

if you cant take a few minutes to change your socks … how in the world will you be able to cross a freezing stream which is higher than your WP boot/shoe??? … your boots will end up soaked and yr feet cold, or if your cross without yr boots your feet will be quite cold as well

do your feet sweat in WP socks … why yes they do … HOWEVER just like VBLs at colder temps the sweat will be much less … and if your constantly walking through water and have soaking wet shoes that will cool em down …

its a bit of a contradiction for you to say yr feet sweat too much, but then wet shoes get your feet too cold while wearing WP socks !!!

thats also why you wear THIN liner socks …

let me ask you a simple question which i already asked colin … how in the world can you keep your feet somewhat dry if water gets in yr WP shoe/boot?

with WP socks you can

;)

so are my feet in WP socks here overheating from sweating here … or are they crippling cold?

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