By Gill Stewart at
Following the article in the last issue about what our Tutors wear on their feet we were surprised at how many of them don’t opt for waterproof shoes but choose Sealskinz waterproof socks instead!
At HQ we love waterproof shoes and live in our X socks but we thought we would give the Sealsinz socks a go and see if we could be converted too!
Sealskinz are 100% waterproof and yet breathable so our initial concerns that they would be clingy, sweaty or rubbery were completely unfounded. In fact they are soft, feel like ordinary socks and have a lovely warm merino wool lining. As X socks fans, we are always aware of comfort, style, fit and durability and our initial views were that the Sealskinz don’t cut it on the style stakes but do actually fit the foot surprisingly well.
The padding is not as extensive or specifically designed for Nordic Walking like the X socks but they do grip the foot well which is a plus for blister sufferers and they did not cause any lumps or bumps in our shoes or gather at the toes.
Now for the wear test! Typically, after a year of rain and floods, the day we went for our test walk it was totally dry and freezing cold so we had to resort to actually standing in a stream to fully test the socks. Here’s the verdict!
We Nordic Walked 6 miles in the socks and no blisters were reported – the socks felt nice and warm and fitted really well. Despite no wet grass etc and frozen puddles our feet were completely dry in non waterproof shoes. To fully test the waterproofing we stood at the edge of the stream and saw the water engulf our shoes and although we could feel the chill of the water……. our feet remained absolutely dry.
We were really impressed and can imagine how nice it will be be to avoid water squishing through lighter shoes in the summer, every time you walk through wet grass!
In all we were favourably impressed and would definately recommend investing in the Sealskinz and here’s our rating:-
Obviously our Tutors spend up to 8 hours a day in their shoes and they tend to go through a lot of pairs a year, so it makes sense to choose cheaper shoes and waterproof the feet. We would never not recommend fully waterproof shoes, if you can afford them, but these socks are a great solution for those who love their current shoes but don’t love having wet, cold feet!
To buy Sealsinz socks click here
SealSkinz exceptional technology uses a unique seamless three layer construction – an outer, a waterproof, highly breathable membrane and an inner lining
The inner lining has been specially developed to actively wick moisture away from the skin to increase comfort and warmth and reduce the chance of blisters. It is made from either Coolmax or Merino wool.
The waterproof breathable membrane is inserted using patented technology and allows perspiration, as water vapour to escape whilst preventing water coming in. The membrane typically has a breathability of greater than 65% WVP, making the socks and gloves completely waterproof, highly breathable and windproof.
The outer layer is designed for extra durability and abrasion resistance with stretch to fit properties. It is tough and durable designed to stand up to all weather conditions.