The DexShell Running Lite socks are designed for protecting your feet on testing terrain and in poor weather conditions on the trails and on the mountains, offering fantastic protection from the outside elements for your feet.
They have a “porelle membrane for waterproof, breathable performance and a drirelease inner for moisture management. The waterproof socks have been engineered to be as durable as possible, and with an elastic arch support, the running lite socks maintain a good fit throughout.”
Ultrarunner Magazine took the Dexshell socks for a test and review through some tough conditions in England and Wales in March through to April to see if these socks really can hold their own and find out if the harsh mountainous environments would prove a step too far for them!
As the Race Director for GB Ultras, I’m in the position of witnessing incredible endurance first-hand but to this end, I also get to see the impact of conditions underfoot on a participants race and the varying degrees of footcare and maintenance, some of which can be avoided.
Preventive maintenance can be an important factor. To be able to review and assess the effectiveness of a solution to many an ultrarunner and trailrunner’s problem, the DexShell waterproof socks needed to be tested in the challenging and poor outdoor conditions that they would be required in.
Some of the testing took place along the Snowdonia Slate Trail and the Glyderau (Wales), as well as the Yorkshire Dales, the Pennine Way and the Yorkshire 3 Peaks. They were also tested at Coed-y-Brenin, Cadair Idris and on Rhinog Fach (Wales), and during sections of the Chester Ultra 50 mile route while marking the race route.
After testing the socks – a conclusion was reached, and the verdict is in!
These results are based on the conditions I faced and views expressed are my opinion only. Different people have different feet, different bodies, training and footwear and there are a great many other factors to consider, so my view may not be shared by others but can act as a guide for those interested in waterproof socks.
In wet and cold conditions – these socks live up to their design. The product is ideal for poor underfoot conditions, protecting feet from the elements.
During a 22-mile recce through the Snowdonia Slate Trail and covering linked trails to Llyn Crafnant, we experienced four seasons in one day, providing the optimal testing environment for waterproof running socks. Rain overnight and a cold morning breeze in the sunshine, quickly changed to rain followed by hail as we approached Crimpiau, Snowdonia.
Underfoot, the trails were muddy throughout most of the route. I always prefer to head confidently straight through streams and muddy sections of trail and felt confident my feet would be in good shape with the waterproof Dexshell’s.
Both feet remained dry and blister free. Being able to tackle trails head on, removing the element of needing to avoid water on the ground, is how any trail or mountain runner wants to handle things. For any endurance runner keeping the feet in good condition for as long as possible is paramount. The DexShell running lite socks also have a thick and supportive design, without being too tight, and are exceptional at protecting and supporting the feet through harsher conditions.
The socks are made up of an outer sock (71% polyamide, 19% polyester, 5% elastane, 5% combined cotton), an inner lining (porelle membrane) and an inner sock (97% Drifil by drirelease blend with Lyocell, 3% elastane) so the materials and the clever engineering are well designed, and very supportive, though maybe a little bulky.
The elastic arch felt secure and both feet remained well supported throughout, even when my trainers were wet. Uncertainty had loomed over this aspect when ordering a pair. Choosing a size large – which covers shoe sizes 9-11 – there had been some doubt that they would fit snugly, but concerns were squashed when they fitted well and maintained a comfortable and supportive fit (UK size 10) throughout the testing process and they were also easy to remove after the test runs.
During a warm following day, the socks performed once again on a 14-mile recce that took in the Glyders and Snowdon. The weather was much nicer than the day before, and although the ground was slippery initially, the trails improved as the day wore on. The socks also went for a spin on the Chester Ultra 50 mile route in warmer conditions with blue skies and good sections of muddy terrain.
In nice conditions though, it’s inevitable for feet to sweat – there is no getting around that – and often, that can lead to uncomfortable and sore feet due to moisture building up. In these conditions, the feet did become quite warm but with no soreness.
Overall, the DexShell Running Lite socks left a lasting impression. An extremely good waterproof sock, that does exactly what it claims to do and needs to do!
The socks retail at £26.00 in stores, a worthwhile investment for happy trail and mountain feet! The product comes with a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defaults and was rigorously tested over a number of weeks and proved almost bulletproof in our performance testing. A strong high performance waterproof terrain sock that will last.
Check out the latest from Dexshell at https://outdoor247.co.uk/products/running-lite-socks.
Test and review by Wayne Drinkwater
Written by Sophie Hunt, edited WD.