It’s that time of year when the great British weather becomes even more unpredictable. Packing your kit for an ultra can be tricky and I find myself packing and unpacking throughout the week but that’s normal right? The multiple decisions we have to make, will I need socks to keep me warm, keep out water or a breathable pair to keep my feet cool?
More than often the case I need a pair of socks that can do all three, especially more often than not we can experience all 4 seasons in one day. But is there a sock that can do all three? I reached out to Sealskinz one of the most well-known sock brands to see if they had anything that could fit the bill.
A few days later, I was sent two pairs of socks. One being, a fully waterproof warm weather ankle length sock and the other a quick drying sock and again focussed on warm weather. I know there are a lot of people out there, me included that are not a fan of fully waterproof socks for a variety of reasons but this review should benefit both groups of running enthusiasts.
Let’s start with the waterproof pair. In my hand are the fully waterproof warm weather ankle sock. As the name suggests these are designed to be fully waterproof and come with a lifetime guarantee. With a waterproof rating of 20,000mm, these socks should be able to handle a lot of water before being beaten by the elements. Sealskinz also states that these are extremely breathable which is why these socks are best for the warmer months of the year.
With a 100mile ultra coming up in Scotland with the weather forecast predicting heavy rain, I thought what better way to test these socks to their limits. So out the box, they came and on first impressions, they actually felt like normal socks rather than the stiff and rigid feel you would get from some waterproof socks.
The fit wasn’t too snug but they weren’t baggy either which causes socks to roll up at some point or end up upside down causing some horrendous blisters and making any run more challenging than it already is. At the top of the ankle, they have added the usual band which I can only describe as a dry wax to stop water from entering the sock at any point. So, so far everything is a massive thumbs up but will they keep the water out?
I can now safely say during the ultra I never had any issues. No blisters, no sock roll up, no overheating whats so ever and at the time I actually thought my feet were dry. But when I did take my socks off my feet were absolutely soaked. So water had managed to get in there somehow.
Ether by going over the ankle or disgustingly my bodily fluids had been stuck in the socks which kept my feet wet. Only one way to tell, I cleaned the socks following the cleaning instructions, I put the pair back on and stepped in a bath full of water, and guess what, my feet stayed dry.
No water was entering these socks. So my conclusion is my feet must have got wet by keeping my bodily fluids in my socks or with the constant impact of me running, eventually breaking down the material which inevitable caused water to sneak in. I wasn’t going to do an ultra in the bath to test this theory lol.
Even though my feet were wet after the ultra they were never painful at any point and let’s just remember this was over a 100mile event which was a pretty wet one. So if you are a waterproof sock lover I would recommend these even though my feet were soaked.
Let’s face it most waterproof jackets don’t keep the water out entirely. If you are not a waterproof sock lover like myself then you may wish to stick to what you know works best. I didn’t experience anything that has changed my mind about changing to waterproof socks.
Now the second pair I received in the post from Sealskinz are the Solo quickdry ankle socks. These are not waterproof socks but a very quick drying pair with the added benefit of being Anti-Microbial and again they come with a lifetime guarantee. Basically, Anti-Microbial means they won’t smell after a run. To achieve the quick drying element Sealskinz has found a way of making a sock that can’t absorb moisture but instead allows the water to pass through. Clever.
So first impressions they felt great, just like a normal sock. Plenty of padding and they felt thick enough to take on some of the impacts of running. I had another ultra coming up, so I thought, let’s give this pair ago without even trying out the socks beforehand. What could go wrong? Thankfully nothing did go wrong and the socks were brilliant. I’m not going to lie, I love these socks.
My feet stayed dry, there was no rubbing which meant I had no blisters and the socks still looked pretty new when I removed them. My feet never felt hot or uncomfortable and my feet surprisingly looked pretty normal, well normal for an ultra runner.
Honestly, these are perfect and you won’t regret purchasing a pair or two. Finally, I have now found a pair of socks that actually protect my feet and kept them dry and cool. I was so impressed with how these socks performed that I’ve ordered a few more pairs. Well done Sealskinz.