I was hoping someone could recommend some good waterproof socks for playing in. I bought a pair recently that had the words "Gore Tex" on the tag, but upon further review it really said "recommended by Gore Tex for use with Gore Tex boots". I'm having a hard time finding any. I've also heard mention of gaiters, not sure what they are. Thanks.

sealskinz

: ) :

Check these out:
http://www.discndatonline.com/item.cfm?itemid=8053
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jsp?rid=&indexId=cat600967&navAction=push&navCount=6&cmCat=MainCatcat470076&parentType=index&parentId=cat600967&id=0005228

Waterproof socks are one of the worst things ever invented. Just get better shoes and a pair of Smartwool socks. The shoes should keep most of the water out, and the socks will prevent the rest from being a problem.

Waterproof socks are the grossest thing I have ever put on my body. Imagine immersing your nice clean feet into a pair of airtight booties, then allowing them to sweat, stew, fester, sweat, and get all funk nasty. They also do not feel like socks, they feel like baggy slippery slippers that you stick inside your shoes.

When you remove them at the end of the day, you better have a gasmask, some tongs, and a full can of lysol. And your feet will also need to immediately be stuck into a bath of epsom salts, hydrochloric acid and 3 tins of altoids. Afterward, you'll need to slather on Lotrimin to prevent the bazillions of bacteria and fungi that you just incubated all day in your sloshy sweat booties.

But if you want a pair, SealSkinz are ok. Just make sure they aren't too big.

But seriously, get a decent pair of Goretex shoes and a few pairs of Smartwool socks. The wicking effect of the socks, combined with their thick cushy comfort will do wonders for your game, far more than a sloshy pair of sealskins. If the insides of your shoes are wet, you'll be miserable. Sealskins seem to amplify that miserableness, at least for me. Wool socks do 2 things, they wick the water away from your feet, they INSULATE, and they also have more grip than cotton socks or sealskins. When your shoes are wet, sealskins slip and slide around inside your shoes. I jammed my toes several times because my feet were festering and sliming up the insides of my SealSkinz, and I my foot would slip inside the skinz, and jam my toes in the front of my shoes. That's a crappy feeling.

https://www.smartwool.com/default.cfm

Trust me, buy a pair of SmartWool, they don't itch, and they'll work with any of your shoes, boots, whatever.

sealskinz work great.. and they are cheaper than buying new sneakers... They breathe well and i have never had them stink up that bad at all and i've used them for almost 3 years now.

-scott Lewis

I have seal skinz and they're great. I use them with my Merrel low tops in the winter rather than getting boots, which would limit my mobility a little. I do run the risk of a slip'n'grip rolled ankle, which boots might prevent, but I havn't had one yet, so I'm not too worried. I consider the seal skinz a shoe to boot conversion. Also, with our nice cold Michigan winter, I havn't had any foot sweat issues. I do wear a normal pair of socks inside the seal skins though.

Sealskins are not designed for wearing inside shoes for walking around. They are for boating. You wear thick wool socks inside the sealskins, and on top of that a pair of sneakers, and you can go winter kayaking in ice water in your dry suit. If you fall in the ice water, the sealskins keep you from freezing to death. Your dry suit with wool underneath keeps you toasty warm, ice water is much too cold for a wet suit, you need a dry suit. Sealskins are just a foot equivalent of a dry suit. They keep your wool socks dry.

The guy who was hating on seal skins does not understand, you have to wear wool socks under them. You don't put sealskins agains a bare foot, that's retarded. Wool socks go under the sealskins, and they are for BOATING in ice water not for walking in them!!!!

Come on Morgan, go easy on him, there is no attire so far that is specifically made for disc golf. At best we have adaptations of equipment. Bags/Straps.

I imagine a lot of disc golfers did/do not know what seal skins were designed for. Heck I did not know their intended purpose until you stated it. I might have found it doing research to buy a pair, but I am content in either wearing two pairs of socks if it is really cold, or changing my wet socks between rounds if need be.

Of course, you can just learn to get used to finishing 18 holes with wet feet instead of spending $$$ on specialized socks. Plus a good pair of Merrills or Solomon's keep water out to decent degree.

I disagree. In my experience SealSkins were not worth the money for me as they did not last that long. I probably didn't take great care of them, but nor did i abuse them.

Mine REAKED when they got wet on the inside from sweat or snow getting inside somehow. even when i dried then out they still smelled.


I would say spend the money and get gore-tex socks and or boots. from what i hear they are worth the money.

Y'all need to buy a couple pairs of medium weight SmartWool socks from Sierra Trading Post (best prices I've seen) and wear ONE PAIR for about 4 days. Yes, ONE PAIR. Then come back and tell me they aren't the greatest socks for disc golf.

They make various weights, heights, etc. I use hiking weight, which I've had for 5 years now, and they are still going strong (one pair has some moth or battery acid holes but are still very wearable).

If I am short on socks for a tourament, I just grab one pair and I am good. Combined with good shoes, they are unbeatable. I see absolutely no reason a person would need sealskins to play disc golf. I play a Winthrop in the dew and spring slop, Buckhorn i some seriously wet conditions last weekend, and lots of wet and muddy rounds. Never had a problem. Sealskinz may not have been made for me, cause I have odor funking feet, but if I were to put them on AND a pair of wool socks, I wouldn't be able to get my feet into my shoes.

Try Smartwool, You only need 2 pairs to start getting addicted. Mine have lasted 5 years now. Far longer than any cotton socks I have.

4 pairs of these (http://www.sierratradingpost.com/xq/asp/base_no.11652/dept_id./qx/product.htm) costs the same as one pair of sealskinz and requires a lot less maintenance and you'll be a happier camper as a result. Get a couple pairs of long ones too, if that's what you like.

I appreciate the interesting and funny responses. I do have a few pair of Smart Wool socks and agree they are great. (I wear a thin liner pair of cotton socks underneath.) I have a big pair of Gore Tex boots for winter and/or rocky play like Nockamixon. I just want to feel more comfortable in summer conditions, these boots are too big and clunky for that. I guess I'm leaning towards going with a new pair of boots and the Smart Wool.
Any suggestions on light hiking boots/trail runners?

Honestly I have tried gore-tex shoes and they just are not breathable enough to wear when it is warm/hot out and only work well enough if its crappy out and you dont submerge the shoe.

I love Rocky Gore-tex socks. They are breathable, you can chose when to and when not to wear them, they really dont stink everything up that bad. Sealskinz are not as breathable and I personally did not like them. Just my opinion

Goretex rocks and I really enjoy my sealskinz. They have many uses besides boating:
http://www.sealskinz.com/uses.htm

You can pick up a cheap pair at military surplus stores. 20bucks. I wear liners with my sealskinz. Wearing wool socks will result in sweaty feet. If you have cold feet, sealskinz have a fleece lined version.

I see it as single piece leather boot vs. my rainy season salmons with goretex socks. Wool socks and salmons wouldn't cut it out here. Also, using any older pair of kicks with goretex socks seems to be easier on my equipment.

Cabelas. Rockys fall apart to easy. Yes, your feet will stink if you wear them all the time. Obviously the best time to wear them is when your feet WILL get wet, not if theres just a chance. Mine arent that bad, I just wear them in the A.M . rounds. If your disc goes in the water, more than likely its not going to matter if you have them on or not.
I didnt care for the Wool sock set-up. I prefer the Cabelas Gore Tex socks.

I like my SealSkins.
http://www.sealskinz.com/uses.htm

I must disagree with the majority here, I bought a pair of neoprene waterproof socks at an Academey sporting goods store and they are nothing short of amazing.
They are made by a company called Chota Outdoor Gear and they are black with blue trim. They act just like a wetsuit and even if water gets over the ankle they trap your own body heat very well. I use them for tournament play when needed, and take them off afterward. With these socks I can play in any shoe and often use them in combination with cleats for traction.
Yes your feet can sweat in them but dont wear them unless you need them and dont leave them on all day , and of course wash them afterwards.

an added bonus is the cushioning from the neoprene which is not too thick and bulky and they also have rubber grip on the botttom to keep them from slipping around.

I have another pair made by Hodgdon that are not waterproof even though they are thicker, and they dont fit as well.

These work wonders for me, I never tried sealskinz

I looked up the company online and the socks I have are the river-runner neo socks and online they are around 22.00

Cabelas. Rockys fall apart to easy.



I'm with TH on this. The Rocky's have a centeral seam in the back which is unfortunately a wear area. Cabellas have a pair of seams on the sides of the back, and thus eliminate a problem area. They're cheaper, too.

Easy to get off the web, and I think a way better option than gore-tex shoes.

Joe

I love Rocky Gore-tex socks. They are breathable, you can chose when to and when not to wear them, they really dont stink everything up that bad. Sealskinz are not as breathable and I personally did not like them. Just my opinion



I agree...you can get branded (Rocky) and non-branded GoreTex waterproof socks from Bass Pro Shops, and some other vendors if you look for GoreTex. Expect to spend about $40 - $50 on them. I've found it's WELL worth it though. I like to wear sneakers (concrete teepads) and cleats (mud/dirt/grass teepads), and these are pretty thin, so I can fit them in any kind of shoe. Note that you put them on OVER your normal cotton socks (I wear ankle-length socks with shorts, and higher socks with pants). I find there is plenty of room for the under-socks. GoreTex are thin enough that I keep a pair in my bag just in case it gets nasty (mud/standing water) on the course, and if it rains.

Seems to me that some people don't take care of their feet very well. Some say that gore-tex socks make your feet smell, others are wearing their socks for 4 days, WOW. I guess your moms didn't teach you much about hygene. :D:D

As a former tennis player and High School tennis coach, I have adapted what I used to wear to disc golf.

I wear Rocky gore-tex socks everytime I play, year round. I have several that are worn and the inner lining does not keep the water out anymore. These are worn when there is no chance of rain. I also wear two pairs of socks under them. Here is the logic behind all of this...The 2 pair of cotton socks, helps with cushion and ankle support. The gore-tex sock keeps the grass, stickers and little hitch-hikers off of the cotton socks and my ankles. I put the gore-tex socks on when I get to the course and take them off when I am finished with the round. If i am playing several rounds that day, I change all of my socks at noon or between rounds. You would be surprised at how well your feet will feel after being "aired" out for a little while and then have fresh socks.

If it is raining then I do the same thing except use the gore-tex socks that have not had their lining ruined because of time. These keep my feet dry.

The other added comfort of two pairs of cotton socks is the extra warmth it provides on cold days, in which I heard several times this past weeked, 'man, my feet are cold'. :o

I might be a little over cautious or anal about this issue, but it works for me. I always have extra pairs of socks in my truck, and usually an extra pair of shoes, but thats another story.... :D

So my advise would be to get gore-tex socks and wear them over your regular socks. I have tried the seal skins and they are ok, but not to my liking.

I never tried sealskinz




You should, because they give the added benefit of wicking moisture away from your foot inside of the sock; Thus keeping your feet drier.
Therefore, you're able to wear them all weekend-long! :cool:

I have both the Cabellas and the Sealskins and prefer the Cabellas socks. Below are my observations:

Cabellas Goretex Sock (~$45):
- Thin, made to be worn over a sock
- watertight but breathable
- I leave a little space in the toe area for walking downhill (no toe pinching)
- No warmth... meant as an outer liner only
- Pricey
- Pretty durable but I would be wary wearing them with an open-toe shoe or sandal (getting snagged/torn, etc.)

Sealskins:
- Not as waterproof as Goretex socks
- Warmer than the Cabellas socks
- harder to put on w/o pinching the toes
- Bulkier (may impact shoe fit)
- Does not wick moisture (Neopreme does not wick!). The inner liner absorbs moisture.

I love Rocky Gortex socks. These are actually Waterproof!!!
I wear mine with a pair of regular cotton socks underneath.
You can walk in water for hours and still have dry feet.
These may cost a lot, but they last for two or three years.
I am on my third pair since 1999.

When I lived in Minnesota, I would play in slushy wet snow in my tennis shoes wearing these.
If your feet stay dry they stay warm!!!

You can always wear a pair of wool socks over these if you need additional warmth.