Walking with Wet Feet: Debunking the Myths

[MesaWalker]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

 

[Rick Davidson]

I have had a similar experience. I always dreaded getting my boots wet. Mostly just very careful crossing streams. For many years I never really faced hiking in serious rain. Then…a few years ago I had a few days in big rain and hail walking the Mont Blanc circuit. Like you I discovered that walking to totally soaked boot and socks was no big deal. My boots were still wet the following morning. To my surprise again putting on and walking in wet boots was no problem and my wet boots actually dried out very quickly…I assume from my body/foot heat. I definitely prefer dry conditions but wet boots and socks is not the end of the world.

 

[OZAJ]

I prefer dry feet and socks, but have never had a problem with wet feet, socks and boots. If i did I would have given up hiking in my youth when I did a lot in the UK Lake District.

Stuff the wet boots with newspaper at day's end, dry the socks (wear them to bed if you can tolerate it - an army trick) and get back into it next day. What doesn't kill us ...

 

[Vacajoe]

Poorly fitted songs and shoes cause blisters, so folks need to focus on that rather than encapsulating themselves to be waterproof. My Altra Timps and Darn Tough socks cycle through wet/dry every day/evening when hiking in the rain without creating blister issues.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

I had my moment that opened up my eyes many decades ago. I must say I am always prone to blisters as there are hardly any shoes fitting my feet perfectly plus I tend to overdo daily mileage and walking speed by a lot. There is no hike exeeding 3 days where I do not get blisters.
Then I had this 2 weeks wilderness expedition off tracks in the mountains where I had to ford many streams. On day 2 the soles of my well worn boots broke and so did some of the seams holding them. So I spent almost 2 weeks walking with soaked feet. Every single mile. In the end I did not even care to take my shoes off when the water was too deep. I would just wade through as my feet were totally wet anyway.
On that trip I did not get a single blister.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

Yes.

Going further, I have seen people endanger themselves by trying to avoid getting their feet wet by boulder hopping, walking on narrow ledges and other ill-advised options.

 

[iwalkinwinter]

Usually I don't have any blisters during my mountain multi-day hikes. But always on Camino or VF. Probably something to do with repetitive asphalt walking (a lot of even surfaces).

Regarding wet feet, I have similar experience trekking in the wilds of Sweden (Kungsleden track Sept 2023) in mountain tundra - 9 days of wet feet, also crossing the rivers/creeks in the boots, going through storms and snow. Drying my socks while sleeping under a merino t-shirt (stomach area emanates a lot of heat and you can't really harm yourself as all organs are away - some old school trick from soviet travelers that always worked perfectly for me). But, then in the morning - feet are wet again because it is not possible to dry the boots anyway and you start in the rain anyway lol. But - not a hint of a blister in all 9 days of trekking.

 

[David]

Agree with all of the above. I don't walk in winter (I am a wimp).
I always wear Keen Newport H2 trekking sandals and it doesn't bother me whether they are wet or dry .. no chafing or blisters or any problems really - a plus, if not walking on mud, is that you finish your day with washed feet!

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have only walked in torrential rain twice that I recall. The most vivid memory was upon leaving Castrojerez, when it poured rain for about 4 hours straight. My head was down, unavoidably looking at my feet, and watched my trail runners fill up with water as it continually squished out of the mesh fabric. My feet actually felt like they were being massaged and I was surprised to find I had no hot spots or blisters.
I, too, finished with washed shoes, inside and out.

 

[good_old_shoes]

Similar experience.

I've walked for days with wet feet/soaked socks when walking in sandals without problems. Even in colder temperatures.

I use wool socks. Those keep the feet somewhat warm even when wet.

When I stop to rest (café, bus stop, anything with a roof) I change into dry socks for warmth. When I continue walking, I change back into the wet ones. That's cold and uncomfortable for a minute max., then the feet are warm again as long as I continue walking.

It's more important that the feet do not get too dirty, in my experience. Sand especially can lead to friction blisters. So I take off the socks when they get too muddy, wash them with clear water, wash the feet, and then continue.

The socks in sandals dry quickly when it stops raining. Even in very light rain they get more dry while walking, because of the body heat and perfect ventilation, I guess.

But everybody has their own system and beliefs, and "don't get your feet wet" is still a strong one for many.

For me, personally, wet feet/socks have never really caused problems. But hot sweaty feet in boots have.

On the other hand, depending on the situation, and especially if you do not know what you're doing and don't have a backup plan, cold wet feet could be a risk factor for hypothermia (in combination with other things like inadequate clothing / rain gear, no rest stops to warm up again, sudden temperature drop ect.).

So while this usually works well for me, I don't necessarily recommend it.

On winter hikes and even in spring when snow might still be expected, I bring boots at least as a backup.

 

[Jodean]

Have been wearing nylon knee highs under my socks for years with no blisters, but on the Portuguese Camino, when I fell in a creek and ended up with boots filled with water, had to keep walking for another 4 hours. Still, no blisters. We used newspapers and a blow dryer all evening and morning and though a bit damp in the morning, they were ok.
As an additional note, I turn my socks and the nylons inside out so the seams don't rub.

 

[Bradypus]

Have been wearing nylon knee highs under my socks for years with no blisters,

I have used Coolmax liner socks for years but just before a recent short Camino I realised my small stock was sadly run down. Badly worn and with a lot of holes. No local suppliers and too late for reliable mail order. Having read somewhere about using knee highs as liners I bought a pack of them from my local supermarket. Worked very well and it was well worth the slight embarrassment of being a 60+ male searching through the female underwear aisle to find them!

 

[Arctic_Alex]

Usually I don't have any blisters during my mountain multi-day hikes. But always on Camino or VF. Probably something to do with repetitive asphalt walking (a lot of even surfaces).

Regarding wet feet, I have similar experience trekking in the wilds of Sweden (Kungsleden track Sept 2023) in mountain tundra - 9 days of wet feet, also crossing the rivers/creeks in the boots, going through storms and snow. Drying my socks while sleeping under a merino t-shirt (stomach area emanates a lot of heat and you can't really harm yourself as all organs are away - some old school trick from soviet travelers that always worked perfectly for me). But, then in the morning - feet are wet again because it is not possible to dry the boots anyway and you start in the rain anyway lol. But - not a hint of a blister in all 9 days of trekking.

Funny enough, my anecdote further up in this thread, although many years ago, played in the same area It was in and around Sarek National Park with the last 3 days on Kungsleden towards Kvikkjokk.
From my cabin it is just a 2 or 3 days hike to Kungsleden.
Today it is -40°C around here

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Today it is -40°C around here

We heard that on the radio yesterday. Stay safe. BTW, -40⁰ C is exactly -40⁰ F.

Now to wet feet. I don't have problems with them as long as the socks are snug to the feet and the shoes. At the start of a hike I do try to avoid getting my feet wet but if it looks like they will be wet at the end of the hike anyway I give up with the avoiding.

 

[iwalkinwinter]

Funny enough, my anecdote further up in this thread, although many years ago, played in the same area It was in and around Sarek National Park with the last 3 days on Kungsleden towards Kvikkjokk.
From my cabin it is just a 2 or 3 days hike to Kungsleden.
Today it is -40°C around here

haha nice coincidence I have to admit it was one of the best places I was walking through: northern lights 3 nights in a row, meeting rain deers, total wilderness, eating tons of berries, exquisite nature, tent only experience.

-40 great temperature to keep body and mind toned! I originally come from siberia - similar weather conditions!

 

[Arctic_Alex]

haha nice coincidence I have to admit it was one of the best places I was walking through: northern lights 3 nights in a row, meeting rain deers, total wilderness, eating tons of berries, exquisite nature, tent only experience.

-40 great temperature to keep body and mind toned! I originally come from siberia - similar weather conditions!

Yes, it is a beautiful area. That is why I moved here . Originally from Germany and I also know the trick of drying things on your stomach.

 

[LTfit]

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

Had the same experience on the Vía de la Plata February 2014. It wasn't that it rained that much during walking but the arroyos were high necessitating crossing with water at times up to the knees. I never took off my socks or shoes, way too much of a hassle and just waded through the water. No blisters, not one. Within a few minutes the water squeezed out of my synthetic shoes and socks until the next stream.

 

[iwalkinwinter]

Yes, it is a beautiful area. That is why I moved here . Originally from Germany and I also know the trick of drying things on your stomach.

2 coincidences in 1 thread. I find it great! Setting the right mood to start my Camino next week.

 

[jpwu]

Poorly fitted songs and shoes cause blisters, so folks need to focus on that rather than encapsulating themselves to be waterproof. My Altra Timps and Darn Tough socks cycle through wet/dry every day/evening when hiking in the rain without creating blister issues.

What songs did you think of?

 

[Bob P]

I did my first Camino at 60 y.o. On that trip, I lost my concern for wet feet. My entire life I had been taught to avoid wet feet.
I was on a flooded trail, unsuccessfully trying to find a dry crossing. Another pilgrim I had met earlier walked up, said hello and then walked through the shin deep water. Dumbstruck,,, I followed.
No problems the rest of the day. On that Camino, I had many other days of soaking wet feet all day long.
I have never worried about wet feet since!

 

[falconbrother]

Five finger toe socks is the way to go to avoid blisters in all the common situations.

 

[iwalkinwinter]

Five finger toe socks is the way to go to avoid blisters in all the common situations.

I got 2 pairs to try once. Unfortunately didn't work for me... during my next camino I will be trying Body Glide (foot)

 

[Bothydave]

As described above well fitting quality socks and footwear stops most blister issues. Having covered hundreds of mountains and thousands of miles of wet paths, wet feet are often an issue. If really soaked it is worth stopping to empty the shoe/ boot and wring out the socks. While wet feet do become like a wet suit as the water warms up, damp as opposed to wet feet stay warm and healthy much more so.
Alas COLD wet feet are not only uncomfortable but a distinct hazard to the walker. Cold feet are more prone to damage and skin tear. A pair of dry socks is of little use of the footwear is saturated as the dry socks rapidly get wet.
Add to that illness such as diabetes and cold wet feet are a recipe for real medical issues.
the moral is that where possible keep your feet dry. Where they have got wet look after them during and after the days walk.

 

[hieudovan]

Thanks to all the posters here. I will start walking the first leg of the Mozárabe next month from Almería. I was worried about the dry riverbed Camino paths that might become quite wet/muddy due to the Winter rain. However, with so many reassurances here, I'll just ford these sections and be on my way. Somehow I forgot my wet Camino Frances in the spring of 2010. No blisters. Yet, I still tried to avoid getting my boots wet later caminos. Thanks also for the info on drying the socks overnight. Never thought about the stomach being a dryer : ) Great info on this forum. Buen camino.

 

[Drifter]

Wet feet are one thing newbies fear the most...and it's the most common thing in long-distance hiking.
On the Appalachian Trail, rain is almost a daily occurrence. Your feet are gonna get wet.
The problem is people think they can avoid wet feet by buying bulky Goretex boots...which will keep your feet dry for an hour or so of rain, but will eventually wet-out if the rain continues. And once a Goretex boot gets soaked inside...they take forever to dry out again. It's why long distance hikers opt for NON-Goretex trail runners that drain water well and dry quickly.
A good point is to dry out your feet thoroughly at night. Some kind of foot balm has worked well for many people. Some say Injinji sock liners paired with their Darn Toughs work well.
If I need to ford a stream, I take my socks off and the liners out of my shoes, then put my shoes back on and ford the stream. I then walk a few minutes further (without socks or liners) to push all the water out of my Altras, then put the liners back in and socks back on. In this way you don't need to carry a separate pair of "water shoes".
Here's an article by Andrew Skurka on the subject: Minimizing the Effect of Wet Feet

 

[ddowney]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

During my first Camino, the Portuguese one in October through early November in 2023, it rained almost daily, especially the Littoral and Coastal parts we took. Impressive rain, even for a Seattleite like me. I got two self-limited blisters and my shoes were never dry after the rain began. I attribute my blisters to not breaking in my shoes fully before I left the States for Portugal, not from the rain. I lubed my feet with Vaseline as a morning ritual and began the day's walking with dry socks, which was for momentary comfort, as they became soggy once they were in the chronically damp shoes. I learned to wear light rain pants as gaiters after a fashion, to keep at least some of the runoff from entering my shoes. All was good, the Camino was fun and glorious despite these little annoyances. What our predecessors must have endured makes my obsessing seem pretty insignificant.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I was worried about the dry riverbed Camino paths that might become quite wet/muddy due to the Winter rain. However, with so many reassurances here, I'll just ford these sections and be on my way.

Take a look at this thread:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/how-to-cross-hazardous-streams-safely.83959/

 

[JuanArbol]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

Hello Mesawalker. Thank you so much for this very interesting account. I dearly hope not to experience a similarly wet Camino this coming April but I will now be much less concerned about walking in the rain thanks to you. Juan Arbol.

 

[Anamiri]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

My aunt had a great solution to kids getting water in their gumboots, and then complaining about them being cold the next morning. She'd just rinse them out with hot water, and presto, no cold boots, and they stay warm with feet inside until eventually you can get them dry.

My mother used to stress out trying to dry them each night, only for us to jump in streams and puddles.
Of course we dont have snow or ice here.

 

[OdysseusSympath]

When I walked the CF in Feb 2020 I was in Hokas and I had a pair of Goretex trail runners as backup. I only put on the Goretex shoes maybe three or four times, a waste of weight and space in my pack, and a pain to change out on trail, I will be taking only the shoes I'm wearing on my Norte Camino in Feb this year (Altras, non Goretex). I learned a lot that Camino as I had never done a thru hike or camping trip more than three days. I got blisters from my toes rubbing each other, I learned to buy a half size bigger (for the second half of that Camino I was taking 4 ibuprofen upon waking to get my shoes on). I learned the Vaseline trick watching another peregrino slather his feet with the stuff before heading out and was willing to try it thanks to the gift of desperation. The Vaseline also made my feet/toes almost impervious to moisture and I found petroleum based "antirozaduras creme" in a pharmacy that had vitamins in it, helping my feet heal at the same time. My lightweight non Goretex trail runners always dried overnight, there was never much competition for the heat source in Feb. Coming from Minnesota, I learned a long time ago if your feet are cold, keep walking, maybe faster, until you get somewhere to warm them up/change socks etc. I had no blister/moisture problems after adopting the petroleum jelly technique. Hat's off to you arctic guys!

 

[iwalkinwinter]

Coming from Minnesota, I learned a long time ago if your feet are cold, keep walking, maybe faster, until you get somewhere to warm them up/change socks etc. I had no blister/moisture problems after adopting the petroleum jelly technique. Hat's off to you arctic guys!

Amen to that!

 

[Blister Bill]

The issue with constantly wet feet is not blisters but Trench Foot and other bacterial/fungal issues as the skin begins to break down. Foot care is the key beaten into soldiers worldwide, especially in jungle conditions, as contrary to Napoleon's Idiom an army does not march on its stomach ! Changing into dry gear at night and then back into wet gear the next morning can be moral sapping. The joy of the Camino is being (usually) in wet footwear for well less than 8 hours and then having accommodation to dry out. Vaseline is brilliant for reducing friction effects and good merino socks. Having just completed the St James walkway in NZ with two days of torrential rain (even hail in summer !) I can attest to the benefits of my lightweight Goretex boots as my partner had constantly wet feet but each to their own. Neither of us had blisters and we were carrying far heavier packs than on camino.

 

[Blister Bill]

My aunt had a great solution to kids getting water in their gumboots, and then complaining about them being cold the next morning. She'd just rinse them out with hot water, and presto, no cold boots, and they stay warm with feet inside until eventually you can get them dry.

My mother used to stress out trying to dry them each night, only for us to jump in streams and puddles.
Of course we dont have snow or ice here.

Memories of Fred Dagg came flooding back - My Aunt used to do the same !

 

[Sue127]

Five finger toe socks is the way to go to avoid blisters in all the common situations.

That's what I thought until last year they rubbed between two toes and I had the most horrendous blister. I still use them for short trips but will not risk a long walk with them.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have never used, nor needed to rub Vaseline on my feet to prevent blisters, so I've never paid much attention to those posts for myself. However, hearing of blisters in wet shoes vs slathering vaseline on the feet the following day, with good results, has me realizing there truly are benefits. My daughter in law had a few stubborn blisters on the Camino; possibly using Vaseline would have helped her.

 

[Shireen Brown]

I prefer dry feet and socks, but have never had a problem with wet feet, socks and boots. If i did I would have given up hiking in my youth when I did a lot in the UK Lake District.

Stuff the wet boots with newspaper at day's end, dry the socks (wear them to bed if you can tolerate it - an army trick) and get back into it next day. What doesn't kill us ...

Why do you wear the socks to bed?

 

[Blister Bill]

Why do you wear the socks to bed?

You shouldn't. Better to dry the feet thoroughly and air. If cold put on your dry socks. In the morning put on your wet merino socks and keep your dry pair tucked away or if a sunny day dry on the back of your pack.

 

[trecile]

That's what I thought until last year they rubbed between two toes and I had the most horrendous blister.

The same thing happened to me - I'll spare everyone the photos. It looked bad, but didn't hurt at all since there was no pressure on it while I was walking. I left it alone and it resolved itself.
I have a friend that swears by Injinji toe socks - she wears them inside out to keep the seam from rubbing.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

I have a friend that swears by Injinji toe socks - she wears them inside out to keep the seam from rubbing.

This has nothing to do with wet feet but @trecile's post reminds me to say that socks are available that come in pairs where each sock is formed for either the right or left foot. Socks like these fit better and you may find that they help prevent blisters.

Maybe dye the one for the right foot green and the other red to tell them apart; like a boat's running lights.

 

[mattythedog]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

This is why I only carry 2 pairs of merino wool hiking socks on Camino: the pair I wear and the dry pair in/on my pack. If feet get wet I just ring out the socks while taking a break. When I put them back on, they feel like dry socks!

 

[ddowney]

You shouldn't. Better to dry the feet thoroughly and air. If cold put on your dry socks. In the morning put on your wet merino socks and keep your dry pair tucked away or if a sunny day dry on the back of your pack.

After each day of walking in the rain on the Portuguese Camino, my daily first order of business after checking into the hotel was to get out of my wet clothes, towel dry everything, hang everything on any hooklike object, and use the hotel room hair dryer to dry what I could, particularly the inside of my shoes and my socks. At the hotel front desk, knowledgable staff would give us big stacks of newsprint to stuff into the shoes, and they knew where the local laundromat was, to efficiently launder and dry the items of my Camino "uniform". A big morale boost to start the day with dry clothes. The shoes stayed damp for 2/3 of the Camino though.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I don't understand this business about a "myth" -- my last Camino was 373 days, and except for a few times in very heavy rain when the top of my socks got damp, both my socks and feet stayed perfectly dry throughout -- including that one time I slipped on wet concrete and my boots were fully submerged in a stream.

My trousers were very wet, my secondary phone device didn't work 'til it finished drying out a couple of months later -- but my socks and feet stayed dry, except of course that was one of the times that the top of my socks did get damp !! Feet were dry though.

I don't know about other types of traditional leather hiking boots, but properly laced French army boots do keep your feet dry, and that's no "myth".

And my one blister on that Camino was in hot summer conditions.

I can understand people simply accepting that they will get wet feet -- it's an entirely reasonable strategy -- but as to me, I don't want wet feet and my feet don't get wet. My shoes get wet, but only on the outside.

 

[Blister Bill]

I don't understand this business about a "myth" -- my last Camino was 373 days,

Did you miss an arrow ?

 

[Arctic_Alex]

(...) I can understand people simply accepting that they will get wet feet -- it's an entirely reasonable strategy -- but as to me, I don't want wet feet and my feet don't get wet. My shoes get wet, but only on the outside.

Do not get me wrong, I usually keep my feet dry ... but IF they get wet, it is usually less of a drama than what you anticipate if it had never happened to you before ;-)

 

[Camino Chrissy]

Do not get me wrong, I usually keep my feet dry ... but IF they get wet, it is usually less of a drama than what you anticipate if it had never happened to you before ;-)

Yes, FOWF...fear of wet feet. Not nearly as bad as we assume it will be before experiencing it.

 

[Anniesantiago]

The same thing happened to me - I'll spare everyone the photos. It looked bad, but didn't hurt at all since there was no pressure on it while I was walking. I left it alone and it resolved itself.
I have a friend that swears by Injinji toe socks - she wears them inside out to keep the seam from rubbing.

I have Hobbit feet and those things cut off my circulation.

 

[Bradypus]

I have Hobbit feet and those things cut off my circulation.

I have tried them and found them very uncomfortable. And awkward to put on. Found myself more inclined to swear at them than by them.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have brought a new, unused pair of injinji toe socks on about five of my Caminos as a potential emergency back-up due to blisters, but they go unused. I purchased them after hearing how wonderful they are, but now may decide to finally leave them at home after reading a few of these posts.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

I have Hobbit feet and those things cut off my circulation.

Annie, I think you specifically have Hobbit toes.

 

[David Tallan]

I don't understand this business about a "myth" -- my last Camino was 373 days, and except for a few times in very heavy rain when the top of my socks got damp, both my socks and feet stayed perfectly dry throughout -- including that one time I slipped on wet concrete and my boots were fully submerged in a stream.

I don't think that the "myth" is meant to be that it is impossible to keep one's feet dry but rather that wet feet inevitably lead to blisters.

 

[el-pe]

Couple of years ago walked with rain - flooded streams and paths for a few weeks wearing trail runners. I was able to dry these most nights and always was able to dry my wool socks. No blisters, just a lot of squishing sounds.

 

[OdysseusSympath]

My feet sweat, if I put them into waterproof boots/shoes they will get wet, Goretex vents the moisture at a slower rate than my feet produce it. As a commercial fisherman we wore Xtra tufs, 100% waterproof non breathable boots, we bought them a full size bigger to accommodate Bama socks(super absorbent ankle high slipper sock things) over our merino wool ones. The Bama socks were always totally saturated coming off deck while the merino underneath was dry(crazy, wicking at it's best) we'd swap the Bamas with dry ones from the dryer and carry on. This getup isn't practical for a Camino but illustrates some of what goes into the compromise of footwear, breathability and moisture mitigation.

 

[davebugg]

Water can enter trail runner shoes, hiking shoes, or backpacking boots through any opening during a rainstorm, when walking through wet grass and brush, or drench into them if you walk through puddles or other standing water along the Camino.

Heavier, full-leather boots, properly treated, are much more resistant, but the penalty of the extra weight might not appeal to everyone.

There are two potential remedies to this problem, neither of which is always effective.

• First, you can try keeping rain pants over the tops of shoes, so the water runs down the pants past the opening. But this system can be uncomfortably hot in warm weather during rain-soaked conditions. It offers no protection for puddles or having to cross water runoffs on the pathway.
• You can try using a footwear with a waterproof gaiter or some other waterproof cobbles -- like thick plastic bags. I have not often seen a gaiter or other waterproof trapping that would both keep the water out and keep the feet dry.

“Waterproof” shoes are a misnomer for several reasons.

• They can fail because the materials simply don’t work over the near and long term because it is difficult to apply and cover all areas of the footwear sufficiently.
• The waterproof coating or laminate in the shoes does not last. Some manufacturers of the lightweight trail shoes, which are usually constructed as a hybrid of fabric and leather, have treated them with a coating which can quickly wear off. It also keeps sweat in the shoe and your feet get soaked in sweat. Fairly quickly, coatings break down and will no longer be waterproof.
• Footwear which relies on a “Gore-Tex” style of waterproof/breathable laminate will break down through both wear and tear and dirt buildup on the material which renders it ineffective.

When I’ve tested so-called waterproof / breathable fabrics in shoes for various manufacturers, their actual performance never matched what was claimed. My reports to their QA departments have always reflected these weaknesses as found during testing. Sometimes a shoe will start the test period working fairly well under a narrow range of wet conditions, but as the testing progresses the failures increase.

Waterproof/breathable membranes, like Gore-Tex, are only marginally breathable — water vapor from perspiration does not pass through the fabric as efficiently as is claimed. It can't. Unlike outerwear, the shoe material radically inhibits the ability of the membrane to allow water vapor to escape, thereby trapping it in the shoe.

So, on warm days the experience of having sweat being trapped in the shoe is common. Combined with the fact that the fabric waterproofing is quickly damaged by dirt, sweat, grime, and abrasion and it’s only a matter of time before exterior moisture begins penetrating the fabric and allowing feet to get wet from outside moisture as well.

This is why most experienced trekkers and backpackers no longer go to great lengths to keep feet dry. They accept that when the weather is wet, feet will also get wet. Even the US military uses footwear for wet conditions which is not waterproof. The strategy is how to minimize any problems when feet are wet.

In working with folks new to backpacking who ask about waterproof footwear recommendations, I have asked why they wanted waterproof shoes. Sometimes, they will look at me as if I had spaghetti sticking out of my nose. Most will answer that they think their feet will stay dry, and that having wet feet is akin to getting into horrible trouble.

This post is meant to help inform, reassure, and give a different line of thought and reasoning to this issue.

I like to have dry feet. I always try to avoid wet feet. I have tried many ways to keep my feet dry:

• “Waterproof” shoes, which, as I’ve said, don’t work well.
• “Waterproof” socks, which don’t work for similar reasons: shoes still get wet, and feet soak with sweat. However – In cold weather these soaks can be the basis for using vapor barrier warmth conservation of the feet.
• Wearing multiple pairs of socks, frequently changing from wet to dry, which eventually all get wet.
• Carrying multiple pairs of shoes, which eventually all get wet, too.

I have never had total success at keeping my feet dry in very wet conditions, which led me to research what has been done to develop effective strategies. If I can’t keep my feet dry, then I need to try and eliminate or minimize the risk of any of the bad things that could occur to my wet feet when walking.

Some of these lessons I learned while in Vietnam…. Like the fact that our boots had fabric tops and numerous holes in the thin leather bottom portions so that water drained out quickly and never sat in the boots.

What are the most frequent and problematic 'bad' things?

• Maceration is the medical term for pruning, where the skin’s outer layer absorbs a lot of moisture and gets “soggy” from that moisture. The skin gets sore and extremely soft which makes it more prone to blistering and developing other problems.
• Cracking of the skin when the macerated feet dry. The natural moisture and oiliness of the skin is gone. The severity depends on how much stress the skin is exposed to after it is dried out.

So, what does work for me, and others, if I am going to be walking or backpacking in wet weather?

• Apply a good, thick coating of a Goop (ointment or salve) to my feet and between toes before putting on socks and shoes in the morning. If rain occurs later in the day, then remove shoes and socks and do the same. This helps protect from external moisture.

Goop which has a high content of wax – either bee or paraffin – is most ideal, especially if it also has a high lanolin content.

• Wear non-waterproof shoes which can drain and then dry out quickly. This minimizes the amount of puddling in the shoe that bathes the feet in moisture. Modern trail running shoes, and trail shoes often have nice open mesh fabric which is terrific for draining water.

Non-waterproof shoes will also eliminate moisture from sweaty feet. Remember, it doesn’t matter what the source of the moisture is that feet are exposed to: be it rain or sweat, each can cause the same problems.

• Wear thin, light-cushioned merino wool socks, which don’t absorb as much water as thicker socks. Merino wool will also keep wet feet warm and comfortable in most seasons and temperature ranges, unless the weather is frigid winter-cold.
• Take off shoes and socks to let feet air dry during rest stop that will be longer than 20 minutes.During this time, I will wring out any excess moisture from the socks, but I will not put on either of my dry pairs (I take three). I will also wipe off moisture on my feet and then reapply a goodly amount of Goop to my feet to help keep them from becoming macerated.
• When stopping for the day, apply Goop to the bottoms of feet, both before and after showering.
• Carry an extra pair of insoles. These insoles do not have to be your preferred “walking” insoles that you may have purchased separately. These can be the lightweight pair which came with your shoes. These will be the barrier between your wet footwear and your dry socks when you are done for the day and if your shoes are a bit damp come morning.

I find that at days end, I can remove the wet insoles and use absorbent paper or toweling to sop up as much moisture as is possible while I am showering and dealing with end of the day chores.

When I get ready to go to dinner or wander around town, I put on a pair of dry Merino wool socks, insert the extra pair of dry insoles into my shoes, and put the shoes back on to walk around in. This accelerates drying out the shoes. Depending on the shoe’s material, within a couple of hours the shoes are mostly dry.

• At bedtime, I remove the insoles and stuff absorbent material into the shoes to continue the drying out process, if need be, during the night.
• Apply more salve or ointment and wear dry and warm socks at while sleeping; this gives feet 8-9 hours of recovery.

 

[Camino Chrissy]

@davebugg, a totally outstanding post! I think you have covered pretty much...everything.

 

[OZAJ]

Why do you wear the socks to bed?

The wet socks will dry overnight.

 

[Drifter]

Well, on such "trails" like the Camino...you're going to stay in a nice, dry hostel where you can dry out your feet, shoes and socks EVERY night.
On other trails, a dry place to sleep might take 4 or 5 days more walking.
Always appreciate the luxury you're afforded.

 

[JabbaPapa]

Well, there's some fairly heavy rain today at this end of the Camino (extreme South-East of France next to the Italian border), which is an interesting coincidence. NOT as bad as full-on Galician ultra-rain, but quite as bad as a "normal" Galician rainy day.

My own current boots are my resoled 2014 Camino ones that I bought in 2013, and they haven't been fully impervious to rain for over 6 years -- my 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 boots were fine, but were wrecked by the 5,000K + ...

Socks and feet do get a bit damp in solid rain with this 2013/2014 pair, but honestly just for pottering about town that's fine, soles and heels are still solid, and they don't blister me, but I would not go on even a training hike in these wet conditions with this old pair.

Looking around at other people's footwear though -- apart from the 10% or so wearing normal leather shoes, "normal" IMO anyway, today a further 15% or so were wearing leather or pseudo-leather shoes for the rain.

The remaining ¾ or so were in "training" pseudo-"sports" shoes, "sneakers", and whatnot.

A third of these, particularly among the young women, seemed to have completely dry feet, socks, and shoes -- except for some light humidity on the bottom of their soles and heels. Impressive !!

5% or so had "sports" shoes better adapted to the rain & wet conditions, and seemed to be fine with what looked like dry enough feet.

The rest ? Soaked through and through. So roughly 40% to 45% of people with IMO inadequate footwear. My own old boots are certainly not perfect, but take them off, and my feet are happy within about 30 seconds. And my boots and socks will be dry by morning with no special efforts needed, and if the socks aren't quite dry I have several other pairs.

I just can't see the point of squelching about in sodden footwear, including because of potential health risks from doing so. Especially if you're in shoes and/or socks that are too small !!

---
Oh, and my big black woollen pilgrim cape is hanging off the bathroom door and dripping its water out onto the floor ...

 

[dougfitz]

I don't know about other types of traditional leather hiking boots, but properly laced French army boots do keep your feet dry, and that's no "myth".

This is also my experience with boots using a variety of traditional leather and mixed fabric and leather with a waterproof lining. But it's not boots alone, but creating a complete system starting from the top down that will protect your feet from getting soaked.

I disagree with the cynical pessimism of an earlier post about the performance of waterproof materials. That post massively overstates the negative case, and barely acknowledges the advantages of taking simple measures to keep dry. I have kept my feet relatively dry, even on a long day of continual rain, and for several days of rain in a row, on my pilgrimage walks. It is not as difficult as some make out, but it does require thinking about more than just boots.

It is not an approach that the light and ultra-light fanatics are likely to attempt because it relies on having a hat (or umbrella), and both a decent rain jacket and decent rain pants. A rain jacket that comes down to at least mid-thigh level will weigh more than a shorter jacket, as does a pair of three-layer rain pants compared to some lighter and less effective alternatives.

Is this an all season mix for the Camino? My experience walking in Spain is mainly in early to mid spring. My one experience walking in late spring and early summer was that one could survive all but the heaviest of downpours with lighter gear, when one was probably going to get wet one way or another whatever gear one chose. In colder conditions, I will still take the approach that I have found works well.

Will your feet be completely dry? No. Nothing can achieve that. What it can do is prevent water ingress from rain, puddles, water run-off across roads and paths and even careful crossing of deeper bodies of water that occur from time to time. But once you step into something where the water comes up to the top of the boot, there is nothing that I know that will stop water ingress.

Even when water doesn't get into your boot, your feet will sweat and you will have moist socks and the inside of your boot will also be damp. End of day foot and boot care is still going to be an important part of your daily routine, and shouldn't be neglected. Feet that are damp are unlikely to become macerated, but drying them out and using a moisturiser should there be any signs of maceration will help prevent the skin being damaged.

And while I have chosen to adopt this approach, if you do let your feet get wet, I think it is unlikely that you will have to go more than a day without being able to dry them out and care for them. The risk of long term damage seems to result from feet being continually wet for days at a time, and that is not the circumstances that normally apply on the Camino.

 

[jpwu]

I don't understand this business about a "myth" -- my last Camino was 373 days, and except for a few times in very heavy rain when the top of my socks got damp, both my socks and feet stayed perfectly dry throughout -- including that one time I slipped on wet concrete and my boots were fully submerged in a stream.

My trousers were very wet, my secondary phone device didn't work 'til it finished drying out a couple of months later -- but my socks and feet stayed dry, except of course that was one of the times that the top of my socks did get damp !! Feet were dry though.

I don't know about other types of traditional leather hiking boots, but properly laced French army boots do keep your feet dry, and that's no "myth".

And my one blister on that Camino was in hot summer conditions.

I can understand people simply accepting that they will get wet feet -- it's an entirely reasonable strategy -- but as to me, I don't want wet feet and my feet don't get wet. My shoes get wet, but only on the outside.

What brand of boots is that?

 

[JabbaPapa]

it's not boots alone, but creating a complete system starting from the top down that will protect your feet from getting soaked

Exactly.

I disagree with the cynical pessimism of an earlier post about the performance of waterproof materials. That post massively overstates the negative case, and barely acknowledges the advantages of taking simple measures to keep dry. I have kept my feet relatively dry, even on a long day of continual rain, and for several days of rain in a row, on my pilgrimage walks. It is not as difficult as some make out, but it does require thinking about more than just boots.

Will your feet be completely dry? No. Nothing can achieve that.

Serious army boots can, but the great majority of pilgrims would reject the weight of them. For generally good reason !! Unless you actually need them ...

But once you step into something where the water comes up to the top of the boot, there is nothing that I know that will stop water ingress.

Properly laced army boots with good internal sheathing can do so. Which surprised me back in 2021, but in a good way !!

Even when water doesn't get into your boot, your feet will sweat and you will have moist socks

A very common occurrence, but not everyone's feet sweat in that manner -- and I think less often I would think in natural leather or cotton & rubber boots or shoes than in synthetic.

and the inside of your boot will also be damp.

Not my experience.

End of day foot and boot care is still going to be an important part of your daily routine

Again, not my experience.

f you do let your feet get wet, I think it is unlikely that you will have to go more than a day without being able to dry them out

I cannot think of a single occasion where that's taken more than 15 minutes, at least not since childhood.

 

[JabbaPapa]

What brand of boots is that?

French Army boots -- real ones, from a French Amy base near Marseilles.

 

[jpwu]

I googled this.

 

[JabbaPapa]

I googled this.

Not mine, and those ones look non-ideal -- they look like Police boots rather than Army ones ; though the size of them is right for me.

Mine, before the 5,000K damage :

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

Not mine, and those ones look non-ideal

When I saw the first picture with the quick lace hooks I thought it was odd for an army boot. Those boot hooks can catch on things like cable ladders (not that I have experienced that myself ).

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Not mine, and those ones look non-ideal -- they look like Police boots rather than Army ones ; though the size of them is right for me.

Mine, before the 5,000K damage :

View attachment 161790

Beautiful boots!
Similar to but a little higher than my old leather Scarpa's - which lasted me something like 25 years including three resoles. The fourth time my shoe repairer just shook his head at me and handed them back.

Whilst I absolutely loved them for hiking and they were fantastic in snow (with gaiters), I have to say I prefer trail runners for the Camino. Unless I was to consider a winter Camino. Bliss being able to just walk straight through all the mud and those piddly little puddles that everyone else is trying to skirt!

 

[CaminoKentucky]

I have brought a new, unused pair of injinji toe socks on about five of my Caminos as a potential emergency back-up due to blisters, but they go unused. I purchased them after hearing how wonderful they are, but now may decide to finally leave them at home after reading a few of these posts.

I feel compelled to speak up in defense of the Injinji toes socks . On my last Camino, I had 2 toe blisters by the time I reached Pamplona, having started in SJPP. I did all the anti-blister things, and still those 2 blisters appeared. Switched from my smart wools to the one pair of Injinjis I had with me. No more blister problems. Could not find any toe socks along the Camino, so washed out my Injinjis each evening. Our Camino experiences, our feet, our toes, are so different, aren't they?!!?

 

[joanonalark]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

Yes, I wear trail runners & Creepers wool toe socks from New Zealand, and have been pleasantly surprised that my feet are fine when wet on the low 40F days

 

[Karl G]

Water can enter trail runner shoes, hiking shoes, or backpacking boots through any opening during a rainstorm, when walking through wet grass and brush, or drench into them if you walk through puddles or other standing water along the Camino.

Heavier, full-leather boots, properly treated, are much more resistant, but the penalty of the extra weight might not appeal to everyone.

There are two potential remedies to this problem, neither of which is always effective.

• First, you can try keeping rain pants over the tops of shoes, so the water runs down the pants past the opening. But this system can be uncomfortably hot in warm weather during rain-soaked conditions. It offers no protection for puddles or having to cross water runoffs on the pathway.
• You can try using a footwear with a waterproof gaiter or some other waterproof cobbles -- like thick plastic bags. I have not often seen a gaiter or other waterproof trapping that would both keep the water out and keep the feet dry.

“Waterproof” shoes are a misnomer for several reasons.

• They can fail because the materials simply don’t work over the near and long term because it is difficult to apply and cover all areas of the footwear sufficiently.
• The waterproof coating or laminate in the shoes does not last. Some manufacturers of the lightweight trail shoes, which are usually constructed as a hybrid of fabric and leather, have treated them with a coating which can quickly wear off. It also keeps sweat in the shoe and your feet get soaked in sweat. Fairly quickly, coatings break down and will no longer be waterproof.
• Footwear which relies on a “Gore-Tex” style of waterproof/breathable laminate will break down through both wear and tear and dirt buildup on the material which renders it ineffective.

When I’ve tested so-called waterproof / breathable fabrics in shoes for various manufacturers, their actual performance never matched what was claimed. My reports to their QA departments have always reflected these weaknesses as found during testing. Sometimes a shoe will start the test period working fairly well under a narrow range of wet conditions, but as the testing progresses the failures increase.

Waterproof/breathable membranes, like Gore-Tex, are only marginally breathable — water vapor from perspiration does not pass through the fabric as efficiently as is claimed. It can't. Unlike outerwear, the shoe material radically inhibits the ability of the membrane to allow water vapor to escape, thereby trapping it in the shoe.

So, on warm days the experience of having sweat being trapped in the shoe is common. Combined with the fact that the fabric waterproofing is quickly damaged by dirt, sweat, grime, and abrasion and it’s only a matter of time before exterior moisture begins penetrating the fabric and allowing feet to get wet from outside moisture as well.

This is why most experienced trekkers and backpackers no longer go to great lengths to keep feet dry. They accept that when the weather is wet, feet will also get wet. Even the US military uses footwear for wet conditions which is not waterproof. The strategy is how to minimize any problems when feet are wet.

In working with folks new to backpacking who ask about waterproof footwear recommendations, I have asked why they wanted waterproof shoes. Sometimes, they will look at me as if I had spaghetti sticking out of my nose. Most will answer that they think their feet will stay dry, and that having wet feet is akin to getting into horrible trouble.

This post is meant to help inform, reassure, and give a different line of thought and reasoning to this issue.

I like to have dry feet. I always try to avoid wet feet. I have tried many ways to keep my feet dry:

• “Waterproof” shoes, which, as I’ve said, don’t work well.
• “Waterproof” socks, which don’t work for similar reasons: shoes still get wet, and feet soak with sweat. However – In cold weather these soaks can be the basis for using vapor barrier warmth conservation of the feet.
• Wearing multiple pairs of socks, frequently changing from wet to dry, which eventually all get wet.
• Carrying multiple pairs of shoes, which eventually all get wet, too.

I have never had total success at keeping my feet dry in very wet conditions, which led me to research what has been done to develop effective strategies. If I can’t keep my feet dry, then I need to try and eliminate or minimize the risk of any of the bad things that could occur to my wet feet when walking.

Some of these lessons I learned while in Vietnam…. Like the fact that our boots had fabric tops and numerous holes in the thin leather bottom portions so that water drained out quickly and never sat in the boots.

What are the most frequent and problematic 'bad' things?

• Maceration is the medical term for pruning, where the skin’s outer layer absorbs a lot of moisture and gets “soggy” from that moisture. The skin gets sore and extremely soft which makes it more prone to blistering and developing other problems.
• Cracking of the skin when the macerated feet dry. The natural moisture and oiliness of the skin is gone. The severity depends on how much stress the skin is exposed to after it is dried out.

So, what does work for me, and others, if I am going to be walking or backpacking in wet weather?

• Apply a good, thick coating of a Goop (ointment or salve) to my feet and between toes before putting on socks and shoes in the morning. If rain occurs later in the day, then remove shoes and socks and do the same. This helps protect from external moisture.

Goop which has a high content of wax – either bee or paraffin – is most ideal, especially if it also has a high lanolin content.

• Wear non-waterproof shoes which can drain and then dry out quickly. This minimizes the amount of puddling in the shoe that bathes the feet in moisture. Modern trail running shoes, and trail shoes often have nice open mesh fabric which is terrific for draining water.

Non-waterproof shoes will also eliminate moisture from sweaty feet. Remember, it doesn’t matter what the source of the moisture is that feet are exposed to: be it rain or sweat, each can cause the same problems.

• Wear thin, light-cushioned merino wool socks, which don’t absorb as much water as thicker socks. Merino wool will also keep wet feet warm and comfortable in most seasons and temperature ranges, unless the weather is frigid winter-cold.
• Take off shoes and socks to let feet air dry during rest stop that will be longer than 20 minutes.During this time, I will wring out any excess moisture from the socks, but I will not put on either of my dry pairs (I take three). I will also wipe off moisture on my feet and then reapply a goodly amount of Goop to my feet to help keep them from becoming macerated.
• When stopping for the day, apply Goop to the bottoms of feet, both before and after showering.
• Carry an extra pair of insoles. These insoles do not have to be your preferred “walking” insoles that you may have purchased separately. These can be the lightweight pair which came with your shoes. These will be the barrier between your wet footwear and your dry socks when you are done for the day and if your shoes are a bit damp come morning.

I find that at days end, I can remove the wet insoles and use absorbent paper or toweling to sop up as much moisture as is possible while I am showering and dealing with end of the day chores.

When I get ready to go to dinner or wander around town, I put on a pair of dry Merino wool socks, insert the extra pair of dry insoles into my shoes, and put the shoes back on to walk around in. This accelerates drying out the shoes. Depending on the shoe’s material, within a couple of hours the shoes are mostly dry.

• At bedtime, I remove the insoles and stuff absorbent material into the shoes to continue the drying out process, if need be, during the night.
• Apply more salve or ointment and wear dry and warm socks at while sleeping; this gives feet 8-9 hours of recovery.

By chance are you Andrew Skurka who wrote the article referenced in @Drifter’s post #25 above? The language closely parallels that of the article he attached (which is an excellent piece as is the comments section.)

 

[jpwu]

Not mine, and those ones look non-ideal -- they look like Police boots rather than Army ones ; though the size of them is right for me.

Mine, before the 5,000K damage :

View attachment 161790

I love boots but I walk with these.

 

[jpflavin1]

Water can enter trail runner shoes, hiking shoes, or backpacking boots through any opening during a rainstorm, when walking through wet grass and brush, or drench into them if you walk through puddles or other standing water along the Camino.

Heavier, full-leather boots, properly treated, are much more resistant, but the penalty of the extra weight might not appeal to everyone.

There are two potential remedies to this problem, neither of which is always effective.

• First, you can try keeping rain pants over the tops of shoes, so the water runs down the pants past the opening. But this system can be uncomfortably hot in warm weather during rain-soaked conditions. It offers no protection for puddles or having to cross water runoffs on the pathway.
• You can try using a footwear with a waterproof gaiter or some other waterproof cobbles -- like thick plastic bags. I have not often seen a gaiter or other waterproof trapping that would both keep the water out and keep the feet dry.

“Waterproof” shoes are a misnomer for several reasons.

• They can fail because the materials simply don’t work over the near and long term because it is difficult to apply and cover all areas of the footwear sufficiently.
• The waterproof coating or laminate in the shoes does not last. Some manufacturers of the lightweight trail shoes, which are usually constructed as a hybrid of fabric and leather, have treated them with a coating which can quickly wear off. It also keeps sweat in the shoe and your feet get soaked in sweat. Fairly quickly, coatings break down and will no longer be waterproof.
• Footwear which relies on a “Gore-Tex” style of waterproof/breathable laminate will break down through both wear and tear and dirt buildup on the material which renders it ineffective.

When I’ve tested so-called waterproof / breathable fabrics in shoes for various manufacturers, their actual performance never matched what was claimed. My reports to their QA departments have always reflected these weaknesses as found during testing. Sometimes a shoe will start the test period working fairly well under a narrow range of wet conditions, but as the testing progresses the failures increase.

Waterproof/breathable membranes, like Gore-Tex, are only marginally breathable — water vapor from perspiration does not pass through the fabric as efficiently as is claimed. It can't. Unlike outerwear, the shoe material radically inhibits the ability of the membrane to allow water vapor to escape, thereby trapping it in the shoe.

So, on warm days the experience of having sweat being trapped in the shoe is common. Combined with the fact that the fabric waterproofing is quickly damaged by dirt, sweat, grime, and abrasion and it’s only a matter of time before exterior moisture begins penetrating the fabric and allowing feet to get wet from outside moisture as well.

This is why most experienced trekkers and backpackers no longer go to great lengths to keep feet dry. They accept that when the weather is wet, feet will also get wet. Even the US military uses footwear for wet conditions which is not waterproof. The strategy is how to minimize any problems when feet are wet.

In working with folks new to backpacking who ask about waterproof footwear recommendations, I have asked why they wanted waterproof shoes. Sometimes, they will look at me as if I had spaghetti sticking out of my nose. Most will answer that they think their feet will stay dry, and that having wet feet is akin to getting into horrible trouble.

This post is meant to help inform, reassure, and give a different line of thought and reasoning to this issue.

I like to have dry feet. I always try to avoid wet feet. I have tried many ways to keep my feet dry:

• “Waterproof” shoes, which, as I’ve said, don’t work well.
• “Waterproof” socks, which don’t work for similar reasons: shoes still get wet, and feet soak with sweat. However – In cold weather these soaks can be the basis for using vapor barrier warmth conservation of the feet.
• Wearing multiple pairs of socks, frequently changing from wet to dry, which eventually all get wet.
• Carrying multiple pairs of shoes, which eventually all get wet, too.

I have never had total success at keeping my feet dry in very wet conditions, which led me to research what has been done to develop effective strategies. If I can’t keep my feet dry, then I need to try and eliminate or minimize the risk of any of the bad things that could occur to my wet feet when walking.

Some of these lessons I learned while in Vietnam…. Like the fact that our boots had fabric tops and numerous holes in the thin leather bottom portions so that water drained out quickly and never sat in the boots.

What are the most frequent and problematic 'bad' things?

• Maceration is the medical term for pruning, where the skin’s outer layer absorbs a lot of moisture and gets “soggy” from that moisture. The skin gets sore and extremely soft which makes it more prone to blistering and developing other problems.
• Cracking of the skin when the macerated feet dry. The natural moisture and oiliness of the skin is gone. The severity depends on how much stress the skin is exposed to after it is dried out.

So, what does work for me, and others, if I am going to be walking or backpacking in wet weather?

• Apply a good, thick coating of a Goop (ointment or salve) to my feet and between toes before putting on socks and shoes in the morning. If rain occurs later in the day, then remove shoes and socks and do the same. This helps protect from external moisture.

Goop which has a high content of wax – either bee or paraffin – is most ideal, especially if it also has a high lanolin content.

• Wear non-waterproof shoes which can drain and then dry out quickly. This minimizes the amount of puddling in the shoe that bathes the feet in moisture. Modern trail running shoes, and trail shoes often have nice open mesh fabric which is terrific for draining water.

Non-waterproof shoes will also eliminate moisture from sweaty feet. Remember, it doesn’t matter what the source of the moisture is that feet are exposed to: be it rain or sweat, each can cause the same problems.

• Wear thin, light-cushioned merino wool socks, which don’t absorb as much water as thicker socks. Merino wool will also keep wet feet warm and comfortable in most seasons and temperature ranges, unless the weather is frigid winter-cold.
• Take off shoes and socks to let feet air dry during rest stop that will be longer than 20 minutes.During this time, I will wring out any excess moisture from the socks, but I will not put on either of my dry pairs (I take three). I will also wipe off moisture on my feet and then reapply a goodly amount of Goop to my feet to help keep them from becoming macerated.
• When stopping for the day, apply Goop to the bottoms of feet, both before and after showering.
• Carry an extra pair of insoles. These insoles do not have to be your preferred “walking” insoles that you may have purchased separately. These can be the lightweight pair which came with your shoes. These will be the barrier between your wet footwear and your dry socks when you are done for the day and if your shoes are a bit damp come morning.

I find that at days end, I can remove the wet insoles and use absorbent paper or toweling to sop up as much moisture as is possible while I am showering and dealing with end of the day chores.

When I get ready to go to dinner or wander around town, I put on a pair of dry Merino wool socks, insert the extra pair of dry insoles into my shoes, and put the shoes back on to walk around in. This accelerates drying out the shoes. Depending on the shoe’s material, within a couple of hours the shoes are mostly dry.

• At bedtime, I remove the insoles and stuff absorbent material into the shoes to continue the drying out process, if need be, during the night.
• Apply more salve or ointment and wear dry and warm socks at while sleeping; this gives feet 8-9 hours of recovery.

The only thing I would add to this post is to bring some light weight plastic baggies. On rainy wet days, I put a baggie between my two pairs of socks and I have found this to be effective at keeping my feet dry.

 

[Rick Davidson]

I feel compelled to speak up in defense of the Injinji toes socks . On my last Camino, I had 2 toe blisters by the time I reached Pamplona, having started in SJPP. I did all the anti-blister things, and still those 2 blisters appeared. Switched from my smart wools to the one pair of Injinjis I had with me. No more blister problems. Could not find any toe socks along the Camino, so washed out my Injinjis each evening. Our Camino experiences, our feet, our toes, are so different, aren't they?!!?

My long path to blister control when wearing boots started with discovering Leukoplast, then abandoning liner socks, next came thinner wool socks. My next discovery was engo blister patches…definitely worth trying. This now led me to injinji toe socks. I now wear them on all multi day hikes. Basically blisters are now totally under control. I do, however, take my boots and socks off and inspect my feet twice during the first few days on all multi day hikes just to make sure that all is good. I worrird about injinji durability but my two pair have performed perfectly on 4-5 long walks over several year and so far show no signs of wear.

 

[jpwu]

My long path to blister control when wearing boots started with discovering Leukoplast, then abandoning liner socks, next came thinner wool socks. My next discovery was engo blister patches…definitely worth trying. This now led me to injinji toe socks. I now wear them on all multi day hikes. Basically blisters are now totally under control. I do, however, take my boots and socks off and inspect my feet twice during the first few days on all multi day hikes just to make sure that all is good. I worrird about injinji durability but my two pair have performed perfectly on 4-5 long walks over several year and so far show no signs of wear.

Where they made from wool or synthetic?

 

[Rick Davidson]

Where they made from wool or synthetic?

Mine are wool.

 

[Karl G]

Ok, one contrary story. I was inspired by the many experiences of wet feet not creating blisters. So, I took a walk in my non-waterproof shoes this afternoon following an all night and all morning rainstorm. Puddles were unavoidable. I was pleaseantly surprised that my feet didn’t feel uncomfortable despite the dampness. However, while showering afterwards, I discovered a blister on my big toe.

Needless to say, this was an unwelcome surprise. Especially as the shoes I wore now have over 200 blister free miles on them.

I guess there is always an exception to a rule.

 

[Joynz]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

On the subject of myth-busting about blister prevention: many people have firm beliefs about what prevents blisters (double socks, Vaseline, taping etc) based on our experiences and what we’ve heard.

But there isn’t actually that much reliable scientific research to back it up. This research analysis paper looked at several studies: https://www.wemjournal.org/article/S1080-6032(17)30092-3/fulltext

 

[Kate48]

I prefer dry feet and socks, but have never had a problem with wet feet, socks and boots. If i did I would have given up hiking in my youth when I did a lot in the UK Lake District.

Stuff the wet boots with newspaper at day's end, dry the socks (wear them to bed if you can tolerate it - an army trick) and get back into it next day. What doesn't kill us ...

finding newspaper was the problem in Spain in November... everyone reads news online these days!

 

[Joynz]

That's what I thought until last year they rubbed between two toes and I had the most horrendous blister. I still use them for short trips but will not risk a long walk with them.

Were you wearing the synthetic liner toe socks underneath standard hiking socks? Or just woollen toe socks by themselves?

 

[davebugg]

I have long, put-off finishing a write up of a 'work-in-progress' review of the Merrell (men's) Moab version of a tactical boot. So, I'll just give a quick synopsis here.

After 9 months of use in the Grand Canyon and Cascade mountains while backpacking, as well as using them while a glacier and whale watch tour guide around the Juneau area during their rainiest time of the year, these boots seem to defy the problems of degradation that I have previously experienced in untold numbers of boots using a waterproof/breathable liner during testing.

These boots are a leather/synthetic fiber hybrid, but unlike civilian 'hikers' they appear to be fabricated to withstand normal backpacking related damages to the integrity of both the laminate membrane structure and the construction.

The leather parts are all impregnated at the factory with waterproofing treatments. I would periodically apply Snow Seal to the leather, especially if the leather showed abrasions from a day's usage, to help maintain the waterproofing.

I am also liking the incorporated, heavy-duty, smooth-operating side zipper located on the inside of each boot. After I initially achieved the correct tension to my tightened laces, I did not have to untie and then re-tie them again each day. Foot entrance and removal is accomplished by the zipper. So far, I find that I rarely need to redo the lace tension. Boot removal and putting on time is quick. I know from experience that for military use, the speed taken to get ready to move-out can be important.

These Boots are a 8" height, a bit above mid-ankle and I believe that height has helped with water intrusions. They required no break in, although I allowed a few days for my feet to adjust to the feel of the boots while walking before starting my evaluation.

Weight is about 1.5 pounds per boot, vs up to 2.75 pounds (average) for similar height full leather hiking boots. They come in various widths and lengths. I find with the correct footbed, they can be wonderfully comfortable on the feet.

As with all mentions I make of specific gear or clothing, this is not a recommendation to make a blind purchase for use. It is solely meant to inform those who are looking at similar items for purchase, of the availability of one product they may wish to add to their "audition" list. It is vitally important for an individual to properly assess any boot or shoe to be a good match for your feet and needs.

 

[davebugg]

Ok, one contrary story. I was inspired by the many experiences of wet feet not creating blisters. So, I took a walk in my non-waterproof shoes this afternoon following an all night and all morning rainstorm. Puddles were unavoidable. I was pleaseantly surprised that my feet didn’t feel uncomfortable despite the dampness. However, while showering afterwards, I discovered a blister on my big toe.

Needless to say, this was an unwelcome surprise. Especially as the shoes I wore now have over 200 blister free miles on them.

I guess there is always an exception to a rule.

Foot mechanics are as unique as snowflakes between individuals. There are a variety of issues, both controllable and not so controllable that determine foot injuries, including blistering. That is why recommendations from the experiences of one or many do not always transfer over to the individual.

Your experience is not the exception to the rule, but a part of the rule itself.

 

[Bradypus]

Foot mechanics are as unique as snowflakes between individuals.

And even for a single individual in my experience. I have occasionally had blisters appear apparently out of nowhere. Same boots, same socks, same weather, same everything I could identify - but fine one day and a blister the next. More a mysterious dark art than an exact science!

 

[JabbaPapa]

These Boots are a 8" height, a bit above mid-ankle and I believe that height has helped with water intrusions.

I've found similar with my own army boots, with similar characteristics, including a liner.

 

[Dougie]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

Totally agree with you, and if you get a good pair of breathable trail shoes they will dry out very quickly, when it is cooler weather like early morning and wet I put my Sealskinz socks on and when it warms up change back into my merino socks because they are so much more comfortable to wear even when wet but not cold & wet. I was also walking from Porto to Santiago the last two weeks of October and it rained heavily for two weeks some of the paths were like streams and I had no issues with having wet feet all day.

 

[TexasIndia]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.


Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

Years ago I was hiking in Utah with an experienced hiker and several. Others. We had to cross a stream. U.S. newbies took off our shoes and socks and waded across. A few minutes later, we had to cross another stream. Our friend said, it’s better just to get wet and don’t worry about it. After hiking that day with wet feet, I found it wasn’t so bad. I never worried about it again.
Wool socks do help keep your feet warmer. We hiked the Primitivo in October as well. Our feet and boots were wet every day, but no blisters!

 

[NYSE]

For my entire life, until this past fall, I thought walking with wet feet was something to be avoided at all costs. Wet feet equates to blisters, being miserable, ruining your shoes or boots, and generally being contrary to all things right and good.

We walked the last 3 weeks of October and first week of November from roughly Zamora to Muxia in nearly constant rain that often turned the trail into a 5-9 inch deep stream. We walked in wet shoes and socks all day long on many days. We both rubbed petroleum jelly on our feet each morning and then just walked.

What did we learn? Walking with wet feet was no big deal, at least if it wasn't too cold. Neither my wife nor I had any blisters - she had a preexisting blister formed earlier in dry conditions. Perhaps good merino wool socks helped. We really couldn't tell a difference on our feet between walking dry or wet.

Cold would be a problem. Except for a couple of days, the high temperatures never dropped below about 50 degrees F. On the two days it was colder for a high, it wasn't so pleasant.

Both of our sets of shoes, one leather and one all synthetic, did fine after being water logged for a month. We would try to dry them and our insoles as best we could each night. I'm still wearing my shoes after all those wet kms.

So everything I believed about the problems of getting shoes, feet and socks wet turned out to be inaccurate, except the risk of being colder in cold temperatures. And it has led me to believe that way too much effort goes into worrying about gear to keep your feet dry, when most of the time it doesn't matter.

Has anyone had a similar experience? Has anyone had the opposite experience?

I walked that same timeframe as you and it truly was a bit daunting. As far as wet feet, I hated it. No, I did not get blisters and , for the most part, never really noticed. But, I didn’t like it. I fly with dry.

 

[bergmannfamily]

Water can enter trail runner shoes, hiking shoes, or backpacking boots through any opening during a rainstorm, when walking through wet grass and brush, or drench into them if you walk through puddles or other standing water along the Camino.

Heavier, full-leather boots, properly treated, are much more resistant, but the penalty of the extra weight might not appeal to everyone.

There are two potential remedies to this problem, neither of which is always effective.

• First, you can try keeping rain pants over the tops of shoes, so the water runs down the pants past the opening. But this system can be uncomfortably hot in warm weather during rain-soaked conditions. It offers no protection for puddles or having to cross water runoffs on the pathway.
• You can try using a footwear with a waterproof gaiter or some other waterproof cobbles -- like thick plastic bags. I have not often seen a gaiter or other waterproof trapping that would both keep the water out and keep the feet dry.

“Waterproof” shoes are a misnomer for several reasons.

• They can fail because the materials simply don’t work over the near and long term because it is difficult to apply and cover all areas of the footwear sufficiently.
• The waterproof coating or laminate in the shoes does not last. Some manufacturers of the lightweight trail shoes, which are usually constructed as a hybrid of fabric and leather, have treated them with a coating which can quickly wear off. It also keeps sweat in the shoe and your feet get soaked in sweat. Fairly quickly, coatings break down and will no longer be waterproof.
• Footwear which relies on a “Gore-Tex” style of waterproof/breathable laminate will break down through both wear and tear and dirt buildup on the material which renders it ineffective.

When I’ve tested so-called waterproof / breathable fabrics in shoes for various manufacturers, their actual performance never matched what was claimed. My reports to their QA departments have always reflected these weaknesses as found during testing. Sometimes a shoe will start the test period working fairly well under a narrow range of wet conditions, but as the testing progresses the failures increase.

Waterproof/breathable membranes, like Gore-Tex, are only marginally breathable — water vapor from perspiration does not pass through the fabric as efficiently as is claimed. It can't. Unlike outerwear, the shoe material radically inhibits the ability of the membrane to allow water vapor to escape, thereby trapping it in the shoe.

So, on warm days the experience of having sweat being trapped in the shoe is common. Combined with the fact that the fabric waterproofing is quickly damaged by dirt, sweat, grime, and abrasion and it’s only a matter of time before exterior moisture begins penetrating the fabric and allowing feet to get wet from outside moisture as well.

This is why most experienced trekkers and backpackers no longer go to great lengths to keep feet dry. They accept that when the weather is wet, feet will also get wet. Even the US military uses footwear for wet conditions which is not waterproof. The strategy is how to minimize any problems when feet are wet.

In working with folks new to backpacking who ask about waterproof footwear recommendations, I have asked why they wanted waterproof shoes. Sometimes, they will look at me as if I had spaghetti sticking out of my nose. Most will answer that they think their feet will stay dry, and that having wet feet is akin to getting into horrible trouble.

This post is meant to help inform, reassure, and give a different line of thought and reasoning to this issue.

I like to have dry feet. I always try to avoid wet feet. I have tried many ways to keep my feet dry:

• “Waterproof” shoes, which, as I’ve said, don’t work well.
• “Waterproof” socks, which don’t work for similar reasons: shoes still get wet, and feet soak with sweat. However – In cold weather these soaks can be the basis for using vapor barrier warmth conservation of the feet.
• Wearing multiple pairs of socks, frequently changing from wet to dry, which eventually all get wet.
• Carrying multiple pairs of shoes, which eventually all get wet, too.

I have never had total success at keeping my feet dry in very wet conditions, which led me to research what has been done to develop effective strategies. If I can’t keep my feet dry, then I need to try and eliminate or minimize the risk of any of the bad things that could occur to my wet feet when walking.

Some of these lessons I learned while in Vietnam…. Like the fact that our boots had fabric tops and numerous holes in the thin leather bottom portions so that water drained out quickly and never sat in the boots.

What are the most frequent and problematic 'bad' things?

• Maceration is the medical term for pruning, where the skin’s outer layer absorbs a lot of moisture and gets “soggy” from that moisture. The skin gets sore and extremely soft which makes it more prone to blistering and developing other problems.
• Cracking of the skin when the macerated feet dry. The natural moisture and oiliness of the skin is gone. The severity depends on how much stress the skin is exposed to after it is dried out.

So, what does work for me, and others, if I am going to be walking or backpacking in wet weather?

• Apply a good, thick coating of a Goop (ointment or salve) to my feet and between toes before putting on socks and shoes in the morning. If rain occurs later in the day, then remove shoes and socks and do the same. This helps protect from external moisture.

Goop which has a high content of wax – either bee or paraffin – is most ideal, especially if it also has a high lanolin content.

• Wear non-waterproof shoes which can drain and then dry out quickly. This minimizes the amount of puddling in the shoe that bathes the feet in moisture. Modern trail running shoes, and trail shoes often have nice open mesh fabric which is terrific for draining water.

Non-waterproof shoes will also eliminate moisture from sweaty feet. Remember, it doesn’t matter what the source of the moisture is that feet are exposed to: be it rain or sweat, each can cause the same problems.

• Wear thin, light-cushioned merino wool socks, which don’t absorb as much water as thicker socks. Merino wool will also keep wet feet warm and comfortable in most seasons and temperature ranges, unless the weather is frigid winter-cold.
• Take off shoes and socks to let feet air dry during rest stop that will be longer than 20 minutes.During this time, I will wring out any excess moisture from the socks, but I will not put on either of my dry pairs (I take three). I will also wipe off moisture on my feet and then reapply a goodly amount of Goop to my feet to help keep them from becoming macerated.
• When stopping for the day, apply Goop to the bottoms of feet, both before and after showering.
• Carry an extra pair of insoles. These insoles do not have to be your preferred “walking” insoles that you may have purchased separately. These can be the lightweight pair which came with your shoes. These will be the barrier between your wet footwear and your dry socks when you are done for the day and if your shoes are a bit damp come morning.

I find that at days end, I can remove the wet insoles and use absorbent paper or toweling to sop up as much moisture as is possible while I am showering and dealing with end of the day chores.

When I get ready to go to dinner or wander around town, I put on a pair of dry Merino wool socks, insert the extra pair of dry insoles into my shoes, and put the shoes back on to walk around in. This accelerates drying out the shoes. Depending on the shoe’s material, within a couple of hours the shoes are mostly dry.

• At bedtime, I remove the insoles and stuff absorbent material into the shoes to continue the drying out process, if need be, during the night.
• Apply more salve or ointment and wear dry and warm socks at while sleeping; this gives feet 8-9 hours of recovery.

While I dislike the feeling of vaseline, etc, on my feet I think this should be read by anyone planning a walk of any length.

 

[Drifter]

If people don't like the greasy feeling of vaseline, they might try Green Goo.
Also things like Body Glide will work well.

 

[davebugg]

While I dislike the feeling of vaseline, etc, on my feet I think this should be read by anyone planning a walk of any length.

Thank you.

I do not recommend vaseline-type petrolatum ointments due to their absorption into the skin and when exposed to water when walking it's ability to become emulsified off the skin. I highly recommend any thick "Goop which has a high content of wax – either bee or paraffin (or both) – is most ideal, especially if it also has a high lanolin content." This type of concoction is very persistent in remaining effective for long periods without frequent reapplication.

Body Glide has been mentioned and does work well. I also have had good results with 2 Toms which is also very persistent on the skin. Vaseline-type ointments will do well at the end of the day when showered, dry, and using it for night time applications.

 

[Arctic_Alex]

To chime in with the vaseline or other kinds of goo and the like: In Germany we have something called Hirschtalg (deer tallow creme). I sometimes use it and would recommend it.