Cycling & commuting
Waterproof socks for cycling and commuting
On a wet road the water comes up, not down. Overshoes are sealed everywhere except the ankle, which is exactly where it arrives.
Product facts
- Waterproof layer
- Porelle® membrane
- Build
- Three layers
- Sizes
- UK 3 to 14
- Price
- From £20 a pair
The problem
Where the water actually comes from
Riding in the rain isn’t really a rain problem. It’s a spray problem, and spray behaves differently.
Off the front wheel, onto your ankle
The front wheel throws a constant fan of water backwards onto the shoe and the ankle. That’s where an overshoe stops, and where it’s open.
Standing water, at speed
A puddle taken at twenty miles an hour goes into your shoe through the vents in a way that rain simply doesn’t.
The road is dirtier than the rain
Road spray carries grit and oil. It stains, it wears things out, and it’s why cycling kit gives up faster than walking kit.
And nothing dries at the office
A soaked cycling shoe doesn’t dry under a desk in eight hours. The ride home starts wet whatever the forecast says.
Vs overshoes
Compared with overshoes
Most people reading this already own a pair. This isn’t an argument that they’re useless — it’s what each one is actually good at.
| What matters | Waterproof socks | Overshoes |
|---|---|---|
| Where the water gets in | Waterproof socks The waterproof line is on your foot, so ankle spray lands outside it rather than inside. | Overshoes Sealed over the shoe, open at the ankle — which is where the spray arrives. |
| Wind | Waterproof socks They keep your foot warmer but do nothing for the shoe. In properly cold wind that’s a real gap. | Overshoes Better. They block windchill across the whole shoe, which matters below about five degrees. |
| The shoe itself | Waterproof socks The shoe gets soaked. Your foot doesn’t. | Overshoes The shoe stays dry, which is the strongest argument for them on a commute with nowhere to dry anything. |
| Putting them on | Waterproof socks You put a sock on. | Overshoes Fiddly, especially in the dark with cold hands, and they tear at the heel where the cleat sits. |
| Cost and how long they last | Waterproof socks £20, and they fail from heat and washing rather than from cleat abrasion. | Overshoes Around £30–£40 and often a one-season item on a daily commute. |
| Both together | Waterproof socks Worth it when: properly cold, properly wet, properly long. The most effective and most expensive option. | Overshoes Not worth it when: anything milder. You’ll overheat. |
Almost everything in this category is designed around the journey in. A commute has two halves, and only one of them ends near a radiator.
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A shoe won’t dry in eight hours
Especially not under a desk in a building with the heating on a timer. Overshoes protect the shoe on the way in. They don’t dry it by five o’clock.
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A sock can be swapped
A second pair in your bag weighs almost nothing and means the ride home starts dry even if the shoe doesn’t. That’s the practical reason commuters buy two pairs.
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Wash cool, air dry overnight
They’ll be ready for the morning. They won’t be ready in two hours, and they must never go on a radiator — direct heat is what finishes a waterproof layer off.
Cycling shoes have far less room than a walking boot, so this matters more here than anywhere else on the site.
About the same as a cushioned training sock
If your shoes are already snug in a thin summer sock they’ll be tight in these. Winter and commuting shoes usually have room. Race-fit road shoes often don’t.
Between two sizes, go up
A tight sock in a tight shoe creates a pressure point across your toes that you’ll notice at about mile four.
If you size up for winter shoes
These fit that space exactly. If you don’t, try them in the shoe before committing to a long ride.
Order
Choose your colour and size
Two pairs is what most commuters take — one on, one drying.
- Delivery
- Free UK delivery on two pairs or more
- Dispatch
- UK company, UK warehouse
- Checkout
- Guest — no account required
- Payment
- Visa · Mastercard · American Express · Apple Pay · Google Pay · Shop Pay
Questions
Common questions
Answered with the same facts as the rest of this page. If one of them contradicts something above, the answer above is the one that is wrong.
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Are waterproof socks good for cycling?
Yes, especially commuting in the wet. Road spray arrives at the ankle, which is where an overshoe is open, and a waterproof sock puts the barrier below that line. They’re less useful in cold wind, where an overshoe also blocks windchill on the shoe.
Are waterproof socks better than overshoes?
For keeping your foot dry, generally yes, because they seal where the spray actually arrives. For keeping the shoe dry and blocking wind, overshoes win. In cold, wet, long conditions a lot of people use both.
Will they fit inside cycling shoes?
They’re about the bulk of a cushioned training sock. Winter and commuting shoes usually have the room. Snug race-fit road shoes often don’t. If you already size up for winter shoes, they fit that space.
What socks should I wear cycling to work in winter?
Something still working on the ride home, when the shoe never dried. A waterproof sock plus a spare pair in your bag deals with both halves of the commute, which overshoes on their own don’t.
Do waterproof socks keep your feet warm on a bike?
Much warmer than a wet sock, because they stop your foot cooling as water evaporates and they block the wind reaching it. They aren’t insulated though — below about five degrees you may still want an overshoe over the top.
How do I wash them after a wet commute?
Rinse the road grit off first, then a cool wash inside out with no fabric softener, and air dry away from any heat. Never on a radiator, however tempting after a wet ride.
Two decisions and a quantity. No account needed.
Not your problem?