Warm and wet
Summer rain is the worst case. The air is already saturated, you’re producing heat, and the sweat has nowhere to go. Wear a thin sock and accept wet feet.
Running & trail
Waterproof socks for running and trail
Runners ask about weight and bulk before anything else, and they’re right to. Here’s the honest answer, and the runs these are actually for.
Product facts
- Waterproof layer
- Porelle® membrane
- Build
- Three layers
- Sizes
- UK 3 to 14
- Price
- From £20 a pair
The trade
Weight and bulk, honestly
A waterproof sock has three layers where a racing sock has one. There’s no version of this where the weight is the same, so here’s what the difference actually is.
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Bulk is the more real objection
They’re about the volume of a cushioned training sock. In a race-fit shoe with no room, that matters. In a normal training shoe it doesn’t.
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What you’re trading it for
Dry feet at mile ten in December instead of soaked feet at mile two. Whether that’s worth three layers is a question only your local weather can answer.
When not to
When these are the wrong sock
Every brand tells you when to wear their product. On a running page that’s close to useless, because the conditions these suit are narrower than the conditions people run in.
Buy a pair
How it is built
Cold and wet is where these earn their place. That’s most of a British winter. It isn’t July.
Hard efforts in mild weather
Intervals, tempo, anything above steady in double figures. You’ll out-produce the waterproof layer within twenty minutes and finish damp from the inside.
A race-fit shoe with no room
If your racing shoe is already snug in a thin sock, don’t put a three-layer sock in it. This is a training and long-run product first.
Winter
The runs these are for
Not performance. Consistency — the training block surviving the months when it usually doesn’t.
Wet feet get cold fast
A soaked foot at five degrees loses heat quickly, and cold toes are why a lot of winter long runs get cut short. Dry feet stay warm at temperatures where wet ones don’t.
Trail, crossings and standing water
On a wet trail you stop picking your line around the puddles, which is faster and a good deal more enjoyable.
The pair waiting for tomorrow
They air dry rather than tumble dry, which takes longer. If you run four mornings a week in winter you need more than one pair — that’s the honest reason the two-pair price exists.
Blisters
Blisters at running pace
Running compresses the same problem walkers have into a much shorter time, which is why runners feel it more sharply.
Wet skin is weaker skin
Soft, wet skin gives up under friction far faster. Keeping your foot dry removes one of the three things a blister needs, and at running cadence that’s the one that changes quickest.
Fit does the rest
A sock that bunches at the toe will blister you at any moisture level. Take the bigger size if you’re between two, and check for rucking before you set off.
We don’t guarantee this
Some brands offer a blister-free guarantee. We don’t, because blistering depends on your shoe, your gait and your distance far more than on your sock.
Order
Choose your colour and size
Two pairs is the usual choice for anyone running through winter — 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.
Something not here? Phone or email us
Are waterproof socks good for running?
In cold, wet conditions, yes — they keep your feet dry and therefore warm on winter miles and wet trails. In warm rain, or on hard efforts in mild weather, they’re the wrong choice, and this page says which runs those are.
Are waterproof socks too hot for running?
In summer, generally yes. The waterproof layer moves sweat out as vapour but it can’t keep up with a running foot in warm, humid air. In British winter conditions the balance goes the other way and they’re comfortable for hours.
Do waterproof socks feel bulky when running?
They’re about the volume of a cushioned training sock. In a normal training shoe that’s unremarkable. In a snug race-fit shoe it’s noticeable, and we wouldn’t recommend them for that.
What socks should I wear for trail running in the rain?
If it’s cold, a waterproof sock — wet feet lose heat quickly and that’s what ends winter runs. If it’s mild, a thin quick-draining sock and dry socks in the car. The temperature decides, not the rain.
Will waterproof socks stop blisters when running?
They remove one of the three causes, and at running pace wet skin is the one that changes fastest. Fit and shoe friction still matter, and we don’t offer a blister-free guarantee because neither of those is ours to control.
How many pairs do runners need?
Two or three if you run through winter. They air dry rather than tumble dry, so a single pair won’t be ready for tomorrow morning after a wet run today.
Buy a pair
Two decisions and a quantity. No account needed.
Not your problem?