SealSkinz Ultra-light waterproof socks
Price: £20

Website: SealSkinz.com

It’s a tough life, but since the new, considerably less bulky, SealSkinz waterproof socks landed on our desk in May we just haven’t been rained on on the bike. At least, not unless we’d forgotten to put on the SealSkinz and then got caught out… With the upturn in weather in our parts we were just beginning to despair of some proper rain to test the sock in. Then, a brainwave. As colleague Mark Dangerfield headed off to do a 24-hour mountain bike race last weekend we thrust a large pair in his hands and implored him to try them if the opportunity presented itself. And sure enough it did.

Faced with soggy late-night feet and riding through a river crossing and claggy, horrible mud, Mark traded in his regular, now sodden, cycling socks for the SealSkinz. And these are his initial impressions:

“Hot feet has always been an issue for me so I’d been a little apprehensive about wearing SealSkins. Waterproof usually means not breathable and that usually means discomfort. But after having my feet thoroughly soaked over a waterlogged course I decided to give the socks a go.

“Straight out of the packet the SealSkinz are more than a little stiffer and thicker than normal cycling socks, but once they were on and in my shoes I forgot about them. From that point on my feet remained dry and comfortable. I didn’t overheat as expected and I guess the best testament to them was that I didn’t think of my feet at all: They just got on with their job.

“I wouldn’t consider wearing these socks on a sweltering hot day, but then again, that’s not what they are there for. I have now been converted and if I am going to step out in the rain in the future, I am taking my SealSkins with me. Dry feet are comfortable feet. Comfortable feet usually means comfortable me.”

At £20 though, they’re not cheap socks, so we want to look at them longer-term to see how they bear up.