My preference is for non waterproof boots/trail shoes , my reasoning being - once water gets into a waterproof boot after those injudicious steps into a bog, it can't get out and you have wet boots for the rest of the walk. Give me wet feet over hot feet any day, I'll blister very quickly on a hot day but in the wet a good coat of vaseline/ hemp hand cream mix seems to stop any problems. Matthew's and my Tasmania adventure saw us with soaked and muddy feet for 10/12 or more hours every day for 6 days but we had no blisters. I do find it difficult to find reasonable NON Goretex boots/shoes now though, so I realise I'm in a minority. Jane

Ive been scratching my head about this one as well, i'm switching to trainers but the other morning i walked through a field with dew in the grass and my feet were absolutely soaking within minutes. this has severely dented my confidence for the 100 miler . i've thought about sealskins or making some kind of gaiter out of plastic and elastic bands , its not the rain that gets the shoes wet its the wet grass so if you could don a protective device at the right time no worries! anyone invented anything ?

i use trail shoes with sealskin socks with coolmax sock liners, these take the sweat away better than just the sealskin on its own then i only have to change the liners another advantage i found on the northumberland 100 is that when your feet get hot you can stand in a stream to cool them down without having to take your trainers off

I can't find anything that is 100% waterproof, but Rich has Berghaus Goretex Boots (which he got at a ridiculous discount in Go Outdoors) and his feet are ALWAYS dry when mine are wringing wet! EIther they're fantastically waterproof, or he's dodging the puddles!

I don't think anything is 100%, but the Goretex seems to hold up better than leather. I've just bought some Salomon Goretex boots, so I'll see how I get on!

Deb

Ben,
I,ve had the same problem,s with all leather boots inc Scarpa and always used Nic-Wax Wax in the round tin's.
Recently found "Dubbin" stocked in my local sports shop, with option of clear or black which i purchased.
So like yourselve it's a case of wait and see.
Personally i don't think the leather quality is as good as it was.
Maybe to keep the boots at reasonable cost the quality suffer's.

Ben,
I,ve had the same problem,s with all leather boots inc Scarpa and always used Nic-Wax Wax in the round tin's.
Recently found "Dubbin" stocked in my local sports shop, with option of clear or black which i purchased.
So like yourselve it's a case of wait and see.
Personally i don't think the leather quality is as good as it was.
Maybe to keep the boots at reasonable cost the quality suffer's.

I have an associated question. Last year, I bought a pair of Scarpa GTX boots. I religiously anointed them on a regular basis with Nikwax Aqueous Wax but, eventually, the leather on both boots cracked at the top towards the front where the leather flexes as you walk. The cracks went right down to the GoreTex layer and, to give Scarpa their due, they did replace the boots. I like the boots and I now have another new pair but, this time, I have turned to Nikwax's Waterproofing Wax for Leather. This is a cream rather than a smooth-on liquid and my thinking is that I can work the cream into the vulnerable area of the boot using a rag or even my finger. This way, I hope to keep the leather supple and, ultimately, crack free. But, in the ?good ol? days?, I used to use Dubbin and I never had any cracked leather, nor wet feet. What has happened to Dubbin? Is it now frowned upon in comparison with the more-recent Nikwax products or HS12 cream (Scarpa?s own cream)? What do other walkers use: Dubbin or newer products?

I'm very sceptical of waterproof anything (in extreme conditions), other than bin liners and similar non-breathable materials. So I accept that my feet will be wet and I wear trainers. If it's very cold and snowy like now, I wear trainers + sealskins. Sealskins still get damp inside from sweat but insulate from the ice/snow outside. No other sugeestions. Matt.

I use Sealskinz waterproof socks with trainers.

There must be very many members who have walked long distances over the course of many days and been able to keep their feet dry. I would be very interested to hear from them what boots they have worn to achieve this.
My own recent experience has been very unfortunate. I have just completed the Southern Upland Way in 11 days averaging 20 miles each day and I started off wearing new Zamberlan Trail Lite boots, a brand I have worn for many years. On the third day it was very wet, windy and misty with many miles of surface water on the upland moorland paths of rough grass, heather, rushes and deep moss on the spongy peat bog. To prevent water going over the tops of the boots I had the elasticated bottoms of my waterproof trousers covering the top three lace hooks. I never stepped in water which went over the boot tops.
After 4 hours my feet on the sides of my toes were getting wet, after 6 hours they were seriously wet and after 9 hours, when I reached my destination, a bothy, I could pour out about half a cup-ful of water from each boot. I had wet feet for the next 7 days.
Do other members suffer in a similar way or are there boots which are genuinely waterproof in these conditions which I consider bad but not extreme. Maybe my expectations of waterproof boots are too high.
I would welcome your comments and also, do we, in LDWA, have an impartial expert on this subject of waterproof gear.
Thank you.