walking boots - wet inside why?

[superlightr]

Been having walking boots for years - various makes/types - All gortex lined etc and good makes £150+

This has applied to all my boots Ive had - What I don't understand is why after walking for say 4 hrs over wet ground/ grass etc do the boots end up wet/damp inside?

I change my socks but the boots are wet. Water is not going over the top. I'm sure my feet arnt sweating so much to make the boot so wet. (Socks damp in hot walking via sweat buts boots good)

Any enlightenment I would be grateful - does the gortex wear out? fail? wrong type of grass?

Edited by superlightr on Monday 6th November 16:47

[joshleb]

My feet always get damp and I've put it down to sweat.

I find my boots are always pretty tight with thick socks, it just happens.

Be nice if I was wrong though....

[superlightr]

ps
Ive nikwaxed etc

more than just a little damp.... yes in the past damp sock via sweat and then change socks and all custy etc. I take more socks with me then undies on a long walk of 3 or 4 days !

we were wringing the socks out and water dripping.

[Aggymon]

Doesn't the Nikwax defeat the point of having the goretex ?


My el cheapo £50 millets specials get a bit damp inside after an hour or so but that's just foot sweat.

I wear boots at work and in the summer when I take them off on the patio I walk around leaving a little trail of wet footprints, it's lovely

[GadgeS3C]

I have that problem with walking boots and ski boots.

Sweaty feet!

[LordHaveMurci]

Could be your feet sweating, it's more likely the top of your socks,trouser bottoms are getting wet.

No such thing as a completely waterproof boot except a welly (to a point!), I'll wear gaiters if it's really wet or muddy & they help a lot.

[superlightr]

pretty sure its not sweating -

used to yomp and have foot inspections ! ( before gortex ) so this feels like the gortex not working or failing when out for a nice hike.

Yep good thinking about over the top - but no water not getting in over the top or down the socks.

its prolonged wet grass that's the issue ie all day

[superlightr]

GadgeS3C said:

I have that problem with walking boots and ski boots.

Sweaty feet!

yep agree with the ski boots etc - but its more than that.

I'm thinking the boots have failed/gortext faile.d

[LordHaveMurci]

superlightr said:

I'm thinking the boots have failed/gortext faile.d

Problem is with Goretex is that once water gets in, it's staying in!

My Salomon shoes are meant to be waterproof, any walk in wet weather over about 30mins & my feet are getting wet, if it really bothers you buy some waterproof socks but even they're not that great by all accounts (never actually worn my Sealskinz ones!).

[Echo66]

superlightr said:

GadgeS3C said:

I have that problem with walking boots and ski boots.

Sweaty feet!

yep agree with the ski boots etc - but its more than that.

I'm thinking the boots have failed/gortext faile.d

I'd say so. I get my boots made to order from Altberg up in Richmond (got extra wide feet). I'm still wearing a pair of defenders I got from them back in the early 00's. They've been over most of Iraq & a fair bit of africa coupled with a shedload of walking around the UK. Still dry as a bone. The goretex still as good as day they were made.
Check sole welts, stitching lines etc. If they're integral tongue as waterproof should be then the system must have failed.

[spikeyhead]

Nikwaxing goretex defeats the point of goretex

[boxedin]

spikeyhead said:

Nikwaxing goretex defeats the point of goretex

This.

For boots all you need to do is rinse off the mud, in a stream is good enough.

Nothing like standing in meltwater to cool down your feet :-)

[popeyewhite]

superlightr said:

I'm thinking the boots have failed/gortext faile.d

Most likely explanation given what you'e already said.

I reckon uppers on walking boots rot more quickly than the soles wear out, particularly if lots of walking is done in the wet and in mud (I've found it's the opposite with trail running shoes). 10/15 miles a week decent hike is easily over 500 miles a year and that used to be the 'trade in' limit for new boots. My boots always seem to go where the goretex meets leather at the back of the toecap.

[NRS]

superlightr said:

pretty sure its not sweating -

used to yomp and have foot inspections ! ( before gortex ) so this feels like the gortex not working or failing when out for a nice hike.

Yep good thinking about over the top - but no water not getting in over the top or down the socks.

its prolonged wet grass that's the issue ie all day

Gore-tex basically works by allowing the water to pass from inside to out, but not the other way around. From memory for this to work you need a moisture gradient/contrast between inside and outside. If you're constantly having the outside very wet due to walking around in more wet grass then you'll not allow a gradient to occur, and so any sweat inside will no go anywhere, resulting in you getting wet feet after a while.

Or if they're dirty the pores can get clogged and so need cleaned. Or they've failed.

[popeyewhite]

NRS said:

Gore-tex basically works by allowing the water to pass from inside to out, but not the other way around.

I'm sure it's only a typo but goretex allows moist air/vapour out - not actual water. Any cross country runner will tell you that.

[NRS]

popeyewhite said:

NRS said:

Gore-tex basically works by allowing the water to pass from inside to out, but not the other way around.

I'm sure it's only a typo but goretex allows moist air/vapour out - not actual water. Any cross country runner will tell you that.

Sorry, as you said. It was more just a simplification for the overall issue, rather than the scientific details,

[Ayahuasca]

Either sweat, or maybe wet trousers / socks above boot level are allowing water to percolate down.

I always hike with wet feet - I use jungle boots that allow water in, and have little drainage holes in them to allow the water to run out again.

[ColinM50]

It's called incontinence. More usually termed, "he's pistimself". Happens as you get older and more worrying is when you don't realise you're doing it. Much like you now

[Vaud]

http://www.nikwax.com/usblog/how-to-clean-waterpro...

Any help?

"Even if your shoes have a waterproof membrane, like GORE-TEX, BDry, or eVent, the outer material will eventually soak up water. If your shoes are wet on the outside, that means water vapor (foot sweat) can’t escape, and soon, pruney swamp feet will follow."