hello
no matter which socks i try, i'm still getting freezing toes in this weather. thought windproof socks would be good but no-one seems to do them. ive been going out in thick sports socks with porelle drys over the top. can anyone tell me the name of some really warm socks to beat this please?
thanks

Hi Dave. I think this q has come up b4 so u could check out som eof the old threads for ideas.
Personally, I don't know if crushing your feet with another millimetre of insulation will help. you need circulation to keep warm too. Short of getting winter boots (eg Sidi Storm), I would recommend taping over any ventilation holes in your shoes and wearing neoprene overshoes. I've found the Vision Repel ones very good.
Also, make sure you're keeping your whole body warm. The extremities (hands and feet) are the first bits to lose circulation if your body is trying to conserve heat.
Since a lot of heat is lost via the head and I have very short hair, I wear a skull cap under my helmet. I feel this helps keep my whole body warm, although I guess that is subjective.

Simple - wear neoprene over shoes. You might look like a pixie but your feet will be toasty warm. You also come home with shoes that resemble shoes - not caked in mud!

The waterproof socks keep out the wet but don't really do much at all for warmth.

Try them.

what about goretex socks. used to wear them with the forces, they used to cost £30 a pair and were better than goretex boots because once the water got in, it never came out mid-exercise!

I've always suffered from cold feet out on the bike in winter. Thick socks aren't the answer in my opinion. Roomy shoes with thinish wool socks so you have plenty of circulation, tape up the mesh on the toe box and wear Pro Vision Repel overshoes. As Euan says, make sure to keep your hands and head warm too. This seems to be working ok for me.
I also have a pair of Sidi Inverno winter boots on their way to me in the post soon, these should be toasty.

I find that if as you say, u put sports socks on with porelles on it works, but the FUNDAMENTAL thing is to make sure youre feet are warm when you put the porrelles on. Otherwise, if they are cold, they stay cold,and vice versa.

BUT you do get thermal socks, try emailing someone who stocks lots of socks (?)
BEn

forgot to mention i also tried the neoprene shimano overshoes with the socks and porelles and didnt seem to make much difference. youre prob right that i might need warmer shoes. got some of those diadora jalapenos which are prob more of a summer shoe. i think i'll have to look out for some good winter shoes at an affordable price.

Maybe your shoes are too small?

I've been using the basic and cheap Shimano mtb spd shoes (around £30/£40 I think) for the last year with no problems in the winter. They are certainly not made for winter as they have loads of mesh on them but I get by okay. I find a massive warmth difference when I bung on my neoprene overshoes though and could ride all day.

You just might be unlucky and be one of those folks who suffer cold hands/feet more than most?

Before i got some northwave artic shoes (brilliant), the one thing I found which seemed to work ok was to get some cheap thermal socks from Yeomans, put one sock on, then a largish plastic sandwich bag over that, and then put another sock on - giving you two thermal layers and a waterproof one!
...you need roomy shoes for this though.

There is someone that does windproof socks.
Groundeffect(.com), whole sell over the net only. I've not tried the socks, but I can vouch for the service, and speed of delivery. I think the socks work out at about £8 or something miserly.

As for neoprene overshoes - superb. But I've just started wearing some spesh rockhopper boots that I've tucked away for bike'n'hike routes and never used till now. With seal skins inside, exactly as warm as my dominators with sealskins and overshoes, and 100 times easier to get on/stay on/ drive car in/ walk in.
Only downside is bulk/weight and if they get wet they soak it up unlike the dominators.

Bugger me - try some good neoprene overshoes and if they don't work then I'll eat my Marin.