Waterproof shoes…….not waterproof

[EMTBSEAN]

I have some brand new 510 addidas trailcross shoes, I wore them a few weeks ago in the wet and they performed flawlessly, today while out on a ride in the Peak District they didn’t fair so well, in fact my feet were as wet as they would have been with my 510 free riders, any suggestions to restore the waterproofness, I’m confused because they’re goretex and I thought goretex was supposed to be and stay waterproof or do they need some kind of treatment, over to you guys please

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

most people I know that have them around here say the same thing.. basically they aint waterproof and theres nothing can be done about it

 

[Doomanic]

theres nothing can be done about it

Send them back?

 

[Doomanic]

I have some brand new 510 addidas trailcross shoes, I wore them a few weeks ago in the wet and they performed flawlessly, today while out on a ride in the Peak District they didn’t fair so well, in fact my feet were as wet as they would have been with my 510 free riders, any suggestions to restore the waterproofness, I’m confused because they’re goretex and I thought goretex was supposed to be and stay waterproof or do they need some kind of treatment, over to you guys please

Do you know where they were leaking from?

 

[apac]

It ain't going to take a scientist to know water gets In from the big hole your foot goes into. Probably big Splashy puddles doing it.

 

[EMTBSEAN]

I don’t think it’s getting in from the top because I wear waterproof trousers and they go right over the shoes, I don’t think I have the receipt but I’ll check, if not I have some nikwax spray that I can apply to my shoes, if not I’ll get in touch with the seller

 

[Charliektm400exc]

Just because it says it’s waterproof it isn’t always true

 

[philuk]

do your socks poke out of the top? I had this where my socks soaked down into them.

All i took from it was my feet although wet were still warm! rather than the other lad who was wet and freezing

 

[EMTBSEAN]

My socks do poke out but I have waterproof trousers covering the tops, I do have the receipt but that said I have treated them with Nikwax so I think that’ll solve the problem.

 

[Swissrider]

If they are genuine goretex they will have a metal goretex label (not just a label with “waterproof” and they won’t leak. Gore have very stringent controls over the design and performance of any shoes or garments using their product. I’ve been able to wade around in deep puddles and cross streams in goretex boots and stay dry, at least when new. After a year or so, that’s another story!

 

[Mikerb]

I gave up trusting any supposed waterproof barrier years ago. One episode I remeber was a pair of Merrel GTX boots which leaked like a sieve. I returned them to the shop who returned them to Merrel. They sent them back saying I had not treated the outers correctly! In addition they quoted the water pressure in Bar that the GTX membrane could withstand............it was pathetic....walking fast through wet grass would be enough to penetrate the membrane.
The bottom line is that it is the upper material that provides the majority of the protection. If the upper get soiled that dirt can be transferred to the membrane which then makes it useless. So a GTX shoe with a textile upper is in my book totally useless if you want it to be waterproof. The upper must be a material that can be sealed..........e.g leather.
For any shoe or boot that I want to be waterproof as far as I am concerned it has to have an upper that is either rubber or leather or a synthetic material that is capable of being sealed. I do not believe the premium charged for GTX is worth it.

 

[Dazb]

Mine leak around the bottom the tongue, They can handle splashes but when it comes to cleaning them down at the end of the day with a hose they let the water in

 

[lightning]

l've got a pair of expensive five ten "waterproof" mtb shoes

The blurb says The "fully gussetted tongue prevents water ingress"
No, it doesn't
lt never has, right from the first time out with them.

Any water that gets to the lace area goes straight through to my feet.

Although my feet do stay warmer so there was some benefit in the £100 l paid for them.

 

[steve_sordy]

My old Shimano AM41 (for flats) are still waterproof. But obviously the big hole at the ankle lets in water, so I buy them a size larger and wear Sealskinz socks.

Ove the years, the fold over flap that stops the laces from getting loose and also stops watersplash from penetrating got badly torn from brambles, pedal pins and the like. At first, I used Gorilla tape to cover the torn material, which restored the waterproof(ness).

But that too got very ragged after a while, so a piece of inner tube rubber glued on sorted that out. Note also the hot melt glue securing the sole on one of the shoes, torn after impact with a tree stump.

I've had these so long that I'm getting very close to the pins penetrating to soles.

 

[Hobo Mikey]

Steve why not cut an old tyre up and stick it on the sole, get another ten years out of them boots then.

 

[steve_sordy]

Steve why not cut an old tyre up and stick it on the sole, get another ten years out of them boots then.

I love it!
But I'd have to grind down the sole to something approaching smooth before anything would stick to it. I wouldn't want the stick-on sole to come off mid ride, now would I?
Too much hassle, even for this tight-arsed Yorkshireman.

 

[Mikerb]

send them back and complain!! You would probably give the complaints department such a laugh they would send you a new pair!!

 

[KennyB]

Send them a link to this thread showing how you've told everyone how great they are and they'll probably send you a new pair

 

[Ian986]

I have the gortex ones and I was jet washing the bike and boots where dirty so blasted them off and my feet where bone dry I Could not believe it

 

[Manc44]

Was water running down your legs and into them?

I had waterproof pants on covering the top when I was standing on the ground, but on my bike they become about 4 inches shorter.

 

[EMTBSEAN]

My Endura mt500 trousers are very long and always cover my shoes so water getting in from the top is impossible, I’ve treated them with Nikwax so the next time I go out my feet should stay dry, or at least they better stay dry otherwise il be contacting the seller

 

[Terence]

Some may recall my first post as a new MTB rider this year having giving up horse riding and my experience with trying to find waterproof footwear. I sent back two pairs of the Adidas goretex shoes due to wet feet and bought a pair of the Vaude SympaTex and you guessed it I still came back with wet feet! I couldn’t understand why you needed to buy waterproof socks to go with waterproof shoes…I get it now.! Waterproof socks may prevent your feet from getting wet but your shoes will be soaked inside unless you protect your lower leg , ankle and above the lace area with over trousers gaiters or something similar. I now ride the trail in my old horse riding half chaps and after two 25km wet cross country enduro rides I came back with dry feet and dry shoes and no need for waterproof socks. Okay the inside of the leather half chaps after these two rides was damp but I’ve now treated with a leather water proofer and will see how they hold up. Horse riding half chaps are sold in all sorts of materials including neoprene , the design hugs your leg are comfortable to wear and cover the top part of the lace area of the shoe. I did search for waterproof half chaps but as yet no luck so will stick with these old leather pair for now.

 

[EMTBSEAN]

That’s not a bad idea mate, I hope the Nikwax treatment works for me, not had a chance to try them yet as I’ve been unable to ride due to my damned back again

 

[Terence]

That’s not a bad idea mate, I hope the Nikwax treatment works for me, not had a chance to try them yet as I’ve been unable to ride due to my damned back again

I used Nikwax on my Goretex and SympaTex shoes and found a product called URAD Waterproofer/Conditioning Wax for my leather half chaps applied twice and its really working. Hope your back gets back to normal asap..

 

[EMTBSEAN]

Thanks buddy, well I’m back at work tomorrow and I’ve got some gas fire work to do so I’m hoping it’s better otherwise I’m gonna be struggling.
I’ve never heard of that stuff before but it could be an alternative to the Nikwax, thanks for the heads up