Socks of Wicking Fabrics
Cotton socks are of no help when trying to keep your feet dry, they hold the moisture next to the skin, softening it and leaving it prone to blisters. Walkers should wear socks made of wicking fabric that will transport either rain or sweat away from the skin. A variety of high-performance wicking fabric sports and hiking socks are available at outdoors stores and running stores. CoolMax is a common sock fabric that wicks sweat and moisture away from the foot. SmartWool socks combine the insulation of wool with moisture control fabric.Compare Prices Men's
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Waterproof Socks
SealSkinz makes waterproof socks, a great option for those who want to walk in sandals in all weather, or who don't want to give up the performance of their favorite walking shoe in favor of a waterproof shoe.SealSkinz
Gaiters
Gaiters are oversocks that attach from your lower leg to the tops of your boots or shoes. They keep snow, rain, mud, gravel, leaves and twigs from getting into your shoes or boots. Look for hiking varieties at outdoors stores - these are often shorter than the skiing varieties, although either could be useful when walking in the rain.
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Single-Use Plastic Items as Gaiters
Those free plastic shower caps you get when staying in a hotel room are great to use as gaiters for a single use. Simply slip over your shoe with the elastic at your ankle. You can also make single-use gaiters with plastic bags and duct tape. They don't look pretty, but can help keep the rain out. You can simply slip your whole foot and shoe into a bag and duct tape the top to your socks at the ankle. Or, you can cut a hole in the bag just big enough to slip your foot through. Then duct tape the open end of the bag to the sole your your shoe and reinforce the hole you cut to remain around your ankle.
