Review: Seal Skinz MTB HydroStop Sock

We Liked

The things that the Seal Skinz sock does well......The main body of the sock is water proof. Not only is it water proof but its also wind proof. This is a nice feature when the temp drops and the wind picks up. You do have a few colors to choose from. There is green, blue and grey. But hey lets face it this is a winter fall sock not a summer sock. Lastly, this sock is warm. That's because its lined with a very soft Marino wool. Who doesn't like Marino wool? Marino wool is one of mother natures great fabrics that has really good warmth properties.

We Didn't Like

Even though the sock has a rubber gusset on it the Gusset is basicallyonly there to hold the sock up. What? Well you see the Ribbed cuff is two layers. Essentially a large fold. And the gusset is ONLY on the inside of the fold. So Even though the water is stopped from getting in directly from coming down your leg that water is essentially diverted to the fabric that just goes around the gusset. The cuff fabric is not water proof and absorbs water quite easily. If you hold the ribbed cuff up to the light you can see right though it.

The Final Say

Seal skinz has been around for a while and have made an effort to get into the cycling market. The sock is well made to hold up to the rigors of cycling. Having the Marino wool lining makes this sock very comfortable and warm. The waterproof material in the main body is also wind proof making this sock very versatile. However, When we went out and rode in the rain our feet got wet. With the silicone gusset at the top we could not figure out why our feet were still getting wet. So as it turns out the ribbed cuff material at the top of the sock is not the same as the rest of the sock. Its not water proof at all and you can hold it to your mouth and breath through it quite easily. Making the cuff out of fabric that is not waterproof was not really the best choice if your going to charge $60 for a pair of waterproof socks. Now, if you use this sock with waterproof cycling pants you should be good. But if you don't have the commuter pants to go with them don't waste your money.. This sock is better off being used as a winter sock that might get wet and not a rain sock when your riding. When we saw the sock at Interbike we were hopeful that we finally found a sock that was waterproof from the top down. Sadly this is not the case.

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