Showers Pass Crosspoint Waterproof Socks

"Yes, they are actually waterproof". A bold claim by Showers Pass about their Crosspoint socks. To be fair they are kind of right but squelchy toes aren't quite banished forever.

They are made up of three layers. On the outside there's Artex, a tough knitted fabric; on the inside, a Coolmax FX liner; between them, a waterproof, breathable membrane. The liner is very soft against the skin and although they feel a little weird as you put them on thanks to the membrane they are oh so comfortable when they're in place.

The Coolmax is anti-bacterial and I can vouch for its effectiveness. After wearing them pretty much non-stop for two weeks without washing them not the slightest whiff of damp dog could be found.

The knitted outer is hardwearing and you won't find any seams in irritating places. The elasticated cuff sits just below mid-calf and it grips well, keeping the Crosspoints in place without leaving indents in your skin.

The membrane is truly waterproof with initial rides in the rain providing positive results. It was wet enough to soak my shoes on the hour's commute riding sans overshoe and mudguards. The outer layer of the sock was wet but nothing had penetrated the membrane, leaving my feet dry and beautifully cosy.

Once the roads are properly wet, with puddles forming and heavy spray from passing traffic, the Crosspoints fail in pretty much the same way as all waterproof foot coverings: water gets in the cuff after it runs down your legs. On some rides this could happen within fifteen minutes or so and the problem with waterproof membranes is they keep the water in just as well as they keep it out. Your feet stay wet for a long time and they got cold to even on a day with temperatures around 14°C.

Overall the Crosspoints get many things right with regard to build quality and comfort, and the waterproof membrane is 100% waterproof, as they claim. I did the 'stand in the bath' test just to confirm that, but on their own they aren't enough to keep your feet dry on the bike.

Pairing them up with overshoes they make part of a good layering system and their warmth when dry means they're brilliant winter socks. You do need a bit of room in your shoes as they are a bit thicker than standard cycling socks. If they do get wet on a freezing cold morning though I could imagine it's going to be very unpleasant.

They might work with waterproof trousers though. If you can get the water to flow over the cuff your feet will stay dry so that's possibly a good option for urban commuters.

Price wise they are on par with the likes of SealSkinz and others, though they all suffer from the same issues as the Crosspoints when it comes to water ingress. I'd rather spend the money on a decent pair of overshoes that'll also keep your shoes clean.

Verdict

Excellent as part of layering system but not quite good enough on their own; the search for dry feet continues