Overshoes or Goretex Socks?

[Calum]

In wet weather I've always used overshoes pretty successfully, but it's time for a new pair and I'm wondering whether a better solution would actually be Goretex socks instead of overshoes.  Thing with overshoes is that they are fiddly to put on and my feet get clammy on long rides.  Anyone tried Goretex socks instead?  (I don't want to go with open sandals, as I'm a wuss and my feet get chilly in northern climes.)
Thanks!

[Pat Lamb]

Hard to give recommendations, since your climate isn't terribly obvious and will likely change next week.

I've used overshoes for cold weather (below 15 degrees F) with some success.  For miserable rain at 35F, I'll usually wear wool socks with a half a plastic grocery bag wrapped over the socks to reduce moisture intrusion and wind cooling.  Success depends on how long you'll be riding, how cold it is, and most of all, how hard is it raining. 

Liked to have froze my feet off with neoprene socks, so I haven't tried goretex.

[staehpj1]

For we weather above freezing I prefer to just wear shoes with plenty of mesh and socks that dry quickly, don't hold much water, and don't feel too bad when wet.  It also helps if your shoes do not soak up much water.  My sidis and poly socks fill that bill for me for any weather I have experienced when on tour.

Much below freezing and wet I wear booties over my bike shoes, but have never needed to do that when on tour.  I have sometimes ridden in the 20s F on tour, but not when it was wet.  I have also ridden in very wet weather on tour, but never below freezing.

[ZiZohn]

I like to wear sandals when I ride. 2 years ago, my son and I were doing a portion of the Southern Tier out of San Diego. We left Pine Valley on a chilly 37 degree morning with a pretty good rain shower thrown in. I wore my cycling sandals, with sock liners , Neoprene socks over those, all covered by my Gore Bike Wear overshoes (I call them my "Bozo" shoes, as in the clown). My feet stayed dry and warm with this set-up through nearly 35 miles of these terrible conditions before the weather started to clear. That day the temps never got over 41 degrees until we came down into the desert later in the afternoon.

[Goodaches]

We've been very satisfied with our old SUGOi Resistor Booties. They covered our cleated shoes and fit tight above our ankles. Our shoes stayed dry and the snug fit around the leg has kept water from running in the top. Plus, we rarely encounter warm weather rain. For us, rainy days are also colder days so having the thick shoe covering has helped that aspect of comfort too. The only down side has been that the parts that fit around the sole have deteriorated quickly from walking. These were probably designed for road bikers. We do off-road touring. So, loaded bikes and steep hills can require one or two tenths of a mile pushing instead pedaling. After accumulating about two miles of walking over several trips and the bottoms were shredding. I did slow down the wear by applying lines of silicone glue to the bottom like an add on tread.
For the GDMBR this year we've switched back to cages on our pedals and I'm trying to find light, tight galoshes. I remember as a kid that those could handle a few miles of walking. Anyone using something like that?

[Goliaff]

I don't want to know if fate is different than a brave day with wet shoes (and wet socks). No matter how nice and dry it is, I can't keep my feet wet. Between the moisture and the added weight of shoes filled with water, the sensations are no worse – and when it's cold outside, you can forget about drying your feet. If you live in a region with long rains or occasional storms, waterproof shoes can be really useful. It turns out that many shoes are created for the rainiest days, and, strictly speaking, these do not rain boots. These shoes are like yoga socks: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B081TQ3L2Y - they do not slip, which is why people wear them.

[Todd Collart]

I followed tips from the ultra-lite backpacking guides regarding keeping one's feet dry. I used thin plastic vegetable bags available at any supermarket.  I put these on over my sox so they were between my shimano shoes and my sox.   I do not have sweaty feet normally, so the lack of ventilation was not a problem. I also did not have to wear this arrangement long.  The plastic bags may be the best short term free solution.