This article contains Amazon Affiliate links – any items purchased from these links help to support the blog, at no additional cost to you!
I’ve written before about my all-time favourite shoes – the Salomon Sense Ride. Recently I ordered another pair of them so I had a fresh pair ready for Cape Wrath Ultra later this month. I took them out of the box, ready to give them a few runs before using them in the race… and I spotted a “Gore-Tex” tag. I’d bought the wrong shoes 😱 No big disaster, I just ordered another pair of the regular model (minus the Gore-Tex) as they will get used, just not for Cape Wrath! But what’s the difference, why is it a big deal, and when should you use Gore-Tex or not?
Put simply, Gore-Tex is a synthetic fabric which is waterproof. It was invented in the 1960s by Robert Gore and is most commonly used in outdoor clothing such as jackets and trousers which are designed to be waterproof. It can also be used in shoes – Salomon have waterproof versions of many of their shoes, for example the Sense Ride 5 (regular version) and the Sense Ride 5 GTX (waterproof version). The only difference is the “GTX” on the end, and a small “Gore-Tex” print on the upper – so it’s easy to mistake them (honest 🙈). Most other major running shoe manufacturers do something similar. The Gore-Tex material is usually added as a layer in the construction of the upper of the shoe, so you can’t easily tell the difference just by looking. Often it comes with a small price increase (maybe £10 extra), but sometimes you can find them even cheaper than the regular model, especially out of season.
Although Gore-Tex shoes are marketed as “waterproof” you should really think of them as “water resistant”. If you’re running around in deep, wet, boggy terrain, wading through rivers or just generally submerging your shoes in water then your feet will get wet regardless, mainly due to water getting in through the big hole in the top of the shoe – the one you put your foot into 😉 However, if you are just running through a little bit of moisture, for example splashing through puddles, or running through dewy grass or even snow then the waterproofing will work well and keep your feet dry.
So why wouldn’t you want waterproofing (except for the cost)? Well, even though Gore-Tex is designed to be breathable (letting moisture out but not in), it definitely slows down the rate at which your feet dry out. Where a normal shoe lets water in easily, but also lets it out easily, with a Gore-Tex shoe once your feet are wet they tend to stay wet for longer. The extra layer of fabric can also contribute to making your feet sweat more (or at least the sweat doesn’t wick away so quickly). These effects can combine to increase the chances that you’ll develop blisters, or in the worst case maceration and eventually trench foot. The last time I wore Gore-Tex shoes in an ultra was at Ultra Scotland 100 in 2022 and my feet were destroyed by the end (scroll down to the bottom of the post for pics… if you dare 🤢).
In summary, Gore-Tex shoes have their uses but be sensible, and like with all kit – try it out before you use them on race day:
- Short runs ✅
- Winter runs ✅
- Occasional puddles and mud, or just a bit of damp grass ✅
- Running in the rain ✅
- Ultras (even in dry conditions, your feet will be soaked in sweat by the end) ❌
- River crossings ❌
- Deep puddles, consistently wet terrain e.g. bogs, long wet grass ❌
Hope you found this post interesting and helpful. If you love (or hate) running in waterproof shoes, do let us know! Alternatively, have a look at this post about waterproof socks as an alternative approach to keeping your feet warm and dry.