Ummm... any thoughts on whether it's worth shelling out the extra $$$ for Gore-Tex (or similarly waterproofed) shoes? I was looking at the Salomon XA Pro (I believe this is what replaced the Raid) which comes in both GTX and regular.

Price is not a huge factor as the difference isn't that great (less than $25) plus the wife is buying them for my upcoming birthday (which, by the way, puts me a mere two years behind RAF).

Thanks.

things to consider in order for this to be necessary
do you run in the rain?
do you run in water?
will the water penetrate the shoes from the top (sock line) or will you wear a gaitor as well?

i would only purchase waterproof shoes if i were going to be running in very dense wet--puddles, heavy rain, snow, etc.--otherwise, just buy some proofing spray and spray it on the shoe, which IS what i do now. i run in the rain often, and even through the puddles, without being bothered by the wet. i originally buy the spray for my soccer cleats: we have a rainy season during soccer.

Screw the Gore-Tex. All you need is a Show that fits properly coupled with a good synthetic sock. This combo with keep you blister free and comfortable even if your feet get wet. IMO, the benfits of Gore-Tex, fall short of it's problems in the area of footwear.

On this board? Bearfoot is the obvious answer!

Seriously I agree with buzzardboy 100%

Mark H.

Thanks for the timely advice Mark - my birthday's coming up again soon.