I went on a hike recently, on a nice trail with 3" of snow in trail runners, it was about -5C and sunny. I had thin wool socks, and a second pair and a thicker pair to change into. Here was my dilemna...

If I wore thin socks, I didn't get too cold but the snow still melted like crazy on my trail runners, and they seemed to hold alot of water and not want to dry out at all under those conditions. Once my trail runners were wet they held enough water to instantly saturate both of my dry pair when I put them on, and then I conducted enough heat to keep them wet. If I had worn thicker wool socks from the beginning I think that might have kept the snow from melting on my trail runners, but my feet would have sweated and gotten wet that way. Still that might have been preferable. I could have hiked in shorts to compensate for the thick socks.

Still, if the trail runners were not so darned absorbant, and in a cold when wet way not in a warm when wet way, I think I would have been able to hike alot more comfortably and change socks when I wanted without it being a total waste. Vapor barrier socks would have allowed me to change my socks effectively, but they wouldn't have kept the snow from melting on my trail runners unless I wore thicker socks than I needed to. I think what I really need is trail runners that don't absorb water.

I think I'm going to make something out of deerskin or mooseskin that I can dry with a fire when I need to, and that I can make as breathable or non-absorbing as I need to with beeswax or whatever. I would like trail runner soles though. I might tear apart my trail runners glue the soles onto a pair of ankle high moccassins.

... or I could find a pair of trail runners that don't hold so much water in non-drying conditions.