DexshEll Review
The only brand of socks and gloves you’ll need this winter? Quite possibly!
I first encountered Dexshell socks on the 2022 winter Spine Race. Which seems like a lifetime ago, even though it was only this year!
The majority of my time volunteering on ‘Britain’s most brutal race’ was spent ushering weather battered runners into the checkpoint at Middleton-In-Teesdale.
The system worked well. Myself and another volunteer met the runners on the edge of the small town and we helped them shuffle off the Pennine Way and into the warm reception of the checkpoint at the converted church.
The drill was the same every time. Poles left outside, shoes cleaned before entering the porch, then they could take off their shoes whilst sat down on a rickety old wooden church pew. Clearly, it’s ‘brutal’ for a reason.
As I watched the runners slowly taking off their trail shoes of choice which varied wildly, I noticed something oddly similar with every one of the runners. Nearly every runner was wearing a variation of the same sock.
After a few inquiries to runners about their sock of choice it became clear that for the ‘Spiners’, Dexshell were the sock of choice. In fact, the combo that seemed most common was to combine the waterproof Dexshells with thin toe socks like injinji socks to double up on waterproofing and blister resistance at the same time.
So, I immediately did what I always do when I discover a great product for trail running……I fire up the Amazon app and get some winging their way to my running quiver.
I wanted to know what made everyone choose this particular brand of waterproof sock for running in the best (or worst depending on how you look at it) weather that the UK has to offer us in winter.
My first Dexshell adventure was testing the waterproof Running Lite socks and the Coolmax Ultralite gloves.
I wanted to test the gear in the appropriate conditions but I hadn’t quite bargained for the weather that I got on that day out in the Peak District!
I’d decided to test them out on one of the social trail runs that I sometimes organise. As it happened, the day I picked to test the Dexshells turned out to be possibly one of the wettest and windiest days of the year so far. Proper Spine weather!
I’d picked a route that took in 8 of the famous 9 edges in the Peaks. Possibly some of the most exposed parts of our beautiful national park.
What better way to test out the gear?
The weather was so bad that by the time we reached Stanage Edge and our last trig point, the wind was so powerful that when we leapfrogged over the growing ankle deep puddles of rainwater, we actually got blown sideways like a bedsheet on a clothesline!
The return leg was a true battle of wills with the elements, with the once runnable trails now flowing like rivers and bogs. Every step over the once firm ground was now met with ankle deep slop.
A strange feeling came over my feet that I’d never experienced before when running in winter through boggy terrain. I was suddenly really aware of the fact that my trusty Lone Peaks were completely soaked through. But instead of the sharp bite of icy water around my toes and ankles, I felt nothing! Just the sensation that my shoes were wet but my feet were bone dry. Kind of like putting a supermarket shopping bag over each foot before putting on your shoes. Not a feeling that I’m used to to be honest. But, it felt strangely good!
Normally when your feet get soaked through on a long wet winter trail run, you slowly get the sensation of your feet going numb and feeling like they are turning into blocks of ice. Not the case with Dexshell socks.
The magic with Dexshell is that they use lightweight breathable merino wool to keep you snug and warm. If you’re vegan they also offer synthetic materials to do the same job. As a company they have strong ethos of caring for the environment at the same time as caring for their customers.
Anyway, back to the running…
I’d hoped for some wet and cold weather to test the gear out but this was a step further. The group of once chatty social runners were now silent with their heads down battling against the driving rain and wind, like they too were hundreds of miles into The Spine race.
By the time I glimpsed the starting point carpark near Birchen Edge I started to feel like the job was done. I couldn’t think of a better test for the waterproof gear and they performed better than I’d hoped for.
My feet and hands were bone dry and warm, not that I could say that about the rest of me. We looked more like drowned rats than we did trail runners.
Dexshell don’t claim to be the best waterproof socks in the world. But you will struggle to find a sock better suited to any adventure that might come your way here in good old Blighty.
I’m now a firm believer in using Dexshell products throughout autumn and winter. I’ve even bought myself some of the knee high wading socks usually sought out by fishermen. I use them for autumn paddleboarding to keep my legs dry and warm.
I’m currently testing the Dexfuze gloves that Dexshell have kindly sent my way and I have to say, they keep getting better with every new iteration. The gloves are obviously waterproof but the thinner cuff design means that they fit snugly under the sleeve of a running jacket or shell layer keeping the bulk that some gloves have down.
For those still not convinced of the effectiveness of the waterproof capabilities of Dexshell, please head to my YouTube channel where you will find the video of me testing them out in the bath!
For more information on Dexshell products