In the coldest weather the feet are always warm when covered with heavy wool socks and moccasins and it is the only successful combination for use in snowshoes. For common tramping they are ideal, for the constant exposure of the feet to the wet is to be anticipated and the thickness of the wool softens the shock and pressure of foot work on rough trails, diminishing the danger of friction and impact. In fitting shoes or moccasins over your heavy wool socks allow a half size larger in length and two letters in width over your street shoe. Even then your foot covering will be about three times the bulk of your tight fashion-plate town footwear.
The life of a good fitting, light weight wool sock worn with a good fitting shoe is about 75 to 100 road miles or about a week’s wear in constant marching under ordinary conditions. Whenever the softness of wool is lost because of frequent washings discard them. Weston wears a natural gray wool sock undyed.
Never start on a long hike with unbroken shoes. A quick way to break them in rather than subject the tender feet to the trying ordeal is to follow the plan of the United States Army as follows: Wearing the shoes over wool socks stand in three inches of warm water for five minutes until the leather is soft and pliable, then walk on a level surface for an hour or until the shoes dry on the feet, to the shape of which the pressure of the body weight and muscular action have forced the leather, in drying, to conform. They will then be as comfortable as old shoes.
The one feature of shoe selection which seems to appeal to the average sportsman is waterproofing. He will allow his sane ideas of size, shape, weight and durability to run riot if only the salesman can prove his assertions of the waterproof qualities of the item at hand. It happens to be well nigh impossible to make leather really waterproof. If one succeeds in impregnating the tanned skin with some water repelling application the seams are apt to leak in worn shoes and the leather treatment goes for naught. In fact waterproof footwear is just the condition the tramper does _not_ want. In the first place it is a sin to encase a perspiring foot in a shoe which retains all the effete matter of perspiration which will soften and weaken the skin. There may be conditions of wet snow where absolute dryness of the feet is paramount but then one had best get the regular rubber overshoe. All that we should expect of leather is that it will be impervious to water sufficiently so as not to soak it up like a sponge. Wet feet won’t hurt you but hot and sore feet always do; an occasional wet foot is far better than a continual sweaty damp foot.