Are Waterproof Sneakers Worth It? (2026)

“If you speech with the Nikes and the New Balances, they walk a batch of clip connected their lasts," says Abof. (A footwear past is simply a form, oregon mold, that the institution uses to plan however the footwear fits and feels.) “If it's a New Balance last, they privation that footwear to acceptable similar a New Balance shoe,” says Abof, adding that Invisible Fit “is the biggest 1 mode that tin astir importantly determination the needle is making the acceptable and consciousness [of waterproof shoes] consciousness similar a modular shoe.”

Waterproof shoes are often inactive heavier than their regular siblings, but successful immoderate cases, GTX Invisible Fit shoes present measurement the aforesaid and sometimes less.

Is Waterproofing Now Standard?

Does this “invisible” tech mean we’ll spot much of the astir fashionable roadworthy shoes present connection waterproofing?

“No, I don’t deliberation so,” says Alex Filitti, full-time footwear tester and laminitis of Meta-Endurance, a media outlet that's focused connected endurance sports. “If anything, brands look much focused connected reducing weight, improving foam performance, and expanding comfortableness and breathability. Waterproof versions volition apt stay arsenic broadside options oregon wintertime variants, alternatively than becoming modular successful the astir fashionable roadworthy models.”

Paying the Premium

All the other tech besides comes astatine a cost. You tin expect to wage a weatherproof premium of determination betwixt $10 and $40 much for a Gore-Tex footwear oregon a moving footwear with a waterproof equivalent upper.

Here’s a fistful of the astir fashionable waterproof moving shoes for comparison:

Do You Need Waterproof Shoes?

For astir of us, astir of the time, the experts aren’t convinced. “I would see waterproof shoes chiefly successful acold and bedewed conditions,” says Filitti. “For example, wintertime runs successful regions wherever rain, slush, oregon snowfall harvester with debased temperatures. In those situations, keeping feet warmer and drier tin genuinely amended comfort. But erstwhile it’s 3 to 5 degrees Celsius [37 to 41 Fahrenheit] with rain, I’d inactive alternatively prioritize breathability and comfortableness implicit waterproofing.”

“For the bulk of runners, a well-draining, breathable precocious paired with good socks usually works conscionable fine,” Filitti concludes.