Gear Review: GooseFeet Down Socks and Overboots

GooseFeet down socks (Picture curtesy of GooseFeet)

GooseFeet Overboots ( Picture curtesy of GooseFeet)

I hate having cold feet and since I tend to backpack in sandals until the last possible moment into winter, cold feet are inevitable around camp at night. I had tried down booties, but hated them as I couldn’t sleep in them comfortably. Then I found GooseFeet’s Down Sock and I found warm foot heaven.



GooseFeet’s down socks are a very minimalistic down sock with no extra bells or whistles. They have nothing on the sole for grip and no ankle elastic so I can wear them as a traditional sock very comfortably in my sleeping bag. There is an elastic band located at the top of the sock to hold them up and nothing more. The down socks come with 800+ fill power down insulation contained in a soft nylon taffeta. They come in a small stuff sack to keep them together on trips or at home. The down socks have an optional waterproof overboot made with a Dyneema X sole and silnylon upper. There is a removable thin closed-cell foam insert for the bottom of the foot giving additional protection while walking around camp. A top draw cord helps secure the overboots around the ankle while also keeping out the elements.


I bought both the down socks and the overboots hoping I could use the overboots as lightweight camp shoes. The socks come sized like normal socks (XS through to XL) and are based on shoe sizing. The overboots are sized to fit the same sized down sock, for example, medium to medium.

The down socks have really shown their worth. They are really comfortable to wear and I love sleeping with them on as not only do my feet stay warm, but if my feet overheat, they are pretty easy to kick off if need be. I generally go barefoot in the down sock and the taffeta feels nice against the skin. It feels initially feels cool against my skin but warms up pretty quickly as I wear them. The overboots are easy to slip on and the bungee cord toggle helps to keep them secure to my feet.

GooseFeet in use

The overboots have a tough Dyneema X sole that wraps around the side of the foot. So far I have seen no major wear on the sole in spite of walking around on rocks, asphalt, pine needles and twigs. The thin foam insert floats free inside the overboot and sometimes shifts out of position. It is especially prone to shifting if the foam has warped from stuffing in my backpack. I try to take them out as soon as possible after hitting camp to allow them to relax into a flat shape again. I do feel that a slightly thicker minicell foam would work nicer but may not store as easily. Or simply tacking the foam down with some light adhesive would prevent shifting. The overboots tend to slouch down a little allowing the heel to drag a bit on the ground when I walk. Since I don’t need to walk long distances with them on, this isn’t a big bother. They make adequate camp shoes but I wouldn’t depend on them, rather if I have to walk far or over rough ground I change into my footwear and save the overboot for shorter distances.

Wearing down socks while relaxing

I have been using the down socks on just about every trip I have taken since I got them. They have gone to the Unita Mountains in the fall, the Wasatch Mountains in the winter, as well as down in Canyonlands, and Arches on both backpacking trips and car camping trips. The down boots have done such a nice job keeping my feet warm at night while in the backcountry, I have pressed them into duty at home as well. They are very comfortable to wear at night in bed as well as walking around or snuggled up on the couch. When I take them backpacking with me, I stuff them into a dry sack with the overboots, they compress quite well and loft up nicely each evening.

GooseFeet’s down socks and overboots have really found a place in my cold weather backpacking trips. They are comfortable to wear and very comfortable to sleep with while wearing them. They are exactly what I was looking for to keep my feet warm at night.

Manufacturer	GooseFeet
Sizes	Extra Small through Extra Large
Price (MSRP)	$60-65 for down socks $35 for overboots
Weight (size medium)	2.4 oz (65 g) for a pair of down socks 1.6 oz (79 g) for a pair of overboots

This story was originally posted March 7, 2011.