I first heard of these in an outdoor shop in Edinborough. The guys at the shop raved about them. I trusted them as I would think they would know 'wet'. I bought a couple of pairs of socks (one for me, one for her), and a set of gloves for my wife after a particularly wet number of days in the backcountry. We pack mainly in the Western Rockies of Canada. 4 seasons. Bought the Briston socks. Wore them straight out of the package for a winter hike (November 18th, 7 Bridges trail in the Livingston Conservation area of Crowsnest Pass; ~-7C and 10 cm fresh powder on the trail). I wear Scarpa Kinesis Pro Boots (finished leather). Fresh out of the wrapping the socks fit well (I'm a 12.5 US/ 47EU...B width). The socks come nicely up past the boot top. They're warm. There are 7 creek crossing and my boot was immersed (slipped off the rocks...damn, they're slippery in this creek!) at least 3 times. No water penetration. (I was also wearing gore-tex gaiters). Cushioning on the sock is good albeit I was only carrying a day pack and not my full pack. Overall, first impressions are positive. Price is competitive for similar 'waterproof' socks where I shop locally. Wife hasn't worn the gloves yet (more for summer).