Water-resistant shoes are worth it, but spray will find a way.

Yes, water-resistant footwear is a good idea if you’re dealing with wet ground, drizzle, or potential puddles. But if you’re expecting sideways rain or standing near an aggressive gutter, your feet are still getting wet.

Water-resistant shoes or boots use a coating or membrane (like treated leather or a light DWR coating) to repel light moisture. They’ll keep your feet dry in morning dew, light rain, or shallow puddles. That’s better than mesh sneakers that soak through in seconds.

But spray is a different animal. Splash from a passing car, a heavy downpour, or walking through wet grass above the shoe collar? That water will find the tongue, the ankle opening, or the eyelets. Water resistance doesn’t seal those gaps—waterproof boots with a proper gusseted tongue and higher cut do a better job, but even they can let in spray if the water hits from above.

If you’re mostly walking on paved surfaces with occasional puddles, water-resistant shoes are fine. If you’ll be near splash zones or rain you can’t step around, get something with a waterproof membrane like Gore-Tex and make sure the cuff closes snugly.

Your socks will still thank you for the water-resistant pair over the mesh ones. Just don’t expect a force field.