I think it has to do with finding the right shoe and almost more importantly the right sock if you are worried about running in the wet/rain. I've worn New Balance 890's (now Vazee Pace) for the longest time without problems. Even with full on Hanes cotton socks, running in the rain is manageable, but there are these thinner pair of asics socks (picture) that I wear. The past week have done runs of 10-15 miles in the soaking rain (like walk into the house, pull off the shoes and socks and leave wet tracks as you march to the washer to throw the rest of your clothes in there instead of dripping it everywhere else in the house) and haven't had any problem. Long run and intervals. Shoes drain well and socks didn't retain it either and feet were perfect, minus the raisin effect. Think shoe draining is a big piece of it.

Thank you for the heads up on the socks. I think I would be able to go fully sockless if the tongue of my Saucony Fastwich was a little different. The edges are a little harsh/stiff on the top of my foot. I can just see getting to mile 7 and bleeding the rest of the way in. But the shoes are black so only I would know!

No, the 10-15secs added in transition will not kill my time or knock me out of contention for 70.3 Championships, I just prefer the feel of sockless.

Thank you all for your advice and discussion points.

What are some of the light-ish, breathable socks people might recommend for hot races?

They might not be considered 'light' but I have had really good luck with Swiftwick. I think having shoes that fit well and having tough feet is more important.

I do most of my run training in Swiftwick Aspire socks. They are Swiftwick's thinnest and most breathable sock. They're a bit too tight for smooth transitions though as they're not the easiest sock to put on with wet feet.

My go to race sock is the Defeet Aireator socks. Almost as thin/breathable as the Swiftwick Aspire but without the compression so they're pretty easy to get on in T1 or T2.

Bummer to hear that! hopefully you are feeling better soon and can get after your other races this year.

Socks for HIM. Roll them up to get them on faster.