If you're not fussed about it being waterproof, what's the harm in a membrane that doesn't work?
Because they don't breathe. The amount of moisture produced by the foot is greater than the moisture permibility of the membrane. This is made even worse in cold or humid conditions when the moisture gradient is insufficient for vapour to travel across the membrane. This moisture condenses on the inside of the membrane, makes the foot wet, which makes it cold. In very cold conditions, this moisture is dangerous, goretex shoes gave me frost nip and nerve damage in one of my big toes cycling in -6C last winter. In really cold conditions the dew point is actually below the goretex membrane and you get moisture condensing in insulation layers, degrading the insulation properties.
My experience also
Plus water/rain runs down legs into boots.
My far from perfect winter riding (360 days usually) is comfortable wide fitting Shimano MT91(Goretex lined but useless really as they leak around the toungue and as mentioned - fill up with cold wetness from above) + thin merino socks and a pair of 'Porelle' (Goretex kinda membrane stuff) socks too.
This double barrier keeps off the worst of wind chill - but
not entirely. And then it takes more than a day or so to dry said boots and so called 'waterproof' socks out.
But I manage cos I couldn't bear to have my shiny silver cranks scuffed by neoprene overshoes