Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
abudawud:164Muḥammad b. al-ʿAlāʾ > Ḥafṣ b. Ghiyāth > al-Aʿmash Bihadhā al-Ḥadīth

If religion were based on opinion, it would be more proper to wipe the under part of the feet than the upper. The Prophet ﷺ wiped over the upper part of his shoes. The narrator Waki’ said: I saw ‘ Ali perform ablution and wash the upper part of his feet, and say : Had I not seen the Messenger of Allah ﷺ doing like this –and he narrated the tradition in full.  

أبو داود:١٦٤حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ غِيَاثٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ

لَوْ كَانَ الدِّينُ بِالرَّأْىِ لَكَانَ بَاطِنُ الْقَدَمَيْنِ أَحَقَّ بِالْمَسْحِ مِنْ ظَاهِرِهِمَا وَقَدْ مَسَحَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَلَى ظَهْرِ خُفَّيْهِ وَرَوَاهُ وَكِيعٌ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ قَالَ كُنْتُ أُرَى أَنَّ بَاطِنَ الْقَدَمَيْنِ أَحَقُّ بِالْمَسْحِ مِنْ ظَاهِرِهِمَا حَتَّى رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَمْسَحُ عَلَى ظَاهِرِهِمَا قَالَ وَكِيعٌ يَعْنِي الْخُفَّيْنِ وَرَوَاهُ عِيسَى بْنُ يُونُسَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ كَمَا رَوَاهُ وَكِيعٌ وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو السَّوْدَاءِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ رَأَيْتُ عَلِيًّا تَوَضَّأَ فَغَسَلَ ظَاهِرَ قَدَمَيْهِ وَقَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنِّي رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَفْعَلُهُ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ