Im looking for some new lightweight boot socks. I stopped in the local Red Wing shoes to see what they had. The employee showed me some cotton socks and I said I thought cotton was bad. She told me cotton is more breathable and the poly blends can be hotter since they are a form of plastic.

I did some web searching and im finding conflicting info. It seems the smart wool socks are by far the best but I cant bring myself to pay $20+ for a pair of socks.

Sad to report.... Decent socks are pricey. And Smart Wool socks are pretty good. There are some other brands that are good, too but expect topay 15+bucks a pair for them.

quote:

Originally posted by gpbst3:
I did some web searching and im finding conflicting info. It seems the smart wool socks are by far the best but I cant bring myself to pay $20+ for a pair of socks.

It's worth it.

I don't skimp on socks or underwear. Quality undergarments make a big difference in your personal comfort.

There are other brands besides Smartwool that offer quality wool socks, some of which are cheaper than Smartwool. Other good options are Darn Tough, Thorlo, Eurosock, and Duluth Trading.

$20 wool socks last a lot longer than cotton and are more comfortable. There are different weights for different temps. I wear Darn Tough most days.

Cotton socks are great for the gym and general use, however if you're going to be sweating a bunch over a long period of time, you're better off with material that both moves the moisture away from the skin to prevent blisters and helps insulate when your feet get clammy due to the cooling effect of that perspiration. Cotton is inexpensive, and provides soft padding underfoot so it's comfortable, however, it's very low performing.

Wool, like cotton, is a natural fiber, long known to both wick moisture and retain heat regulating qualities. Popular for boot wearing (majority of the day, workwear and outdoors), most wool socks today use Merino-wool, that's blended with some synthetic to help retain shape and elasticity. Wool also benefits that it can help mitigate foot oder as wool doesn't allow the smell bacteria to grow and flourish like you'd find with cotton or, synthetic.

Synthetic socks exist to move moisture rapidly but, also to hit a lower price-point; consider the content of socks when you see those 'cheap/value pack' socks. Synthetic majority-blend socks can cause some people to overheat their feet and/or, cause excessive sweat so, depending on your conditions, just be aware. Sweat is both good and bad, it helps regulate body temps and cool you down, however, it can also increase the likelihood of blisters forming.

It depends on your use really. If you are putting a lot miles on them then yes cotton is a really bad idea. It retains moisture and makes your feet get nasty.

Poly blends are better they allow moisture to wick away but a lot of that is stunted by the shoe itself. If the shoe won't breathe it doesn't matter how well the sock wicks.

Merino wool is the best in my opinion. It wicks moisture, cushion, and provides the most comfort in the widest range of temperatures.

I drank the smartwool Kool aid over ten years ago and I still have a lot of those socks. I am an active outdoors guy who loves to hunt fish camp back pack canoe et al.

I have since migrated over to darn tough socks. They perform and are priced similar to smartwool but with a lifetime guarantee. You put a hole in them you can walk into any retailer and swap them out.

I concur. They are worth it. Both from an ROI/durability standpoint and a comfort standpoint. My feet sweat a lot. Plus I’m in steel toe boots nearly every day. The wool wicks the moisture away and keep my feet from feeling soaked all day. I have a couple pair of Darn Tough socks that are nearing 5 years old. Cotton never lasted more than a few months before I was walking out the toes.

IME you can get away with cotton socks in warm-to-moderate weather with sneakers and boots, providing they're good socks and you won't be raising much a sweat, but, other than that cotton should be avoided.

I've got some high-performance Merino Wool over-the-calf ski socks that have about the same thickness as good over-the-calf cotton socks. That's all I wear with boots in the wintertime and what I'd wear in any weather if I were going hiking or otherwise exerting myself out-of-doors. They cost $20/pair, but are so worth it.

I tend to take 'em off and switch to cotton socks for banging around the house so as to prolong their life.

I like Wright Coolmesh socks for "performance" use. Running, hiking, etc.

A

Dang, I wish you guys could be a little more specific.

For instance I just looked at Darn Tough.

They list 33 different Mens socks.
8 categories by activity.
3 materials... Thermolite, Coolmax and Merino wool
8 heights (personal preference I know)
and 8 cushion levels!

This must be what women go through when selecting a bra...

quote:

Originally posted by cparktd:
Dang, I wish you guys could be a little more specific.

For instance I just looked at Darn Tough.

They list 33 different Mens socks.
8 categories by activity.
3 materials... Thermolite, Coolmax and Merino wool
8 heights (personal preference I know)
and 8 cushion levels!

These are the ones to buy

For more variety, consider these

I too balked at $20 socks, until my wife gave me two pairs of Bombas socks for Christmas. My outlook on price vs. quality has been completely changed. Looking forward to trying Darn Tough next.

I am a sock nut. I live in florida and still only wear merino wool socks.

I am really fond of the Darn Tough Merino wool nordic boot ultralight. They don't have tons of cushioning but are excellent at staying cool and wicking sweat.

I find a medium cushion, at your preferred height over ankle, to be the best.

The lightweights feel clammy to me in boots, good in shoes, and the heavy weights are too heavy.

I wear SmartWool Medium Cushion crew socks all year round, unless I’m in shorts.

https://www.smartwool.com/shop...riationId=242#hero=0

I’ll wear these with shoes.

https://darntough.com/collecti...?variant=30180627783

Wigwam. They last forever and are made in Wisconsin. You’ll thank me later.

I can confirm my socks have been deadly at times...

https://www.thorlo.com/

great socks , made in the U.S.A. ( Statesville ,N.C.)

25% off sale starts on Aug 11th for two weeks.

and when you call'em, you talk to a rep. here in this country , not in Bangladesh in some god awful phone bank.

by a dozen , they only have one sale per year

and follow the washing instructions ,every time

I get the k L t hikers

https://www.thorlo.com/socks/klt/883

I've been infantry my whole life and lately been doing a lot of running (like, training for 100mi ultra type running) so I know a bit about blister prevention and socks.

For everyday wear and gym workouts as stated above, cotton athletic socks are just fine and it is what I mostly wear.

For my training runs I go with running socks that are poly blend, I'm sure they are all different and I don't really care, it doesn't seem to matter.

For really long runs (we are talking over 20 miles), I do a thin polypro sock against my skin, then an outer sock based on the conditions. Smartwool for wet and/or cold, regular running sock for anything else. The thin polypro layer wicks moisture and provides friction protection, the 2 socks rub on each other. Longest race I've done so far is 50mi in mountainous terrain, 12hrs on my feet. Only got a tiny blister under my R big toe, not an issue and I blame the small toe box of my shoe not the sock system above.

For serious hiking/marching same as above; thin polypro base sock with an issue wool (or smart wool) outer sock. In a pinch a poly blend thin dress sock or borrowing your wife's calf length pantyhose would work as a base layer.

Smartwool is expensive, but I only own 1 pair of them currently as I rarely need them.

quote:

Originally posted by Strambo:
For my training runs I go with running socks that are poly blend, I'm sure they are all different and I don't really care, it doesn't seem to matter.

Love me some Belaga's!