Socks

Featured review by Backpacker At 60

The best day-hiking socks. Durable, good cushion, good wicking.

Summary - These are a very durable sock that have lasted through many day hikes, around town and in winter. It's my "go-to" sock for any day hikes or walking around town when the temp is 25 - 75 degrees. Function - Merino wool is great, warm when it's a bit chilly, but not too hot when it is warm out. On long car camping trips, I have rinsed these socks out and used them a second day, no problem. The merino wool blend easily cleans up with a good rinsing and they dry quickly too. The cushion is just right for day hikes, not excessive and not too thin.

Read more: Darn Tough Merino Micro Crew Sock Cushion reviews (4)

Featured review by FromSagetoSnow

I can't think of a single reason not to wear these Point6 Essential Medium socks for everything short of really cold-weather ascents.

Point6 Medium 1/4 Crew Merino Socks Are you lost, bro? This is a sock review. No seriously, that wasn't code for something else.  You literally just took time out of your busy day to read a sock review. But you're in luck because these socks kick ass—well, they do if you're wearing them and physically kick somebody in the rump, at least.  Otherwise, they're great socks and they deserve your interest if you're looking for your next pair.  They don't look like much; they just keep preforming though.

Read more: Point6 Essential Medium 1/4 Crew reviews (2)

Reviewed by G00se

Hikers know Smartwool as one of the best-known Merino wool brands on the market. I have owned several Smartwool products over the years, and I have never been disappointed with any of them. The Hike Light Cushion Crew Sock is no exception. As a lighter cushioned sock, it is perfect for day hiking or backpacking with an ultralight setup. With Smartwool’s improved warranty and a commitment to sustainability, these are definitely hiking socks worth considering when making your next purchase.

The packaging on the Smartwool Hike Light Cushion Crew Socks (or “Hike LC” for short) reads, “go far. feel good.” I find that slogan to be the ideal description of these socks. After 100 miles of hiking, they still feel good on my feet.   OUT OF THE PACKAGE (which is both minimal and made from recycled materials), the Hike LC look and feel like what you would expect from quality Merino wool socks. They are soft, comfortable, and regulate temperature well. Going by the packaging, the Hike LC are comprised of 56% Wool, 28% Recycled Nylon, 13% Non-recycled Nylon, and 3% Elastane (Lycra/Spandex).

Read more: Smartwool Hike Light Cushion Crew Socks review (1)

Featured review by Sean Van Cleve

Socks that are comfortable, durable, and odor resistant. ’Guaranteed For Life’ is quite a statement from a sock manufacturer. No strings. No conditions. For life.

I have been wearing brand name socks for years, and this product is the only one in its category that has not become thinner, thread-bare, or developed holes. It should be noted that I never put my socks in the dryer, and either hand wash in the field (without soap), or use the gentle cycle in the washing machine, inside out as directed. Darn Tough recommends tumble-drying on low, I have always air-dried my socks after washing.  Specs: 69% Merino Wool, 27% Nylon, 4% Lycra Spandex True Seamless’ technology- Ultra light, yet extremely dense socks, with an undetectable toe seam Made in Vermont, USA The nylon and lycra in these socks makes them very easy to get on and off, even when one’s foot has moisture/sweat.

Read more: Darn Tough Merino Hiker Boot Sock Full Cushion reviews (7)

Reviewed by Andrew F.

Balega's Blister Resist Quarter is a hybrid mohair and synthetic sock from a company that does a great job with running socks. Great wicking properties help keep your feet comfortable. Smooth material doesn't tend to chafe. They tend to show wear by looking "fuzzy" but that's cosmetic—no notable thin spots or wear. Slightly more bulky than a typical running sock.

OVERVIEW By calling this a "blister resist" running sock, Balega is pretty clearly pushing the narrative that this sock is somehow better at protecting your feet from blisters than the average sock. I'll address that but will mostly focus on the more general reasons you might want to get a couple pair of these socks. I was provided two pair to review—a quarter-height and crew height Blister Resist sock. You can see that the crew is a few inches longer on your leg than the quarter. Other than the height and the color, both pair are effectively the same.

Read more: Balega Blister Resist Quarter review (1)

Featured review by LoneStranger

Darn Tough intended these lightweight, over the calf socks for snow sports as a thin sock inside tight, form fitting boots. The merino wool blended with synthetic fibers to increase elasticity and wear made them a great liner sock with excellent moisture wicking properties.

Darn Tough makes a wide variety of socks and most folks seem to like the ones they try. My personal previous experience with their socks was limited to a single pair that I didn't especially care for and I didn't bother to get replaced when they got a hole despite the famous guarantee. They still look too small without my feet in them. When looking for over-the-calf socks to wear with the Amundsen Peak Knickerbockers I came across these and the pretty mountains on them caught my eye. I grabbed a couple of pair last April and used them as my primary liner socks for the rest of the year.

Read more: Darn Tough Over-the-Calf Lightweight reviews (2)

Reviewed by Andrew F.

Comfortable merino wool socks for running shoes or low hikers. The heel pocket is different from most other socks in a good way. This is relatively low-volume, so it’s not the warmest low hiker out there. Durability should be excellent based on experience with their medium weight hikers. Highly recommended.

BASIC INFORMATION The FITs Light Hiker Quarter is sold with unisex sizing, sizes small through XXL. They run true to size in my experience. They’re expensive at $22/pair full retail, but the site often has sales and sells them in bundles. I have worn their medium weight hikers for several years, so I decided to try the lower, lighter ones when some of the socks I wear with low hikers, trail shoes, and running shoes wore thin behind the heel.  As with any wool blend sock, it pays to take care of them.

Read more: FITS Sock Light Hiker Quarter review (1)

Featured review by Andrew F.

A really comfortable merino wool hiking sock. Very smooth, soft socks with a good amount of stretch. Relatively low volume for a medium weight sock. They fit well, whether or not their interesting heel design has anything to do with that or not. Bottom line—a really nice (but rather expensive) and supremely comfortable hiking sock.

UPDATE 10/2022: Revisiting this review after nine years. FITS have become the only thicker crew sock I wear for hiking; I actually managed to wear out the first three pair. They didn't get holes, but the wool had thinned and hardened in the heel area. They are the most comfortable and best-fitting merino wool socks I have worn.  The medium hiker crew now retails for $24 per pair. The material is still 70% merino wool, plus 22% nylon, 6% polyester, 2% lycra.  I just purchased a six-pack of FITS Light Hiker Crew socks to replace the old lighter-weight socks I wear, which don't have enough room for medium-weight socks.

Read more: FITS Sock Medium Hiker Crew reviews (2)

Featured review by Bob Withrow

Toe socks...not just a 7th grade fad!

The last few years I've had increasing problems with overlapping toes, in spite of sizing up on boots and shoes. If you've ever had this issue, you know how painful it can get and even a few miles feel like torture on your feet. I decided to give these liners a try and I am very happy I did! Put in a good 10 miles yesterday and didn't have one issue. I used a thinner sock over them but in my "sock fit" shoes, they weren't too bulky. Not at all. The shoes are GoreTex but no issues with hot or sweaty feet with the liners. They seem to wick very well.

Read more: Injinji Liner Crew Sock reviews (4)

Reviewed by FromSagetoSnow

A blister-free guarantee that I have tested and found to be true.

It seems like the minute I let my guard down and forget to wear decent socks or stop to dry my feet I will earn a stern reminder from my heel in the form of a blister. In the same way that each new summer earns me that first sunburn each hiking season gets me, if I am not careful, a new blister. After my gentle reminder I usually resort back to wearing a light liner sock under my normal hiking socks and this works but Wrightsock has made a two-layer sock which performs the same task. Wrightsock has an inner liner that allows the outer sock to slide past reducing the risk of blisters.

Read more: WrightSock Coolmesh II Crew Sock review (1)