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Farm to Feet Ballston Spa Crew

rated 4.0 of 5 stars
photo: Farm to Feet Ballston Spa Crew hiking/backpacking sock

Seriously comfortable socks on long hikes.

Pros

  • Lightweight
  • Merino wool
  • Cushioned soles
  • Seams don't rub

Cons

  • Not yet sure of the durability*

I was a little concerned after their first washing as they looked to shrink to the point where I wasn't sure my wife would be able to get her feet into them, but they stretched out nicely without any pressure or pinching, so...

Very comfortable and cool when hiking. I wear low top, partially mesh hiking shoes as opposed to solid leather boots any more and have ALWAYS worn Wigwam Heavy Hikers when backpacking regardless of the season. I've never had a blister.  

Since Wigwam stopped making the Heavy Hikers some time back, I've had a hard time finding a sock that felt decent and performed well (kept the blisters down to a minimum).  I've gone through quite a few socks in the last couple of years from Wigwam's Light Hikers to their merino/silk hikers to Fox River wool socks to Darn Tough boot cushion hikers, but none ever treated my feet as well as the old Wigwam Heavy Hikers and none of them lasted as long either. 

Now, I'm not going to tell you that these Farm to Feet feel as good as those old, heavy, slipper-like socks I wish I could still find, but they definitely didn't suck. AND they truly felt better and performed better than any of the others. Even as the mesh in my low top hikers allowed more and more decomposed granite dust into the shoes, the socks felt comfortable.

Just to REALLY give them the test, on a recent hike I took them off after the first day's hike, rinsed them in the lake and set them out to dry overnight. Next morning, put them back on and punished them for another day. Did the same that night before finally retiring them for the trip, so that was three days in a row in those socks and not only were my feet fine, but the socks themselves seemed to suffer no more than some slight pilling around the cuff of the shoes just below my ankles.

I've since washed them at home and worn them around town a couple of times just because they ended up on the top of the stack in the drawer...you know how that happens.

So, I can't speak to long term durability, but after a few separate trips, one three-in-a-row trip and a bunch of around-town stuff, I'm starting to be a little impressed. I figure if they can hold up to an entire season next year (they're gonna be my "go to" socks, after all), they must be pretty good.  

I'll let you know.

Source: bought it new (Massdrop)

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Specs

Price MSRP: $20.00
Product Details from Farm to Feet »