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10 Finest Mountaineering Socks of 2023


PHOTO CREDIT: DAVE COLLINS (CLEVERHIKER.COM)

Sporting the proper footwear is essential to success in all outside adventures, nevertheless it’s particularly vital for mountaineering and backpacking. As hikers, our toes are the workhorses that carry the load and take essentially the most beating on the path. Our expertise has taught us that we’ve got to deal with our toes proper to maintain them in peak situation so we will see and do extra comfortably.

It’s regular to expertise some foot aches and pains, overheating, and sizzling spots/blisters after lengthy days of mountaineering, however we’ve discovered that sporting high quality socks (together with good sneakers/boots) makes a giant distinction in how lengthy we will hold our toes comfy and in fine condition on path.

Smartwool Efficiency Hike Gentle Males’s / Ladies’s– PHOTO CREDIT: DAVE COLLINS (CLEVERHIKER.COM)

Fast Suggestions

Take a look at this fast checklist of one of the best mountaineering socks in case you’re in a rush, or proceed scrolling to see our full checklist of favorites with in-depth evaluations.

  1. Finest total for high quality, consolation & sturdiness: Darn Robust Gentle Hiker Micro Crew Males’s / Ladies’s
  2. Breathable wool socks with a efficiency match: Smartwool Efficiency Hike Gentle Males’s / Ladies’s
  3. Finest price range no-show socks: Balega Hidden Consolation Unisex
  4. Finest worth heat wool socks: REI Merino Mountaineering Crew Unisex
  5. Finest toe socks: Injinji Path Midweight Mini Crew Males’s / Ladies’s

Mountaineering Sock Comparability Desk

WhaT’s Most Essential to You in a Mountaineering Sock?

FABRIC:

Socks made with polyester, nylon, and different artificial materials are breathable, moisture-wicking, and quick-drying, so that they’re nice for mountaineering. Additionally they are usually a bit extra sturdy than pure fibers, although they’ll tablet and maintain onto odors extra.

Wool is a pure fiber that’s glorious for managing moisture, evaporating odors, and maintaining you heat when moist. High quality merino wool is mushy and comfy and works exceptionally nicely when blended with artificial fibers.

Cotton collects and holds moisture, which might result in blisters (take a look at our The right way to Stop and Deal with Blisters submit for more information). We don’t advocate socks with any cotton content material for mountaineering, however they’re cheap and comfy for on a regular basis use.

Photo of a person in a tent with their feet in socks. Socks are framed in the open tent door in front of a beautiful lake/mountain sunset
REI MERINO HIKING CREW SOCKS – PHOTO CREDIT: HEATHER ELDRIDGE (CLEVERHIKER.COM)

CUSHIONING:

Cushioning impacts sturdiness, consolation, and heat. Ultralight cushion socks and liners are finest for working or mountaineering in low reduce sneakers. We sometimes want them as a result of they dry shortly and breathe nicely, however they’re not as sturdy as different socks. Some individuals use liners underneath different socks to assist forestall blisters.

Socks with gentle cushioning are comparatively skinny and have a great stability of breathability, moisture-wicking, consolation, and sturdiness.

Medium cushion socks are good for mountaineering in common to chilly climate. They supply a reasonable quantity of cushion within the heel and ball of the foot to guard your toes from influence.

Socks with heavy cushioning are the thickest and warmest. Many hikers discover them too cumbersome and sizzling for backpacking, however they’re nice for heat in camp, winter mountaineering, and mountaineering in boots.

A backpacker sitting in a tent wearing Smartwool PhD Outdoor Light Crew Socks, the socks are patterned and blue
Smartwool Efficiency Hike Gentle Males’s / Ladies’s– PHOTO CREDIT: CASEY HANDLEY (CLEVERHIKER.COM)

HEIGHT:

Sock top comes down to private choice. No-show and quarter socks come to the ankle and are most appropriate with path runners or low-cut mountaineering sneakers. They’re fashionable when sporting shorts and supply one of the best airflow. However they go away your ankle uncovered to heel clipping, can accumulate particles, and should have to be pulled up periodically.

Crew socks come as much as about mid-calf and work nicely with nearly all footwear, together with boots. They have an inclination to remain up and hold particles out higher, in addition to supply some safety to your ankles. Crew socks are a bit of simpler to overheat in although, and you might get a sock tan in case you put on all of them summer time.

All the socks on this checklist are available quite a lot of heights, however we’ll define our favorites from every class beneath.

Photo of a person's feet with socks on a background of sky and a mountain range. The socks are toe socks
Injinji Path Midweight Mini Crew Males’s / Ladies’s– PHOTO CREDIT: CASEY HANDLEY (CLEVERHIKER.COM)

Finest Mountaineering socks of 2023

Darn Robust Gentle Hiker Micro Crew

Finest total mountaineering socks for high quality, consolation & sturdiness

Worth: $24

Material: 54% nylon, 43% merino wool, 3% Lycra spandex

Top: Crew

Cushioning: Gentle

Professionals

  • Lifetime guarantee
  • Sturdy
  • Breathable
  • Moisture-wicking
  • Odor-resistant
  • Snug
  • Don’t slide down

Cons

  • Costly
  • Hotter/much less breathable than some

Darn Robust Gentle Hiker Micro Crew Males’s / Ladies’s are comfy, versatile, and constructed to final. They’re woven very tightly, which provides them excellent sturdiness.

The Gentle Hikers are hotter and thicker than minimalist socks, however they’re nonetheless fairly breathable and the wool-synthetic mix makes them adaptable in heat or cool circumstances. Darn Robust socks are costly however nicely definitely worth the cash since they final without end and are backed up by a tremendous unconditional lifetime assure.

In case you’re on the lookout for extra cushioning and heat, Darn Robust’s Hiker Micro Crew (males’s & girls’s) and Hiker Boot Socks (males’s & girls’s) are additionally glorious.

Black, and grey crew sock with teal and gold accents

Smartwool Efficiency Hike Gentle

Breathable wool socks with a efficiency match

Worth: $24

Material: 56% merino wool, 41% nylon, 3% elastane

Top: Crew

Cushioning: Gentle

Professionals

  • Snug
  • Breathable
  • Moisture-wicking
  • Odor-resistant
  • Do not slide down

Smartwool’s Efficiency Hike Gentle Males’s / Ladies’s are among the finest all-around socks for mountaineering. They’re well-designed with a comfortable, anatomical match and padding solely the place you want it for glorious breathability. Although previous variations of the Efficiency Hike have lacked sturdiness, the third technology Efficiency Hike socks have harder wool within the heel and toe which considerably extends their lifespan (and Smartwool will substitute them in case you ship them in inside 2 years of the acquisition date). We advocate Efficiency Hike socks to those that want a sock that’s a bit lighter and extra breathable than Darn Robust’s, even when they gained’t final fairly as lengthy.

Black and silver short quarter length sock, anti-slip ribbing on top, with navy and electric blue accents

Farm to Ft Damascus

Finest sturdy socks designed for lengthy backpacking journeys

Worth: $22

Material: 51% merino wool, 45% nylon, 4% Lycra spandex

Top: Quarter

Cushioning: Gentle

Professionals

  • Sturdy
  • Lifetime guarantee
  • Breathable
  • Moisture-wicking
  • Odor-resistant
  • Snug
  • Do not slide down

The Farm to Ft Damascus socks are made with 100% American supplies and development. Created with long-distance hikers in thoughts, these socks are constructed powerful and can final for lots of of miles. Moreover that, they’re assured for all times! Slight compression and distinctive focused cushioning within the heel and toe in addition to on prime of the instep assist forestall ache from shoelace stress, which is very good for lengthy, steep descents. We advocate the Damascus socks for rugged hikes and backpacking journeys in path runners or boots when minimalist socks aren’t fairly sufficient.

Brown/grey no show sock with cushion tab on heel

Balega Hidden Consolation

Finest price range no-show socks

Worth: $16

Material: 100% polyester

Top: No Present

Cushioning: Medium

Professionals

  • Reasonably priced
  • Snug
  • Do not slide down
  • Moisture-wicking
  • Breathable

Cons

  • Hotter/much less breathable than some
  • Maintain odor greater than others
  • Not as sturdy as some

Balega’s Hidden Consolation Socks are easy, frivolously padded, and comfy with soft tabs on the ankle that successfully hold them from sliding down. The plush padding throughout your complete sole makes them a bit hotter and fewer breathable underfoot than some. That mentioned, the Hidden Comforts are a wonderful, reasonably priced selection for these on the lookout for comfortable low-cut socks for on a regular basis use. Balega additionally affords their standard Ultralight No Present Socks (glorious ultralight really feel, however lack long-term sturdiness), Blister Resist No Present Socks (made with mohair fibers that resist friction), and Silver No Present Socks (nice compression and antibacterial properties). In case you’re on the lookout for a quarter-length mountaineering sock, we additionally actually love the Balega Enduro Quarter Socks.

Grey and beige crew length sock

REI Merino Mountaineering Crew

Finest worth heat wool socks

Worth: $18

Material: 79% merino wool, 20% nylon, 1% Lycra spandex

Top: Crew

Cushioning: Gentle

Professionals

  • Good worth
  • Snug
  • Breathable
  • Moisture-wicking
  • Odor-resistant

Cons

  • A bit too heat for summer time circumstances
  • Can slide down with some footwear

The REI Merino Mountaineering Crew Socks are a wonderful worth since they’re made with premium high quality wool, however they value lower than these from different prime manufacturers. They’ve an ideal stability of heat and breathability, which makes them nice for lengthy days on the path or for sporting as sleep socks on tenting and backpacking journeys. In case you’re on the lookout for a cushty mountaineering sock with the efficiency of merino wool with out breaking the financial institution, you’ll be able to’t go mistaken with these. For summer time, we advocate REI’s Light-weight Flash Crew Socks.

Toe sock with light grey ankle area, and dark grey foot

Injinji Path Midweight Mini Crew

Finest toe socks

Worth: $16

Material: 58% nylon, 39% CoolMax polyester, 3% Lycra spandex

Top: Mini-crew

Cushioning: Medium

Professionals

  • Helps forestall toe blisters
  • Reasonably priced
  • Snug
  • Breathable
  • Moisture-wicking

Cons

  • Maintain odor greater than others
  • Takes a bit of longer to placed on/take off
  • Lack long-term sturdiness

Injinji’s Path Midweight Mini Crews Males’s / Ladies’s are among the hottest toe socks available on the market as a result of they’re reasonably priced, comfy, extremely breathable, and glorious for lowering friction between the toes. Since every toe is wrapped in wicking cloth, we discover that they do an excellent job of maintaining our toes dry on the path too. Toe socks might really feel a bit of unusual at first, however we predict they’re value getting used to in case you regularly wrestle with toe blisters.

Grey crew-length sock with a black sole

Swiftwick Flite XT Path

Technical socks for mountaineering & path working

Worth: $27

Material: 38% nylon, 24% merino wool, 22% olefin, 13% polyester, 3% spandex

Top: Crew

Cushioning: Medium

Professionals

  • Snug
  • Sturdy
  • Moisture-wicking
  • Breathable
  • Odor-resistant
  • Do not slide down

Swiftwick’s Flite XT Path are among the first socks we seek for within the drawer for fast-moving adventures. They offer medium compression for tendon assist, they usually’re hardly noticeable as a result of they’re so comfortable. They’re the proper weight for practically all climate circumstances, and the combo of merino wool and artificial fibers give an ideal stability of thermoregulation and sturdiness. The only additionally has fibers that assist grip the within of your shoe to cut back slippage. The Flite XTs are a bit of dearer than others, however they’re strong performers for mountaineering and path working, and we anticipate them to final for a very long time.

Black quarter-length sock with green and teal accents

Feetures Elite

Finest socks for cardio exercise in heat circumstances

Worth: $18

Material: 92% nylon and eight% spandex

Top: Quarter

Cushioning: Gentle

Professionals

  • Reasonably priced
  • Lifetime guarantee
  • Snug
  • Moisture-wicking
  • Breathable
  • Do not slide down

Cons

  • Maintain odor greater than others
  • Lack long-term sturdiness

Feetures is a model that’s better-known within the working group, however we love their socks for mountaineering too. Feetures’ Elite Gentle Cushion Quarter Socks are skinny, stretchy, and match snugly with compression in all the proper locations so the socks keep easy and wrinkle-free throughout cardio exercise. The Elite socks stand out finest in heat circumstances when wicking and air flow are essential.

Blue-grey quarter-length sock with black heel and toe

WrightSock Coolmesh II

Double-layer socks for blister prevention

Worth: $15

Material: 70% Dri-Wright II polyester, 26% nylon, 4% lycra

Top: Quarter

Cushioning: Gentle

Professionals

  • Helps forestall blisters
  • Reasonably priced
  • Breathable
  • Moisture-wicking
  • Very comfy
  • Lifetime guarantee
  • Do not slide down

Cons

  • Lack long-term sturdiness
  • Maintain odor greater than others

WrightSock Coolmesh II Socks are extraordinarily comfy and really feel like slippers in your toes. They’re skinny and minimal, and the double-layer system makes them glorious for stopping blisters. The draw back is that they’re constructed with skinny supplies they usually put on down pretty shortly within the heel and toe. We want the outer layer of the Coolmesh II was a bit harder, however for these with blister-prone toes, they may nonetheless be nicely value it.

Honorable Mentions

The next socks didn’t make our last checklist, however they’ve obtained quite a lot of good issues going for them. You by no means know, possibly certainly one of these socks would be the proper match for you.

Person's feet in a pair of socks by an extinguished campfire
  1. Point6 37.5: fully-cushioned wool socks that battle odor and don’t slide down
  2. Icebreaker Hike+:light-weight wool socks which can be good for thermoregulation
  3. Woolly Out of doors Air: reasonably priced wool socks which can be nice for on a regular basis use

Crucial Sock Issues

SUPPORT

Strategically-placed bands of compression across the calf, ankle, or arch of the foot assist socks keep in place and retains them from twisting and bunching. Compression additionally supplies assist to the muscle mass and ligaments to forestall circumstances like plantar fasciitis, which might make mountaineering extraordinarily painful. When you’ve got an current situation, a great pair of socks can work simply in addition to an Ace wrap or sports activities tape.

FIT

Your socks ought to match good. Not too tight, however not too unfastened.

SIZING

Gentle compression and a comfortable match help in your socks capability to successfully wick moisture, breathe, and keep wrinkle-free, however socks which can be too tight can limit blood circulate and restrict your toes vary of motion.

Closeup of socks in shoes
Darn Robust Gentle Hiker Micro Crew Males’s / Ladies’s– PHOTO CREDIT: DAVE COLLINS (CLEVERHIKER.COM)

WASHING AND DRYING

Beware that socks with excessive merino wool content material are prone to shrink in case you put them within the dryer on excessive warmth. For finest outcomes, comply with the producer’s directions for laundry and drying your socks to keep up their cushion and keep away from miniaturizing them. We advocate washing wool merchandise inside-out on a cool or lukewarm washer setting with mild detergent, then air drying them on a clothesline or flat floor. In case you’re in a rush, the following neatest thing is to tumble dry your wool socks on low. In case you deal with them nicely, your wool mountaineering socks ought to final for a very long time.

HOW TO AVOID LOSING SOCKS

It’s an enormous bummer to have a pile of single costly mountaineering socks, however everyone knows how simple it’s to lose observe of them. We advocate utilizing a small mesh laundry bag as your sock-specific hamper and simply toss the laundry bag into the wash when it’s full. Soapy water will get by the bag and the socks will get clear, however they gained’t go lacking.

Extra Data

We hope this information helps you discover the proper gear on your wants. When you’ve got extra questions or a suggestion, we’d love to listen to from you! Join our e-newsletter to remain up to date on our newest posts then go to our Fb web page and Instagram to affix the group dialog.

In case you discovered this information useful, please share on social media and click on the little coronary heart button beneath to offer us a digital excessive 5! Additionally, make sure to take a look at our CleverHiker Gear Information to see all of our prime gear picks.

Thanks for studying and pleased trails!





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