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kayak karl
03-05-2008, 05:48
what socks do u use. does it depend on the shoes u r wearing? this is for a thru.

minnesotasmith
03-05-2008, 06:41
what socks do u use. does it depend on the shoes u r wearing? this is for a thru.

Heavy-weight Bridgedales. Cost like $18 a pair, and worth it.

Lone Wolf
03-05-2008, 07:39
Darn Tough socks from Vermont. best socks out there

Kerosene
03-05-2008, 10:29
Usually SmartWool medium- or light-weight hikers. For me, liners are even more important, as my feet sweat profusely. I carry 3-4 pair of lightweight (< 2 oz) liners on a hike, with 2 pair of heavier socks, rotating the liners more frequently to at least give the impression of dry socks. I use the Injinji (http://www.injinji.com/tetratsok/outdoor_c.htm) toe-socks to avoid toe blisters, plus I bring one or two pair of the Fox River X-Static (http://www.rei.com/product/642937?vcat=REI_SEARCH) socks, which dry faster than anything else I carry.

snowhoe
03-05-2008, 11:25
I too use smart wools. I also use liners. I think one thing that worked for me was that I had camp socks and hiking socks. I would hike in the same pair of socks and liners and when I would get to camp or shelter I would put on my dry ones . It was so nice. Then I would try to dry out the socks I had been wearing all day if I could. It did suck putting wet socks back on in the morning but I would get over it pretty quickly.

fiddlehead
03-05-2008, 11:26
Fleece socks when it's cold, cheap nylon, thin socks when it's not.
I always keep a pair of fleece socks dry in my pack for sleeping.

Thoughtful Owl
03-05-2008, 11:50
Light weight smartwool socks with liners. I have yet to get a blister and helps keep my feet dry.

Old Grouse
03-05-2008, 11:54
Another vote for Cabot's Darn Tough Socks from Vermont. Made in Vermont and he swears he'll keep it that way!

Ender
03-05-2008, 11:54
Thor-Lo's for me. The things are practically indestructable. I use Hikers for cooler weather, and the Coolmax version for the warmer weather.

Tennaseevol
03-05-2008, 11:57
Another vote for Cabot's Darn Tough Socks from Vermont. Made in Vermont and he swears he'll keep it that way!


Ditto...

Freeleo
03-05-2008, 12:01
http://www.injinji.com/

these socks are wonderful

whiterockjock
03-05-2008, 12:18
I second the Injinjis....toe socks and Chacos! Cant' be beat for on an established trail!

unl1988
03-05-2008, 12:56
Thorlo Hiking socks. I wear them everyday at work, too. Very comfortable. When hiking, I use a polypro liner.

humunuku
03-05-2008, 13:12
Darn toughs are my favorite

Cuffs
03-05-2008, 13:27
Freeleo beat me too it, I love toesocks!

Being prone to blisters between the toes (and not anywhere else) I have found them indispensible! I wear them as a liner sock under a smartwool hiker sock. I have talked with some others who wear them alone and find that they work just fine for them.

FanaticFringer
03-05-2008, 18:12
Darn tough....D..n straight.:D

Tinker
03-05-2008, 18:33
Smartwool - no liners.

Haven't tried Darn Tough yet. They must really be something.

dpage
03-05-2008, 19:41
Darn tough 2!!!

Old Grouse
03-05-2008, 20:36
Here, read up on 'em. http://www.darntough.com/weknowsocks.html

Quoddy
03-05-2008, 20:43
Smartwool Adrenaline LT's for all but extremely cold conditions... no liners. I've never had a blister, but I do wear trail runners.

squeeze
03-05-2008, 22:43
EMS has a buy 3 get 1 free deal on socks. Darn Tough and others.

http://www.ems.com/

Cuffs
03-05-2008, 22:50
Squeeze reminded me of a thing at REI (I think)...

Buy 3 of anything get 10% off? Someone will have to check that tho...

BigCat
03-06-2008, 03:06
I have two pair of Ingenious that have about 800 miles on them and still look new.

Feral Bill
03-06-2008, 21:45
Costco Smartwool clones. We call them dumbwools. They are the weight of light hikers, comfortable, and wear well in day to day use. 4 pair/$10. For a long or hard trip I'd go genuine Smartwools.

kayak karl
03-06-2008, 22:11
THANKS for the advice. going out this weekend to shop. BUT i broke my toe last night. the little piggy next to the big toe. im so mad. when i was 4 i always said "I'm mad, gonna tay mad" just how i feel now, got 11 weeks before i leave on thru. should heal by then. :(

vonfrick
03-16-2008, 09:20
http://www.injinji.com/

these socks are wonderful

i concur. i just bought their liners and my god! happy feet! :banana

Frau
03-16-2008, 09:30
With boots and hiking shoes, mie-weight to heavy wool. With trail runners, in summer, light-weight low-top wool.

Never anything but wool.

Frau

Frau
03-16-2008, 09:31
MID-weight, that should read.

Sorry

Frau
03-16-2008, 09:41
Didn't pay attention to ppsting brand names. Here goes:

My current favorites are great, cushiony, pink wool socks from WalMart bought this fall. I would buy 10 more pair like them if they were still on the shelf.

I have several different weight Smartwool. WigWams are disappointing. My great low-tops, for trail running, are wool Tevas. I have one pair of Bridgedales, knee-hi skiing socks, that I wear in cold weather.

I have had SOME WalMart wool socks that are not comfortable at all. These pink ones are terrific, though, and only $5/pr.

Two Speed
03-16-2008, 10:17
Smartwools. Recently caught a hint from Phreak and tried their Adrenaline socks, and like them very much. Still keep a pair of "expedition" weight socks in my clothes bag, but they're primarily for wear in camp; don't wear them while hiking very much.

Gotta try the Bridgedales and some of the other brands mentioned here. I like Smartwools, but they're too cotton pickin' expensive.*

*Yeah, that IS a bad pun, isn't it? :D

McPick
03-16-2008, 10:45
I used these Dr. Scholls socks for 5 of the 6 months I was on the AT on '06.
http://www.drschollssocks.com/health.html

The package states they are "Diabetes and Circulatory Health Socks."
Odor Resistant, 46% Acrylic, 46% Coolmax poly, 7% Nylon, 1% Lycra. Two pair - $9.50. (After a few days on the trail, you can forget about the Odor Resistant part!)

These socks are lightweight, easy rinse, fast dry, fairly easy to replace at (sorry guys) W-Mart. They are available in the usual styles and all sizes including Men's 13 - 15. Loved em!

I also carried a pair of Smart Wools for when temps dipped (heels wore out after about a month) and silk liners.

Kara
03-16-2008, 12:10
Count me in for the Injinji's. I use these while running too. Love them!! And...ditto to them working great with chaco's.

margo
03-19-2008, 17:35
I love socks, it's like crack to me!! I mostly have smartwools but have also tried thorlos, wigwams, and some no-name ones I got at sams.

For work and everyday I usually wear one of the smartwool adrenylin series. Campmor had some on sale for 7 bucks last week, it might have only been the womens style. The lightwt ones have an amazing amount of padding on the bottom. I mostly wear the ultralights. I also like the lightweight hikers. I have some heavier socks but rarely get a chance to wear them.

I was told that smartwool is now calling the adrenyln series the "PHD" series. They have so many different styles it's hard to keep up with them.

My strategy is to get several pairs in the same color and style. That way if I misplace a sock I can still have matching pairs. Sometimes they quit making a style.

Most of my thorlos are heavy but I have one pair of shorter lighter crews. I really like them, I don't know why I don't have more of that brand.

Those tough vermont socks sound intriguing.

timcar86
03-19-2008, 20:15
Darn Tough.
Best. Socks. Ever.

kayak karl
10-09-2012, 09:12
time to get new socks again for winter. know of any good deals out there?

HikerMom58
10-09-2012, 09:44
I thought you liked those other sox's from the other socks thread..... :p BTW... did you hike in 2008?

SpottedCow
10-09-2012, 10:16
Maybe this is just a trail runner thing, but does anyone else use Drymax socks? I love them.

swjohnsey
10-09-2012, 10:33
Another American company, Wrightsock. Very popular with marathoners because they prevent blisters. Last pretty good, too. http://www.wrightsock.com/products.php

sublimety
10-09-2012, 10:54
Combination of injinji liners and a local company socks called Omniwool by Lewis and Clark, I have used them weekends but a local guy that I talked to that did the AT this year used them. He said that he took 3 pair and when he finished 2 pair felt like they were still brand new. The third pair was stolen.

kayak karl
10-09-2012, 10:56
'09...............

snifur
10-09-2012, 11:31
I purchase socks when i purchase shoes. I can usually get a better deal that way and I am getting all of my foot needs taken care of and know how the socks and shoes feel together. I thruhiked with 2 smartwools and 1 darn tough. wearing cheap nylon liners from wally world. all three pair lasted my entire hike. i replaced the liners often (300miles) for comfort. i never had any blisters or raw feet.

Feral Bill
10-09-2012, 11:55
Mostly the Costco "dumbwools", as we call them. Cheap and effective. In colder weather, mid weight Smartwool.

colorado_rob
10-09-2012, 12:59
Costco Smartwool clones. We call them dumbwools. They are the weight of light hikers, comfortable, and wear well in day to day use. 4 pair/$10. For a long or hard trip I'd go genuine Smartwools. Yep, +1 on this. Just took 2 pair of Dumb-Wools on 160 miles of the JMT. Performed great, can't beat the price, but only ~80 miles each and they are showing significant wear (probably still good for twice that mileage though). Again, the price is certainly right, but for the AT next year, I'll go with actual Smart Wool. Maybe I'll do an experiment: One pair of each, swap daily (what I do anyway) and see how the wear compares.

Deacon
10-09-2012, 14:15
"Darn Tough" brand socks (of Vermont) have the highest percentage of merino wool content that I've been able to find, 69% for their boot hiker socks.

I've found them to remain comfortable even when wet.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

jakedatc
10-09-2012, 14:19
Smartwool PhD short style.. no liners.

Rasty
10-09-2012, 14:19
Three pairs.
1) Thick pair of wool to sleep in or provide extra cushion if my feet start to hurt.
2) Thin pair a Wigwam
3) Thin pair of Smartwool

I like having different sock as they each provide a different feel when wearing them. If the Wigwam's start rubbing a spot on my foot then I switch to the other's.

Zipper
10-09-2012, 15:07
Gotta put in another vote for Darn Tough. I still have the ones from my thru, plus I've bought more since. They last forever. I don't wear any other socks anymore. I adore them.

Drybones
10-09-2012, 20:55
Any good quality merino is okay. My favorites are Icebreaker and Smartwool. The Darn Tough are a little too dense to provide cushion I like. Fitts are good socks but the elastic, or whatever they use, makes them too tight on my feet.

MuddyWaters
10-09-2012, 21:46
I have several. They are all the same. Vert light, very thin.
Both polyester and wool. 1.75-2.0 oz maximum
Really doesnt matter. Poly dries faster, wool smells less . Both work fine wet or dry.
Just want a cuff to protect ankles from scraping

HikerMom58
10-09-2012, 21:54
'09...............

Ok... I don't know anyone else from the class of '09'. I knew a lot from the class of '08' and '10'.

I keep thinkin about you hiking this winter. I hope VA won't be as cold and snowy as they are predicting but then again you might prefer it, if you are really into winter hiking. Bring it!?!

Odd Man Out
10-09-2012, 22:08
I wore my Darn Tough socks every day last week. Still didn't smell after 7 days.

poopsy
10-10-2012, 10:57
Glad this thread has started. My wife thinks my sock obsession is embarrassing, especially when I talk about it at family gatherings. I think that any of the high end hiking socks are worth the price regardless of brand. But my favourite light-weight, quick-drying, cheap option are diabetic socks, with a women's trouser sock liner. If necessary you can add some body-glide or vaseline for wet weather.

Malto
10-10-2012, 11:13
I wear low quarter Wrightsocks with trail runners. Very popular in the running community, they are double layer and very lightweight. Very cool and dry quickly.

sublimety
10-10-2012, 11:38
"Darn Tough" brand socks (of Vermont) have the highest percentage of merino wool content that I've been able to find, 69% for their boot hiker socks.

I've found them to remain comfortable even when wet.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If Merino wool content is a major sell point for you, you should try omniwool socks they are 75% merino wool. Resonably priced $25 for 2 pair.

msupple
10-10-2012, 12:57
Any good quality merino is okay. My favorites are Icebreaker and Smartwool. The Darn Tough are a little too dense to provide cushion I like. Fitts are good socks but the elastic, or whatever they use, makes them too tight on my feet.

I also found them too tight. The exacerbated my inclination to develop blisters on the inside of my little toes. They don't stretch much at all. I like a sock with a looser toe-box.

Karma13
10-10-2012, 13:59
Ditto on the Darn Tough being too tight for me. They're great socks and they seem like they'd last forever, but they just crush the hell out of my feet. Then again, I have freak feet.

I've found Injiji toe socks to work best for me..

old geezer
10-10-2012, 14:28
Ex Officio InsectShield quater crew planned 2 pairs per 500 miles or so

Astro
10-12-2012, 00:18
Thin liners with SmartWool or DarnTuff ankle socks.

Dogwood
10-12-2012, 01:26
Shoes and socks go together. I pair each as trails and conditions demand.

About 75 % of the time I go with Smartwool mid wt 1/4 ankle PhDs. They are definitely my thru-hiking sock of choice. According to Smartwool Reps they have a new weave/material combo in the heel, toe and high abrasion areas. I have worn out so many PhDs but honestly think this yr's new model PhDs are longer lasting and more cushy in those high abrasion/wear areas. Love em!

Bridgedale Trailblaze low(1/4 ankle) mid wt or Bridgedale X-Hale Multisport 1/4 Ankles are excellent.

Eastern Mountain Sports 1/4 ankle mid wt merino wool are decent too and surely better than REI's 1/4 ankle similiar wt merino blend socks. EMS puts its socks on sale occasionally.


Testing out some merino wool blend FITS now. They seem good so far.


Very cold conditions and/or snow and I go to a taller merino wool sock which are typoically Smartwools.

Cuffs
10-14-2012, 00:56
Ibex merino. 67%. Made in USA.

http://shop.ibex.com/Apparel/Zing/Quarter-Crew-Sock

Prime Time
10-16-2012, 20:41
Darn Tough trekkers. Padded on the bottom only, just the right thickness everywhere else. Plus they wear like iron. Made in VT, USA!!!

Maddoxsjohnston
10-16-2012, 20:47
FITS socks round this time o' year. They run about $16 but feel like clouds on your aching feet. I've also found that they don't get smelly. Made in Tennessee too!

In the hot months I just use normal moisture-wicking crew Nike socks.

I don't believe in layering socks except when it is bone-chillingly cold.

kayak karl
10-16-2012, 21:15
my ankles would get cold Cuffs ;)

cabbagehead
10-16-2012, 21:30
I use the full length warm weather Darn Tough socks. Last summer (when it rained every 3rd day) I wore synthetics (70% polyester, 30% nylon) during strong rain. I don't like the weave in the upper part of the mid length Darn Tough socks.