View Full Version : Smartwool Socks at Costco
Old Grouse
12-13-2008, 14:48
I wandered into Costco this week and found that they're again (still?) selling Smartwool socks under their Kirkland brand as "Outdoor Trail Socks." Four pair for $10.00. Since I wear these almost daily year-round, naturally I grabbed a package and told my wife to wrap them & put them under the tree for me. I bet your honey would like them too!
Feral Bill
12-13-2008, 15:03
These use to be made by Head. I do not know the current maker, but at that price I doubt its Smartwool. They are very good socks. I have used them for years when I need the lighter sock. In our house they are "dumbwools". One beef from me. they come package with therr different colors, two of which are nearly identical, at least after a few washes. Makes pairing a challange at times, compared to all socks the same.
They are a merino wool blend:71% marino wool with nylon, polyester and spandex. Hard to tell, but I'm prolly wearing a mismatched pair now.
Old Grouse
12-13-2008, 15:32
Some of them say Smartwool right on 'em, so I figure....
papa john
12-13-2008, 16:53
I'd take a pack of those if someone would get me some. I couldn't care less what my socks look like.
dude thats a pretty good deal if they are smartwools, they are by far my favorite socks.
johnnybgood
12-13-2008, 17:26
The older I get the less I care whether my socks match are not. As mater of fact, I'm wearing mismatched socks now...seriously folks.
johnnybgood
12-13-2008, 18:28
Aunt Virginia ...Is that you?
skinewmexico
12-13-2008, 18:31
Wish we had Costcos near us.
Same. I'd pound on some dumbwool for sure.
buckwheat
12-13-2008, 20:32
That's a terrific price. A single pair of Smartwool brand socks can go for $15-$20 at some places. Not all socks are created equal (some have thicker soles than others, for example) but on the face of it, that's a terrific buy.
I have to just add that Wal-Mart and Costo should be added to your list of "must check here" places when pricing hiking gear. In some cases, the price is a fraction of what you'd pay at the outfitter.
johnnybgood
12-13-2008, 21:01
Thanks for the advice buckwheat! Also I hear Campmor.com has some good prices sometimes on selected items.
daibutsu
12-13-2008, 21:07
Go cheap!!! Wonder why you can't get service!!!
cowboy nichols
12-13-2008, 22:24
who cares if socks match ?????
The older styles of SW's were nearly identical, but different colors... They moved forward and started theyre Adrenaline line... this line had more cushion on the botton, less on top so that the shoe/boot volume was given a little more wiggle room, and so that the heat from the food could vent easier thru the top of the sock (thinner fabric on top). Their newest line, PhD is even better. Cushion on the bottom, thin on top and key elastic in 4 areas: above & below the heel, under the arch and across the instep. This new sock stays close to the foot, which creates less friction (cause for blisters) and less stretch over the life of the sock... Yea, kinda pricey... but I think they are worth it. I think REI has a deal... buy 3 of something get a discount (but I dont know how much...)
nice find! i get most of mine at marshall's. i've gotten smartwool's, icebreakers, and patagonias there for $5 a pair. in fact, only 1 pair of my wool socks haven't come from there! heheh
Feral Bill
12-14-2008, 02:10
who cares if socks match ?????
I'm a teacher. I wear them to work. Teenagers would get too much fun out of mismatched socks. Can't have fun at school.
got the ame at sam's club a few weeks ago, labelled "hiker socks" wearing them now. Three pairs, merino and spandex. I think they were 14$
Rain Man
12-14-2008, 11:04
I wandered into Costco this week and found that they're again (still?) selling Smartwool socks under their Kirkland brand as "Outdoor Trail Socks." Four pair for $10.00. Since I wear these almost daily year-round, naturally I grabbed a package and told my wife to wrap them & put them under the tree for me. I bet your honey would like them too!
THANKS for that juicy bit of info. I haven't been in our Costco for a while, but I'll head down there this week for sure now!
Rain:sunMan
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Thrasher
12-14-2008, 20:07
Thanks I picked up a few today and I'm putting a pack away for my thru hike. 71% Merino Wool, 21% Nylon, 7% Polyester, and 1% LYCRA Spandex.
I picked up two packs of 4 today for $10 each at my costco. They don't say Smartwool anywhere on them, but most importantly, it does say "Made in USA"
What thickness of Smartwool sock do they most closely match up to?
Mooselook Marty
12-16-2008, 10:05
What thickness of Smartwool sock do they most closely match up to?
IMHO, they are closest to the Smartwool Hiker Crew. The weight (3 oz) for size large is the same. The weave appears to be identical as well.
They appeared to be slightly less cushiony, but I am wondering if it is because they weren't washed. It could also be my imagination. :rolleyes:
They are a great deal, in any case!
Marty
fiatspider2000
12-16-2008, 10:17
I really like Darn Tough hiking socks but at that price it is hard to beat.
It could also be my imagination. :rolleyes:
They are a great deal, in any case!
Marty
Thanks!
Found the sams club socks, they're called "omni wool (http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&item=379388)" 75% merino 24% nylon, 1% spandex. 14$ for 3 pairs.
D'Artagnan
12-16-2008, 15:44
The older I get the less I care whether my socks match are not. As mater of fact, I'm wearing mismatched socks now...seriously folks.
Me, too. Conformity is overrated. :banana
TrippinBTM
12-18-2008, 22:15
Just wanted to say THANKS for the tip! I got two packs of them, what a deal!
Wise Old Owl
12-18-2008, 23:00
I'm a teacher. I wear them to work. Teenagers would get too much fun out of mismatched socks. Can't have fun at school.
Hey FB!, did you forget the fun & teachings of Patch Adams?
http://www.lankalibrary.com/patch.jpghttp://www.musicweb-international.com/film/mar99/patchadams.jpg
went out today and got 2 packs, one for the GF. We should be putting a few miles on them over the next few days.
Thanks for the tip!
Thanks for the tip. I bought two packs and plan to use them for every day wear.
They are more similar to Bass Pro's Red Head brand. They used fewer loops on the inside but made them larger. They feel soft but not as cushioning for full body weight.
I'll stick to the Smartwool for hiking.
Hey, I'm all for saving a few bucks, but let's compare a Delicious apple to a Delicious apple and Navel orange to a Navel orange. Do U really think THE SAME QUALITY LEVEL of a pair of Smartwool socks bought at, REI for instance, for $15 R selling 4 pairs for $10 at Costco???
TrippinBTM
12-21-2008, 08:09
All I know s that I've had these expensive sorts of socks fall apart on me after just a few weeks of hiking. So, might as well save some dinero and buy the cheap ones. They're made of basically the same stuff.
Old Grouse
12-21-2008, 12:18
Hey, I'm all for saving a few bucks, but let's compare a Delicious apple to a Delicious apple and Navel orange to a Navel orange. Do U really think THE SAME QUALITY LEVEL of a pair of Smartwool socks bought at, REI for instance, for $15 R selling 4 pairs for $10 at Costco???
I wear both the Costcos and the Smartwool brand I've bought at LL Beans. In my opinion there's no quality difference, and in fact I think the Costcos are better because the hem at the top is wider. Just my opinion.
Feral Bill
12-21-2008, 14:49
Hey, I'm all for saving a few bucks, but let's compare a Delicious apple to a Delicious apple and Navel orange to a Navel orange. Do U really think THE SAME QUALITY LEVEL of a pair of Smartwool socks bought at, REI for instance, for $15 R selling 4 pairs for $10 at Costco???
Yes, the quality is the same. I use heavier Smartwools for hiking but only because of the thickness.
fiddlehead
12-21-2008, 16:57
Hey, I'm all for saving a few bucks, but let's compare a Delicious apple to a Delicious apple and Navel orange to a Navel orange. Do U really think THE SAME QUALITY LEVEL of a pair of Smartwool socks bought at, REI for instance, for $15 R selling 4 pairs for $10 at Costco???
Do you seriously think that REI and Cosco have the same markup ???
Also, some buyers come across great deals sometimes and pass those deals over to their customers.
That's how some companies survive.
Perhaps Costco should sell them for twice as much, maybe you'd think differently???
OK OK I new I would get some heat from my comment. Now, I have to go over to Costco and check out these Smartwool socks.
Hi, I'm back. Those Costco Smartwool socks R terrible. But, hey U R in luck. I can sell U Smartwool socks that look just like the ones being sold at Costco for $3 per pair! Now, that's capitalism! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All!
Oops, forgot the k in new.
Rain Man
12-22-2008, 10:16
Went out over the weekend and bought two packs of the Costco socks, the 4-pack for $9.99. I think they look just great. Even if they weren't, I'd be able to wear them around the house and yard instead of wearing out my expensive Smartwool REI socks.
WARNING, don't wash and dry the Costco socks on normal heat in the dryer. They will shrink! Mine did. Fortunately, my daughter wears smaller socks than I do, so she just inherited 4 pair of nice socks.
I also checked out the Sam's 3-pack of "Omni-wool" socks, for $14.99. Might pick up a pack of them too.
Rain:sunMan
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Camping Dave
12-22-2008, 23:07
Ok, I give up. What are matched socks? :D
They are when you only have one type and color sock.
james potts
12-27-2008, 16:07
Costco's "head" brand of socks is not SmartWool. The quality is not even close. Sam's Club's "Omni-wool" however is exactly the same with just a bit more reinforcement in heal to wear longer. Omni-wool is manufactured by Crescent Hosiery of Niota, Tenn. Guess where Smart Wool originated, Crescent Hosiery. Now Smartwool comes from Korea but Omni-wool is still manufactured in Niota. A bargain at Sam's Club and some Outfitters Stores.
Old Grouse
12-27-2008, 20:26
J. Potts is of course entitled to his opinion, and I don't want to belabor this business. However, I will say again that the Costco socks I recommended are called "Kirkland Signature Series." I wear them daily and interchangeably with the Smartwools I've bought from LL Bean. Further, some of the Costco socks say "Smartwool" on them just as the official Smartwools do. I like 'em and they're cheap. Try them and decide for yourself. At $2.50/pair there's little penalty attached to the experiment.
....I have to just add that Wal-Mart and Costo should be added to your list of "must check here" places when pricing hiking gear. In some cases, the price is a fraction of what you'd pay at the outfitter.
I've never been in a Costo -- and like you I can't spell the name. But some things are in fact cheaper at Walmart. Other things are a third more expensive than at your True Value or Ace hardware store -- and for food -- a third more expensive than most good supermarkets, especially for wise shoppers who watch the sales.
I mostly buy Smart Wool socks these days because there is a local store that sells them. I prefer Thorlos, but they are more expensive, and the nearest store is a 60 mile round trip away. Not that I buy many socks these days. Both Thorlos and Smart Wools wear a long time.
Weary
johnnybgood
12-27-2008, 23:17
Yesterday
johnnybgood
12-27-2008, 23:27
Where are the glasses I so badly need? What I was trying to say was yesterday I bought 4 pairs of Work Gear socks at Walmart for $10 and they feel great . They wick away moisture and have added cushion in the heal & arch.
We don't have a Costco around here, so I don't know about their socks. However, I have been buying Omni-wool socks from Sam's for quite a while and I think they are comfortable and well made. They are not very expensive. And I do like the fact that they are made here in the USA by an American company. If we ever get a Costco I might give their socks a try. Anyone know where they make theirs?
/
Worldwide
01-05-2009, 03:45
I have had some of the crappiest reliability from Smartwools. They seem to last about 150-200 miles it maybe my non domestic side overdrying or something fouling them up. Not sure. Which model Smart Wools I have worn I couldn't tell you. Personally, I would never ever buy another pair they feel great just lack durability. I currently use the Darn Tough brand and 2 pair have shared about 4,000 miles on them one pair getting more use than the other. Bridgedale are supposed to be awesome too never used them myself.
Rain Man
01-05-2009, 16:15
...And I do like the fact that they are made here in the USA by an American company. If we ever get a Costco I might give their socks a try. Anyone know where they make theirs?
The Costco/Kirkland label says "Made in USA" ... TWICE.
Rain:sunMan
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volleypc
01-13-2009, 22:12
I wandered into Costco this week and found that they're again (still?) selling Smartwool socks under their Kirkland brand as "Outdoor Trail Socks." Four pair for $10.00. Since I wear these almost daily year-round, naturally I grabbed a package and told my wife to wrap them & put them under the tree for me. I bet your honey would like them too!
These socks are made in Tennessee and sold at their little outlet store The Sock Shop in sweetwater, tn. There are also a few people local to the area selling them on ebay. In the store you can buy 3 pair for 7.99. By the way, this mill used to make socks for smartwool and lost the contract. They started making them as the Head Brand for costco but I think costco now buys them overseas. I have always been able to order directly from the store in sweetwater. If you order some, order a pair of their spa socks for your wife also...they will love them.
michael rowlands
01-13-2009, 22:24
I am one cheap dude!!!! I hiked the A. T. twice and on my first trip in 1981 smart wool had not been invented. I used rag wool socks and wore out 5 or six pairs on that trip. On my second trip I used smart wool with liner socks. I did the entire trip with two pair of smart wool socks. I used other wool socks to suppliment the two when they were wet or drying but I estiment walking 17-18 hundred miles with the two pair of Smart wool. When I bought the two pair of Smart Wool socks I was told if I wore them out they would replace them. Well this cheap dude got two new pair of socks from the same outfitter when he got home. I paid 16 buck for each pair of socks and they were worth every penny of it. You get alot more wear on them if you use the thin nylon liners. Rowmin Goat....................
I have had some of the crappiest reliability from Smartwools. They seem to last about 150-200 miles it maybe my non domestic side overdrying or something fouling them up. Not sure. Which model Smart Wools I have worn I couldn't tell you. Personally, I would never ever buy another pair they feel great just lack durability. I currently use the Darn Tough brand and 2 pair have shared about 4,000 miles on them one pair getting more use than the other. Bridgedale are supposed to be awesome too never used them myself.
Wool, unlike its competitors is a natural fiber and does not last as long as fibers made from oil. Afterall, oil has remained in the ground for a billion years, plus or minus.
But it remains true that the most comfortable socks combine a mixture of oil based fibrics and natural fibrics.
Thorlos do this, which given that they are made in this country, and the fact that they last almost forever, they are what I buy, these days.
Weary
I've bought the Costco brand of smartwool sox the past 2 years. At my local store they take them off the floor after winter though, so I need to go back and get another pack soon.
When people ask about my mis matched socks I always reply,
"They aren't mis matched, I have a pair just like these somewhere at home."
Hi
I didn't want to make a new thread, so thought I'd post in this one.
Can anyone comment on the comfort in terms of hiking for these kirkland brand wool socks as compared to smartwoold hiking mediums?
thanks
Old Grouse
05-19-2012, 07:29
I've found them to be a very acceptable lower cost substitute. For me Darn Tough is tops but, of course, four times as expensive. I have both in my drawer and mostly wear the cheap ones daily, saving the DTs for hiking. But yes, they would serve just fine as daily long distance socks.