Socks with Trail Runners (not boots)

[trippclark]

For other hikers who use trail runners instead of boots, I am curious what type of socks you use? I am not so much interested in brand as style, material, thickness.

I transitioned from boots to trail runners about 7 or 8 years ago and have never had blister problems until recently, but have gotten blisters under my toenails on two of my last three hikes. While searching for info on this, I found a post (if you read it on the internet it must be true, right!?) that said that one cause for this is wearing too thick of socks. Presently, I still use the thick Smartwool hiking socks (and liners) that I wore when I was wearing boots. So I am wondering if I need to change to a different style/tickness sock for use with the trail runners. I am a bit reluctant to change things up that have worked well for (most of) 7 years, but, as I said, on two of the past three trips I had blister problems. I am used to blister-free hiking and want to return there!

[Pickleodeon]

hm, i got blisters under my toenails.. i was pretty sure that it was from my toes hitting the front of my shoes on downhills. On my thruhike, i trimmed my nails and drained the blisters and didnt have problems after about a week.

I hiked in trail runners the whole way and the low cut smartwools. they are the phD kind.

I hiked in boots on a training hike and had horrible blisters... it may be that the shoes you're in are past their prime, or your feet have changed/grown. Try a pair of different shoes, or maybe thinner socks, or I've seen people hike in just liners. I dont think I've had a problem with too thick socks, try some different options and see what happens.

For me though, the toenail blisters were from my shoes, not socks.

[garlic08]

I use exclusively the Smartwool light hikers, and have never used a liner with them. When I wore boots, I, like you, used liners and thicker socks all the time.

As an aside, a couple of years ago I tried Smartwool insoles (blue "low volume" style) with my running shoes and was surprised how much I liked them.

[Phreak]

I only wear Wrightsocks Double Layer Coolmesh socks (http://www.rei.com/product/688088).

[sbhikes]

I wear the thinnest wool socks I can find, preferably with fun colors. I like low cut ones made for bicycling but not the super low ones for running as those give me blisters on the backs of my heels. I also like the injinji socks in the merino wool.

[wcgornto]

I wear mid-weight Thorlo synthetics. I tried Smartwool, but for me, they are too hot and wear out too quickly.

[gumball]

I wear the same liners I wear for running and running sox.

[Darwin again]

Smartwool light hikers in cold or cool weather and cheap men's lightweight nylon dress socks (from wal-mart or similar store) in warmer weather. The lighter your socks are, the cooler and dryer your feet stay and cool and dry is good for feet. I've found the thinner socks let my feet harden up more quickly, as well.

[Rick500]

http://www.dahlgrenfootwear.com/socks/men/alpaca/light_hiking/

[Tinker]

I have some low top Smartwool socks made for runners. I often carry them on a multiday hike and use them towards the end of my hike when my feet swell a bit.

[wisenber]

You might try getting a 3 pack for $3.50 of cheap nylon dress socks. While it may sound counter-intuitive, they have next to no friction and hold very little moisture (the two things that cause blisters). They are also very easy to clean and dry along the way. Nylon is also more durable than you'd think. Plus, the bulk factor is way less than the other options. When it gets a bit cooler, wear two pair.

Think about it. If your shoes have padding, why would your socks also need padding in a trailrunner? It would be cheap to try a few times before you decide.

[Darwin again]

That's exactly what I was thinking:
Thin nylon dress socks = counterintuitive.

But I've found it to be true.

In his book about his first thru hike, Walking with Spring, Earl Shaffer writes about putting sand in his boots to toughen up his feet. No socks. Of course, he wasn't wearing runners.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

I use wigwam wool low cuts-in the summer never had a blister -darn tough light wool socks in the winter

[Blissful]

Smartwool, no liners.

[10-K]

Just started with trail runners and have very limited experience but I've tried a mid-weight wool and a very thin liner and I definitely like the liner better. Mid-weight is way too hot and would take a long time to dry.

3 pair of liners also weight the same as 1 pair of mid-weight...

[JAK]

I use thin wool dress socks. You can get them as high as 78% wool, 2% spandex, 20% nylon. You can find them on sale, but you have to keep looking, and buy a bunch of them at once when you do find them, and find them at a reasonable price. Now that I am used to them I find all but the thinnest smartwool too thick, except for sub-freezing.

Great everyday socks also, and for running in Spring/Winter/Fall.

[sbhikes]

I have had trouble with nylon and liner socks being too slippery inside my shoes. I had a terrible experience where my feet were slipping a lot so I tied the shoes tighter. That ended up causing even worse pain that took a few days to subside. I wonder if a little Silnet inside my shoes would help with that.

[juma]

I like one-two pair of the men's dress socks and mainly the penny's goldtoe microfiber version. the microfiber seems to have a tighter weave or something and never seems abrasive. wash out at nite and dry by mid-day on the back of your pack. hotter weather, I put leukotape on all the high contact places: big toe, front ball, heel pad, and back of heel, plus a wrap around that second to the last toe.

[Dogwood]

Even though I almost exclusively wear trailrunners on long distance hikes whether or not I wear boots or low cut trailrunners my goto socks are Smartwool with their various wts., thicknesses(mostly mid wt or now Phds), and padding options that just fit over the ankle of the shoe. Although others may find that something else works fine for them, personally, I tend to go on thru-hikes and as such, even when I'm wearing well cushioned trailrunners, I seek to have my feet padded as much as possible by choosing more padded socks in conjuntion with cushiony orthotics. Doing this or switching to fresher insoles lets me extend the comfort life of my trailrunners too.

I think of what's on my feet as a system that includes everything from shoes, orthotics, socks, liners(if I choose to wear them), lacing, gaiters, anti-friction product(Hydropel, Glide), etc. What's on my feet is part of a larger system that takes into account trail conditions, length of hike, weather, how conditioned my feet are to hiking at the time, pack wt, inteneded daily mileage, etc.

If you have something that has worked for you for 7-8 yrs and now you are suddenly having blister issues I would be asking myself: what am I currently doing differently that I didn't do before? I don't think it's just a matter of switching to trailrunners. Maybe you are taking on a different kind of trail terrain, hiking faster longer miles, switched to a new shoe set-up, hauling more wt., not yet have conditioned your feet for this yr's hiking, etc.

Blisters under toenails is a likely sign that your feet are slipping forward on steeper downhills resulting in toe bang? Shoe fit could be the key! Your feet should have a LITTLE give inside your hiking shoe on downhills but if they are sliding too far forward inside your shoe resulting in toe bang that's going to result in the condition you described. Try different lacing methods that focus on cradling your mid foot(instep) more securely, switch to a different sized, brand, or model shoe, switch to a larger volumed sock or orthotic and see what happens.

When I'm researching a new hiking shoe possibility for myself I go to the shoe store with the socks I'm intending to wear with those shoes on a hike, my backpack with the wt I tend to be hiking with while wearing that shoe, and a fresh pair of orthotics to slip into those shoes. For most that sounds extreme but I try to keep my feet as happy as I can. After all, if something is wrong with your feet and that includes improper hiking shoes everything else about hiking/backpacking is inconsequential.

Wearing thicker socks can result in several factors. Pertaining to your internet search, I think what was being described is someone wearing a shoe that was a bit tight or just correctly sized when wearing reg socks. When you switch to larger volumed socks under that scenario things can get too tight inside your shoe resulting in hot spots leading to blisters. You may also have been listening to a runner. Runners typically go out on 20 mile or less runs and wear thin socks for that sport. Although there are some similarites running is not exactly the same thing as backpacking, especially long distance thru-hiking.

[Storm]

I have been doing mostly road walks and recently switched to Dr. Scholl's comfort fit dress socks. $7 for two pair at Wally Mart. My feet have been thanking me ever since. Not cheap but they have a one year guarantee.