liner socks

[squeezebox]

Anyone use liner socks? I hear it helps reduce blisters, the socks rubbing together instead of your skin. At work I use those elastic knee high socks with reg socks over that to keep the expensive elastic ones clean. They help a lot to reduce calf fatigue and cramping, due to being on my feet walking most of the day.

[MuddyWaters]

You will get 3 answers:

Yes
No
Sometimes

I dont wear liner socks, I wear trail runners and the thinnest wool or synthetic socks I can find.
I dont get blisters. Thats all I can say, it works for me. Plenty of others that will swear it didnt work for them.

You will have to find out what works best for you yourself. Highly recommended to do some multiday shakedowns with a full pack on strenuous rocky terrain to sort these details out.

I do think a thin tight weave sock, is far better than the coarse weave of a thickly padded sock however. Even if you wear a liner, I really think thick socks are bad. If you shoes fit so poorly you need thick socks to make them comfy, you already have a problem.

The US army did a study which found that liner socks did reduce blisters. But, that is likely soldiers carrying 65lb rucks, wearing combat boots, and whatever thick outer sock they outfitted them with. That doesnt translate to everyone else.

I prefer to listen to people that hike 5000+ miles per year. So far, their advice hasnt let me down.

[SipseyFreak]

What Muddy said ... I've worn liner socks and socks and didn't get blisters; I've worn thick wool socks and no liners and didn't get blisters; I've worn thin socks and no liners and didn't get blisters. I've hiked with people who've tried the same things and get blisters every time ... Everyone's feet are different; everyone's footwear is different; my daughter-in-law ends up with more bandaids than a two-year old ... keep trying until you find something comfortable for you ... I never get blisters but I always carry stuff to treat them and end up giving it to other people ... go figure ...

[Last Call]

I always carry a thin pair of liners, put them on if I start feeling a blister coming on & that's worked so far.

[Another Kevin]

I usually use thin nylon or polyester dress socks as liners. But that's because my feet get all itchy if I wear even merino wool next to my skin.

In really cold weather, I put doubled bread bags in between as a vapor barrier. The dress socks get all clammy but the wool ones stay dry and warm.

[fredmugs]

When every part of my foot blistered I tried everything including sock liners - nothing worked. then I switched to wide width trail runners, cheap wal mart socks, with the laces as loose as possible and my blister problems went away (wiggle room!). On my last PCT hike my hiking partner gave me some very thin dress socks that I used as liners and they seemed to do OK and I may employ them again on a future hike.

[Tri-Pod Bob]

What Muddy said ... I've worn liner socks and socks and didn't get blisters; I've worn thick wool socks and no liners and didn't get blisters; I've worn thin socks and no liners and didn't get blisters. I've hiked with people who've tried the same things and get blisters every time ... Everyone's feet are different; everyone's footwear is different; my daughter-in-law ends up with more bandaids than a two-year old ... keep trying until you find something comfortable for you ... I never get blisters but I always carry stuff to treat them and end up giving it to other people ... go figure ...

+1 on this.......I don't blister at all. All those years as a barefoot kid in the woods, I guess!

[Marta]

I wear liner socks without the outer socks. They dry quickly, are cool, and are slippery enough inside the shoes that I never have blister problems.

[ChinMusic]

Wore Darn Tough socks with my trail runners and had exactly zero blisters on my thru this year. No liners.

[Del Q]

What has worked for me are shoes 1/2 size larger, knee high panty hose (special forces trick) with foot powder, good socks. Air out feet at noon, switch liner, socks, re-powder.

[hikerboy57]

Wore Darn Tough socks with my trail runners and had exactly zero blisters on my thru this year. No liners.

+1- i do the same, never any blisters.

[CarlZ993]

Wore Darn Tough socks with my trail runners and had exactly zero blisters on my thru this year. No liners.

I used Darn Tough socks on the last 1/3 of the hike w/ no liner socks... no blisters. I used REI wool socks (similar thickness) w/ no liner socks at the beginning... one blister (heel breaking a new pair of trail runners). I rarely get blisters.

Early in my hiking career, I used liner socks. I didn't get blisters then. Decided after trying w/o liner socks that I didn't need them.

[ChinMusic]

Darn Tough socks was probably the best advice I ever got on WB

[Trailweaver]

I have always worn liner socks and never had blisters. I recently had to change (due to an injury) and get low cut hiking shoes. It was suggested that I try the Darn Tough socks, and I'm going with that, so I'll be very interested to see how that goes. I will still take a long lunch and air out the feet and socks though. I know that works. I did one short hike with it, and it seemed comfortable.

[ChinMusic]

I swap my left and right socks at mid day. It fools my feet into thinking I'm giving them something new. They like it and I'm not telling.......

[English Stu]

I wear two pair of liner socks, air my feet regularly and switch from right to left, this airs the shoes and I take out the liners to cool them.

[HeartFire]

I love darn tough socks. When I started my Colorado Trail hike this year I got blisters - first town stop bought a new pair of the same shoe 1/2 size larger - no more blisters. - As someone else said - wiggle room.

[daddytwosticks]

I wear two pair of liner socks, air my feet regularly and switch from right to left, this airs the shoes and I take out the liners to cool them.

I also wear two pair of thin sock liners and New Balance trail runners in the warmer months. Keeps my feet relatively cooler and blister free. As a plus, the lightweight liners dry quickly when I get a change to rinse them out or if I'm hiking thru a "trail creek" during a summer downpour.

[Seatbelt]

+1 on this.......I don't blister at all. All those years as a barefoot kid in the woods, I guess!

I think this is a key part of the issue. Until one's feet get "tuffened up" to a point, they will be be prone to blistering on the trail. Another factor might be the walking style differences--large steps on up/downhills might lead to more blistering.

[squeezebox]

Seems as though I once heard, rubbing your feet with rubbing alcohol will toughen them up. Drying out the skin makes them tougher?