I found some nice $18.50 wool socks on sale for $11.10 at a local outdoors/sports store. They are the Patagonia Midweight Hiking Alpine Socks. Patagonia is known for quality (and made in the USA,) so I bought them.

And I’m very happy with them! All I had to do was try them on and I could tell they were very nice socks.

Here are the details:

Content: 65% chlorine-free merino wool, 20% nylon, 12% polyester with moisture-wicking performance, 3% spandex.

And here are my thoughts…

Comfort and Fit:

These socks look comfortable, and believe me, they are! They are very soft all around, and they are tight (but still very comfortable and not at all constricting) on my legs. They don’t sag or shift around and bunch up. I hate socks that slide down, so I was very happy with these.

They are nice and tall, like an extra layer of pants for your lower leg. Nearly up to my knee! Similar to most ski socks. (This is great when it’s cold, especially if you’re wearing tall hiking boots or ski boots.)

There is extra thick cushioning around the heel, under the foot, and up around toes. There is also a tighter compression band around the midfoot, which increases foot support; I think that improves comfort for long periods of physical activity.

I could wear these all day!

Sizing:

I got size Large, which fits Men’s 9.5-11.5 shoe size (according to the Patagonia chart.) This is a perfect fit for my size 11.5 to 12 feet.

Durability: I’ve only had these socks for about a year, and I haven’t abused them, but I have used them. They are still as comfortable as the day I bought them, and there is very little noticeable wear (just a little scuff mark on the heel.)

I bet these will last quite a while. They have already outlasted my Wigwam wool socks purchased at the same time as these.

Style: They look great! They have a great two-tone style that looks appealing but not too flashy. Mine are like a gray and dark charcoal combo.

My final verdict is…

If you want some tall socks for fall/winter hiking and skiing, try these. I’ve used them for XC skiing, downhill skiing, hiking, and even cool weather motorcycle riding. I really like them and will definitely buy more Patagonia socks now.

Official website: www.Patagonia.com

You can never have too many wool socks. Anytime I find nice wool socks for a good price, I buy them. Which is why I have the Wigwam 40 Below wool socks that I saw for $11.

This is a big, thick wool sock. It’s 50% wool, 48% nylon, and 2% spandex. The actual color is “grey twist” but I’d call them tan or brown. I got size Large, which fits mens shoe size 9-12.

Had these not been on sale, I might have still bought them thanks to the “Made in Sheboygan, WI” on the label. In other words, made in the USA.

First Impressions

I tried the socks on as soon as I got home. They slid onto my feet easily, and felt great. The sizing was spot-on for my shoe size 11.5-12 (Euro 46) feet.

The socks look really thick, but it’s a very loose weave, making the socks breathable and super light. The experience was like wearing a lightweight summer sock, except for how they kept my feet warm in the winter!

The thickness also made them feel like extremely comfortable slippers.

Testing Them Out

I started out just wearing these socks around the house on cool mornings. They were sooo nice! I used these mainly for lounging around, but eventually took them outside for a real test!

I used these socks for a little winter hiking and lots of XC skiing. They were warm and comfortable, and everything seemed fine…

Then I wore them inside again. I think it was under a month since I bought them, but the legs lost virtually all their elasticity. They didn’t have much elasticity to begin with, but they would at least stay up on my legs. Not any more.

When wearing just the socks, they would droop down and bunch up around my ankles. It got pretty annoying and uncomfortable.

I was still able to wear the socks for XC skiing since my boots hold them up. They still provided warmth, no problems there. But for loungewear and running, I skipped these socks.

Durability Testing

Although the socks no longer felt like nice athletic socks, I continued to wear them for a season of XC skiing.

Unfortunately, after another month or so of skiing, these socks showed noticeable wear on the heel. As in, they were very close to having holes in the heel. You could see my skin.

I’ve had a number of other wool socks (Defeet Woolie Boolie, to name one) last me for a few years when I was wearing them all the time and putting them through hell. These Wigwam socks showed the same wear after just a few months!

My final verdict is…

Not a terrible sock, but not recommended. Get some Defeet Woolie Boolies or other wool socks that feel like they have some spandex around the calf so they don’t slide down. Those are usually more comfortable and much more durable as well.

Official website: www.Wigwam.com

I’ve noticed a slight problem where I spend quite a bit of money (like $10 per pair) for little cycling socks, only to have them get holes in them after a few races. So, trying to kill two birds with one stone, I picked up a pair of the Performance CoolMax Kevlar Socks.

This is a cycling sock from the Performance Bike house brand, so it’s inexpensive, and it’s reinforced with kevlar, to increase durability. I think the retail price is $8, but I got them on sale for $6. I figured at that price, it’s worth a shot!

Being made from Coolmax, these socks are great for sports. Coolmax wicks sweat so your feet stay cool and dry. So in that regard, these socks do function nicely for cycling socks. Cotton socks don’t even compare.

What makes these socks special is the “reinforced heel and toe offer excellent abrasion resistance.” The main part of the sock is gray, then the toe and heel are yellow. I guess that signifies where they put the kevlar reinforcements (which makes sense, since those are high wear areas.)

But before I could really test out the durability, I ran into a couple issues.

First, the sizing.

I usually wear a size 12 shoe. That put me in the range for the XL size, so I got that size. The XL turned out to be a little too big for me. It’s close, but not perfect. I wouldn’t advise getting the XL unless you are a solid 13 shoe size.

If you’re in the 11.5 to 12 range, I guess size Large is the one to choose.

This led to a problem with the comfort.

Due to that sizing discrepancy, the socks bunch up in the middle when I place the heel section on my heel. It’s mildly annoying, but not too big a deal though, since I don’t really notice that when riding. It was more comfortable if I pulled the sock tight, but then the heel was back a bit too far.

The real problem is the rough fabric. The inside of the sock is kind of rough, and it scrapes my Achilles tendon. It doesn’t cut my skin open, but it’s not exactly comfortable.

If you’re used to Sock Guy socks or something like the Defeet Wooleator, you probably won’t find these socks as comfortable.

Durability on these is probably pretty good. But due to the sizing issue and discomfort, I don’t wear these enough to really test the durability, and I don’t like them enough to buy any more.

I’ve worn them at least as much as my Pearl Izumi Attack socks, though, so I can compare the two. The Performance socks are way more durable than my Pearl Izumis, all of which have holes in the toes.

My final verdict is…

These Performance Coolmax Kevlar socks seem to be quite durable. But…

I don’t like these socks a whole lot, so I won’t be buying any more. They’re not awful, but I’d rather just buy Defeet and Sock Guy socks since I know those are awesome. (Those socks are comfortable, durable enough, not overly expensive, and the sizing charts are spot on.)

Official website: www.PerformanceBike.com

Ever come back from a winter ride and your feet are so cold you want to cry? That happened to me for years… until I discovered wool socks!

Wool socks alone won’t prevent frostbite, but they are so cozy and comfortable I can’t imagine wearing anything else in cool weather! One of my favorite wool socks is the DeFeet Woolie Boolie.

Wool is one of my favorite materials, especially when it comes to socks. Wool socks are just plain awesome! Old timers will question your choice, saying something like, “isn’t wool real scratchy and itchy?” Well, it used to be, but not anymore!

Today’s wool garments are extremely soft and comfortable, warm, good looking, and durable. The Woolie Boolie socks are no exception.

Some things I love about the Defeet Woolie Boolie socks:

• They work in a wide range of temperatures during the fall, winter, and spring. I wouldn’t wear them during the summer, but they seem to regulate heat well so that they are comfortable whether it’s 25 or 55 degrees! I think this is because of the design. It has thicker wool in some places plus Aireator mesh on top of the foot.
• They remain warm, even when wet. This is great because your socks are bound to get wet at some point (especially in the spring when it’s extremely wet, but not cold enough for big winter booties.)
• They feel thick without being bulky. I have some wool socks that are so thick they don’t fit into my shoes at all! But the Woolie Boolies feel thick and cushy while still being just thin enough to fit into my cycling shoes! (They aren’t super thin though – if you want a lightweight wool sock, try the DeFeet WoolEator instead.)
• The cuff length is just right. At 4″, the cuff comes up high enough that it’s above my winter cycling shoes or hiking boots and is long enough to tuck underneath tights to seal out wind… but not so obnoxiously long that they feel like shin pads. It doesn’t slide down, either, so you never have to adjust them.
• Durability is impressive. I take good care of my clothing so it usually lasts a while, but I love these socks so much I sometimes wear them all day long for days at a time! Even so, they have outlasted many other wool socks! (These socks have a 34% nylon, 64% wool, 2% Lycra blend, so that could be part of the durability equation vs 100% wool socks.)
• Comfort! I can’t say enough about the comfort of these socks! They are extremely soft and utilize a nearly seamless design. From now on I might forget about other brands and just wear Woolie Boolies every day during the winter!
• Easy to care for. While most of my cycling garments recommend hand wash and hang dry, these Defeet socks are easy. “Machine wash cold, tumble-dry low, no chlorine bleach.” So you just throw them in the washing machine! You could hand wash them, but they seem plenty durable enough for the washing machine, so do whatever you want.
• Made in the USA. It’s so hard to find anything made in the USA these days. Nothing against China and Taiwan, but sometimes you just want to wear something made in your own country!

One final note on the sizing:

I wear shoe size 11.5 or 12, so I got size Large in these socks, which is for shoe sizes 9.5 – 11.5. It was a perfect fit!

I have purchased XL socks before for shoe sizes 12 and up, but those tend to be too big, and might be better off as “13 and up.”

My final verdict is…

While I haven’t worn every wool sock out there, these Defeet Woolie Boolies are my current favorite wool sock. I wear them for running, hiking, and biking, but I love them so much it’s not unusual for me to wear them all day long!

For $12, I recommend grabbing a couple pairs of these for cool and cold weather.

Official website: DeFeet.com

Buy online: www.JensonUSA.com | REI.com

Not everyone is happy with warm socks. Some people require totally waterproof socks…

I need totally waterproof socks for adventure racing! I’ve read Seal Skinz socks will leak water in the cuff!

Please help,
Wet Willy

Hi Willy,

I’m betting you have read my review of Seal Skinz socks. I think they are awesome for wet, muddy terrain, and ankle-deep water.

If you’re out canoeing and have to wade through knee-deep water, I’m not sure what would be best. I haven’t used the Seal Skinz socks for that purpose, so I can’t say whether or not the cuff would leak.

There are special socks for this purpose though – the Seal Skinz Waterblocker. They have a special cuff at the top that is supposed to be completely waterproof. For $45, I hope it is!

But yes, I have read some reviews (notably the ones at REI.com) that say Seal Skinz socks leak water down the cuff if you wade into knee-deep water. If that’s the case, they wouldn’t fare any better in deep water than the regular Seal Skinz.

Also, if the Seal Skinz waterblock cuff doesn’t keep water out, I’m betting that most other waterproof socks of that length are going to have the same problem.

Since buying hip waders (made for fishing) or a wetsuit (for ocean swims) would be impractical, what I would recommend is sticking with regular wool socks for your adventures. Wool socks stay warm and comfortable when wet, and you wouldn’t have to worry about them filling with water.

One of my personal favorites is the DeFeet Wooleator sock, or for cooler weather, the Woolie Boolie.

(If anyone has more suggestions, please chime in with a comment below.)