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

With temperatures dropping around the country, it’s a good time to make sure you have everything you need to stay warm. And a sure-fire bet for staying warm in the winter is wool clothing.

Socks, gloves, base layers, and even cycling shorts and jerseys made from wool can be found online.

Here is a list of who’s doing wool garments and where you can buy them:

1. Boure

Boure is an outdoor apparel company owned by mountain bike legend Ned Overend. They make just about everything you need for a cycling outfit, plus some Nordic skiing gear – and the gear is manufactured in Durango, CO.

Their line of wool cycling garments includes: short- and long-sleeve jerseys, a long-sleeve base layer, shorts, socks, and a skull cap.

The socks run a moderate $12, but the shorts and jerseys are well over $100 each.

Link: www.boure.com

2. DeFeet

DeFeet is a popular sock manufacturer in the cycling community, making socks and other accessories such as arm warmers.

Their sock lineup includes quite a few wool socks, such as the WoolEator and the Woolie Boolie, but they also offer wool liner gloves, arm warmers, and knee warmers.

Link: www.defeet.com

3. Earth, Wind, and Rider

Earth, Wind, and Rider is an eco-conscious company offering short- and long-sleeve cycling jerseys for men and women.

Prices are in the $120 range.

Link: www.earthwindandrider.com

4. Hincapie Sportswear

Hincapie Sportswear was created by, who else, George Hincapie. They make a line of high-end cycling apparel, with some wool items to keep you warm.

The wool products include base layers, arms warmers, gloves, and socks.

Link: www.hincapie.com

5. Ibex

Ibex outdoor clothing is great because they are dedicated to wool, so if there’s something you want in wool, they probably have it.

While browsing their store, I found some very cool styles and designs of base layers, plus the shorts, jerseys, arm warmers, and leg warmers you’d expect.

The cheapest product I saw was the $40 arm warmers, and the most expensive were the $150-200 sweaters and long-sleeve jerseys.

Link: www.ibexwear.com

6. Jones Wares

Joneswares is another small wool clothing manufacturer based here in the USA. They make gear for cycling, running, and outdoor use.

They actually offer a wide ranging selection of garments. For example, their wool base layers come in tank tops, short sleeve, long sleeve, zipper neck, and turtle neck styles. Then you have the long and short sleeve jerseys, shorts and pants, arm and leg warmers, gloves, caps, and socks.

Link: www.joneswares.com

7. SmartWool

SmartWool has been around a while and is probably the most popular wool clothing brand for outdoors men. They offer so many items that I’m not even going to try to list them all.

But there’s one cool thing to know – SmartWool garments are washer and dryer safe!

Link: www.smartwool.com

8. Swobo

The interesting thing about Swobo is that not only do they make cycling clothing, they actually make bikes. So if you browse their shop, you’ll see bikes, polyester clothing, and Merino wool.

If you need an urban bicycle or stylish gear, check out Swobo.

Link: www.swobo.com

9. Wabi Woolens

Wabi Woolens is a small manufacturer of wool jerseys based in cycling mecca Portland, OR. Their Merino wool jerseys are made right here in the USA.

The product line is simple – there are long sleeve cycling jerseys, and long sleeve adventure jerseys. (The only difference is that the cycling jerseys have three rear pockets.) I’ve always liked the idea of “do one thing and do it right,” and it looks like Wabi Woolens is doing a good job of that.

Link: www.wabiwoolens.com

10. Walz Caps

Walz Caps are traditional cycling caps, individually sewn in the United States, with your satisfaction 100% guaranteed.

Cap materials vary, but one of them is wool. They offer wool cycling caps with or without ear flaps for $30 or $25.

Link: walzcaps.com

11. Icebreaker

Based in New Zealand, Icebreaker offers many types of wool garments, from casual clothing and underwear to performance athletic apparel.

Link: icebreaker.com

Those are the eleven companies I know.

You should be served well by wool from any of these companies, but remember one thing – wool is expensive, so take good care of it!