Conquer The Cold With Toasty Toes [2019]

7 Crucial Factors When Choosing The Best Winter Socks

I’m a gear junkie. I love buying the latest and greatest, the coolest gadgets, and the outdoors toys that catch my eye. That even extends to socks, where I get unreasonably excited about a super cushiony pair of midweight hiking socks that cost $25 per pair.

But I’ll be the first to admit it: You may not need to buy a $25 pair of socks capable of keeping your toes warm at -20°F.

That’s why the first thing you need to decide is how these socks will be used:

• Grueling 20-mile hikes
• Overnight camping trips
• Trailrunning
• Skiing
• Just walking to work or school

Each use has an ideal type of sock. Let’s start with sock length and fit.

1. Sock Fit

It’s important the sock is the right length, meaning your toe and heel line up properly. A poorly fitting sock will either bunch in the toes (too big) or slide down the heel (too small), both of which reduce its ability to keep you warm.

2. Sock Length

There are 6 different sock lengths, each with an intended use:

• Liners
• No-Show
• Ankle
• Quarter
• Crew
• Over-The-Calf or Knee-High

We’ll skip the no-show sock on this list of the warmest socks because–surprise!–these socks aren’t warm. The other 5 are worth discussing.

Liners // Liners can be any length–it’s actually all about their thickness–so they don’t tuck neatly into this category, but they’re worth talking about. Sock liners are ultra-thin layers that can be worn under other socks. Often made of silk or synthetic fibers, liners can be a functional way to add insulation and comfort to a cold-weather sock system.

Ankle // The lowest cut, ankle socks are best for running and biking. Typically, ankle socks aren’t extremely warm. Some are made from high-quality, insulating materials, but the low cut limits their warmth. Even most cold weather running socks are quarter or crew cut.

Quarter // Quarter socks rise above the shoe to cover the ankle bone entirely. They’re great for providing except cushioning along the back of your foot to prevent blisters, but again, overall warmth is compromised.

Crew // Crew socks rise to the mid-calf, about 6-8″ above the shoe. When talking about the best winter socks or the warmest socks in general, the conversation begins with crew socks.

Over-The-Calf or Knee-High // You’ll see both of these lengths used, but they’re pretty similar (and self-explanatory). They’re most commonly associated with athletic activities like skiing (for warmth) or really any other sport with a strong lower body component (for compression). For cold weather, knee-high socks may be overkill. However, they’re the warmest socks for extreme cold.

3. Material

Your foot has over 250,000 sweat glands, making it one of the sweatiest places on your body. Even in sub-zero weather, it’s important to prevent foot sweating as that can quickly turn into frostbite. That’s why choosing the right material is so important. Let’s look at 8 common materials:

• Sheep Wool
• Alpaca Fleece
• Bison Down
• Silk
• Cotton
• Acrylic
• Nylon
• Lycra, Spandex, Elastane, and other stretchable material

Sheep Wool // Sheep wool is impressive stuff resulting from millennia of evolution to keep sheep comfortable in cold, wet conditions. The most impressive thing about wool is that it’s naturally water repellent but can absorb up to 30% of its weight in water vapor without feeling wet, which makes it great for keeping your feet dry. It also has the ability to self-regulate temperature and has a ton of air pockets, which improve both insulation and cushioning. Merino Wool is the best type of wool with finer fibers (about 12-20 microns in diameter–5 times thinner than human hair) that don’t itch.

Alpaca Fleece // The alpaca equivalent, fleece actually has better powers of insulation than sheep wool because it has completely hollow fibers. As we discussed in our guide to Down vs Synthetics, air pockets are what make insulation possible. However, these air pockets prevent fleece from absorbing moisture. While it still wicks moisture away, it isn’t capable of absorbing excess moisture to keep you dry like wool can. It’s about as thin as Merino wool, making alpaca fleece exceptionally comfortable.

Bison Down // Another interesting material, bison down has been hitting the market as a high-performing alternative to wool. I say “down” because we’re talking about the super-fine underlying layer (15 microns) below the rough outer coat. It can absorb 100% of its weight in water without feeling wet, offers better insulation than sheep wool, and is as soft as cashmere. Sounds awesome, right? Well, it’s expensive stuff selling for upwards of $300 per pound as a single bison sheds just 4-6 oz of it per year.

Silk // Another natural animal fiber, silk actually has great powers of insulation. Given its natural usage–silkworms make cocoons to protect themselves during metamorphosis–this shouldn’t be surprising. However, silk products usually aren’t as thick as wool products, meaning they lose some insulating power. On the plus side, silk is great at facilitating air exchange, which can help remove excess heat. A cold-weather sock system won’t have big, thick silk socks as the primary means of insulation, but silk makes great sock liners.

Cotton // Cotton is a hydrophilic natural plant fiber, meaning it attracts water and sucks it up. In fact, cotton can hold about 27 times its weight in water. This is not ideal for cold-weather situations, so cotton socks and other cotton clothing should be avoided at all costs.

Acrylic // Acrylic is a synthetic fiber that is terrible at absorbing moisture, only absorbing around 5% of its weight in water. This is by design. Instead, acrylic wicks moisture away from your body as extremely small tubes (called capillaries) in the material pull water away from your body and release it to your outer garments or the environment. Acrylic socks on their own will not provide enough insulation, but they can be a great base layer with wool socks over them. The acrylic sock layer will wick moisture away from your feet where the wool can absorb it and insulate.

Nylon // Nylon is another synthetic fiber that often makes up something like 20% of the material in a pair of socks. Nylon gives socks additional strength and stretchability and dries quickly.

Lycra, Spandex, Elastane, etc. // More synthetic fibers, this category is for all stretchable materials that help your socks contour to your foot’s unique shape while often providing arch support. Generally, they make up the smallest portion of your sock’s overall composition.

4. Cushioning & Arch Support

Less about warmth and more about comfort, consider the sock’s overall shape. Does it provide cushioning along the sole, behind the heel, and around the ankle? What shape are your arches and does the sock conform to that? Many socks that have robust cushioning and arch support achieve that with synthetic fibers like nylon, Lycra, Spandex, and Elastane.

5. Seam Design

Another comfort criterion, examine the seams of your socks. Are they smooth or raised? Will they rub against your feet and aggravate your skin?

6. Toes Or No Toes?

If you’re prone to toe blisters, consider buying a pair of toe socks. They may take some getting used to, but by isolating each toe and reducing the skin-on-skin friction, you’ll be able to stay warm and blister-free. Depending on the temperature, wool toe socks may be fine on their own. For either extreme cold or any layered system, synthetic toe socks make a great under-layer with warm wool socks on the outside.

7. Electric Heated Socks

Yes, you read that correctly. Electric heated socks are a thing and they’ll pump manufactured warmth where you need it most. Some require batteries while others are rechargeable. You’ll get 6-15 hours of heating, depending on the sock, which makes them great for at-home, around-town, or camping uses.

Battery-powered socks are better than rechargeable for multi-day excursions, but then again you need to pack the batteries. Personally, I prefer a standard sock for hiking, backpacking, and camping as I feel it’s more reliable–what if something goes wrong?–but heated socks are an amazing alternative for casual, daily use.