Choosing the right pair of hiking socks can be hard if you don’t know where to start. I’ve been actively hiking for 9+ years and have a lot of thoughts on hiking socks to help keep your feet happy on the trails. To start with, hiking socks are underrated. I have tested a variety of hiking shoes and hiking socks combinations, and I learned very early on that hiking socks do make a difference in comfort on the trails and regular workout socks are not as comfortable with hiking boots.
Every time I meet a hiker that isn’t wearing hiking-specific socks… I feel the need to convince them to start. Whether it’s a 5-mile hike of a 20-mile day, a good pair of hiking socks goes a lot way. It makes a world of difference on your feet and hiking experience and I learned this the hard way.
Let’s dive into why you need hiking socks and which ones you should consider.
If you’re short on time, here are my top two hiking sock recommendations for 3-season hiking:
Darn Tough Micro Crew Cushion for a midweight pair of socks,
and Eddie Bauer Guide Pro for a lightweight pair
What type of socks is best for hiking?
Merino Wool socks are the best for hiking. Most importantly, it’s odor-resistant and we sweat a lot on our feet, especially if we wear goretex (waterproof) hiking shoes that aren’t very breathable. If you wear hiking shoes that are not waterproof and very breathable though, you get a lot of dirt through your shoes and onto your socks still. Socks get very dirty one way or the other.
While merino wool is advertised as odor-resistant, it only shields the odor to a degree—naturally, smelling is inevitable after a certain time and usage on the trail so don’t think you won’t ever get stinky feet just because you are wearing merino wool. It still helps though in more than one way.
Merino wool is also a warm fabric that provides insulation while regulating body temperatures, and it’s very soft and comfortable.
The biggest disadvantage to Merino wool hiking socks is the price point. They typically range around $20-30 but it’s worth the investment for a good pair of hiking socks. While I haven’t personally tried out these Amazon pair of Merino socks, my friend wears them all the time and loves it, and they have great reviews. But note—it’s only 38% merino wool.
There are different weights of fabric for the socks to consider as well (lightweight, midweight, heavyweight) which I’ll dive into below.
Also, I’d recommend getting crew lengths or quarter lengths because they will fit nicely with hiking boots and if you wear them with low hiking shoes, you can just scrunch it down.
Do hiking socks make a difference? Are hiking socks necessary?
Yes, there’s no doubt about it! Hiking socks make a difference because they provide more cushion than the average gym socks. Some brands design added cushions in certain parts of the foot to support comfort on the trail and since a lot of hiking boots are overall stiffer than gym shoes, these extra cushions help.
Think about when you go skiing—there are specific ski socks that have added cushion in areas that need extra reinforcement such as the calves as that’s where your boot is leaning into vs the heels. The same goes for hiking socks if you snag the right one. The good ones have extra padding around the heel, toes, and soles.
They can be a bit costly just for a pair of socks but your feet are one of the most important things on a hike to take care of and it’s worth the comfort.
Happy Feet = Happy Hike = Happy Time
Are thin or thick socks better for hiking?
The thickness/ weight of the socks will depend on the trail and season you are hiking in. Overall, if you will only buy one pair of hiking socks to start, I’d recommend going with a midweight pair of merino wool socks.
Click here to choose your size and color for Darn Tough Micro Crew Midweight socks.
In the summer and warm weather hiking, I love Eddie Bauer’s Guide Pro Merino Wool socks because it’s very lightweight all around, but there is extra cushion on the inner ankle, toes, and heels. I love how much thought they put into their sock designs and actually label the right and left so you can make sure you have the right cushion support on the correct foot.
Heavyweight hiking socks would only be necessary for mountaineering and winter hiking, but they are significantly thicker that it probably would fit too snug (if at all) into your typical Spring-Fall hiking boots. Personally, I don’t own any pair of heavyweight socks but I do have mountaineering socks which are a thing of its own. I still wear midweight hiking socks for snow hikes and climbs.
Should hiking socks be tight or loose?
Hiking socks should fit snugly. If they are too loose, that’s how blisters form. However, you don’t want the sock to feel too tight either which will restrict blood flow. Make sure you pick a sock size that fits your feet and not simply your hiking shoe size since sometimes we size up on our hiking shoes.
What are some good brands of hiking/outdoor socks?
Darn Tough, Smartwool, and Eddie Bauer are my go-to brands for hiking socks. Farm to Feet makes great quality ones too. Eddie Bauer may be an unpopular opinion but I really like them, possibly even more than Smartwool for certain seasons.
Darn Tough socks (best all-around hiking socks)
Darn Tough hiking socks are one of the best hiking socks and my most reached-for pair that I can always count on for happy feet on the trails.
The cushion is just enough for a standard hike, the sock doesn’t shrink or loosen over time and wear, and the quality overall is great. It’s warm moisture wicking.
It has a little light extra padding around the toes, soles, and heels but blends in very well with the rest of the sock. Overall, it’s a very comfortable pair of hiking sicks and I highly recommend it.
My go-to Hiker Micro Crew Cushion (midweight) pair of socks is 59% merino wool but I also really love this Treeline Micro Crew design that’s 63% merino wool.
My go-to Light Hiker Micro Crew Cushion (lightweight) pair of socks is 43% merino wool.
Also, they have very fun design and color options!
Smartwool hiking socks
Smartwool makes great quality socks, the only reason I don’t reach for these as much is personally the fit which I’ll dive into below. I bought a couple of pairs of Smartwool’s Classic Light Hiking Socks (made with 67% merino wool) when I first started hiking and they felt more like a midweight sock.
Smartwool’s quality is very durable as I haven’t had any issues with wear and tear in the 9 years that I’ve owned them. They’re warm and comfortable with cushions in the right places but not my personal favorite for multi-day backpacking trips as I feel it gets slightly looser over time. Washing it helps though.
There are a lot more reviews for men than women so it makes me wonder if Smartwool socks just fit better for men.
Eddie Bauer socks (highly recommend for warm-weather hikes)
Eddie Bauer’s Guide Pro socks are one of my favorite hiking socks, particularly on warm days. I love that there’s extra padding at the heels, ankles, and toes which offers extra cushioning where you may need it most.
The socks are listed as a midweight sock but I find it to be more of a lightweight sock with medium cushioning in those hot spots listed above. To me, this makes it a great choice for my summer hikes and long days where I’ll be putting in miles and moving constantly.
I own at least 5 pairs of these socks and most are the quarter length.
REI hiking socks
The merino wool lightweight hiking screw socks by REI are a great pair of socks for cooler season. They remind me a lot of the Smartwool socks I have but at a much lower pricepoint. It’s been my go-to all winter and spring and great for winter hikes and climbs.
At 79% merino wool, these are very comfortable even just to wear around the house on cooler days (if you run cold and like cushy socks like me).
What are the best hiking socks?
It really depends on the season but Darn Tough’s micro crew is the overall best hiking sock in my experience.
Best hiking socks to prevent blisters
Not wearing the right hiking shoes, socks, or a combination of each can cause blisters. Wearing the wrong shoe size and the right fit may be the most important thing to consider for blister prevention, but hiking socks are the second.
When I first started hiking, I always got blisters after long days hiking in the mountains and that’s when I learned about sock liners.
Sock liners are exactly as they sound—it’s an extremely thin pair of socks that you wear underneath your wool hiking socks so when your feet feel like it’s rubbing against the inside of the shoes, the boot and socks that typically rub up against your skin to form the blisters would rub against the sock liners instead. It works similarly to moleskin. Think of it as a base layer for your socks.
I’ve also heard of people wearing sock liners as an ultra lightweight hiking sock so it could double as two types of sock functions. I’ve tried it once and it’s a very thin sock on it’s own and I’d only recommend this if you’re moving ultra fast, it’s warm temps, and you don’t need cushioning.
I really like the Smartwool sock liners which are made of 64% merino wool and bought a couple pairs of them before I discovered a better-fitting sock—Darn Tough.
Smartwool vs Darn Tough
If you’ve been hiking for a while, you probably are no stranger to Smartwool and Darn Tough. These are two of the best-established brands amongst general hikers for hiking socks and with good reason.
While I love both brands and they’re similar in price range, the same-weight socks fit differently on me. Let’s talk about the midweight socks as this is likely the most common.
Smartwool was the first brand of hiking socks I purchased back in 2015 because an REI employee recommended it to me. A couple of blisters and years after wearing these with sock liners, I started meeting more hikers who talked about Darn Tough. I decided to try it out and haven’t gone back. Don’t get me wrong, I still love my Smartwool socks and wear them regularly for certain hikes, but since I own a couple pairs of each, I don’t want to put my money back into getting more of that particular fit. Let’s dive into how they compare, at least for me.
Fit and comfort
The biggest difference I’ve found between Smartwool and Darn Tough is the compression and fit of the socks. I have found Smartwool to run on the looser side and Darn Tough to fit a bit more snug. Maybe that’s why I also got blisters in Smartwool before and had to buy sock liners (spoiler alert—I never got blisters with the sock liners).
Now, I like wearing my Smartwool hiking socks (without the liners) with my mountaineering boots for ice climbing and winter hiking. I feel like the slightly looser fit is good for those activities. The light cushioning feels more like a midweight cushioning for me so cooler-weather activities work well for these.
I also appreciate my Smartwool socks when I’m camping. At the end of the day when you take your socks off and have to put it back on, it can get gross to slip a dirty tight sock over your dirty feet. Smartwool hiking socks don’t feel too snug and gross.
The Darn Tough socks are my preference for most hikes in Spring, Summer, and early Fall. They fit like a glove.
Quality and durability
Another difference I’ve noticed, and this can definitely be due to usage, is that Darn Tough wears thin faster. In full disclosure, I wear my Darn Tough socks (usually alternating between 3 pairs) a lot more than my Smartwool socks (alternating between 2 pairs) so it’s bound to wear out faster. For about half of the year, I hike multiple days per week, so I am definitely wearing these a lot.
I’ve found my socks all typically wear out in the same spot—on the back above the heel. My theory is that is where the sock rubs against the hiking shoe most so it thins out the wool there. I love Darn Tough but they are not always darn tough. Luckily, they have an amazing lifetime warranty and have replaced several of my socks without hesitation.
For sizing reference, I wear a shoe size of 7.5 – 8 and size M for all socks.
The Wrap-Up: Merino Wool Hiking Socks
Overall, I think it’s good to have a variety of hiking socks in your closet to serve each hiking condition you may need. It’s also good to test out different socks to find the best fit for you. But Darn Tough, Smartwool, and Eddie Bauer and a good place to start.
Have another favorite hiking socks that’s served you well? Let me know in the comments below and I’ll give it a try!
Check out my other hiking gear guides
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