Newbie looking for sock information

[Moyahope]

Hi, my name is Amy and I will be making my first pilgrimage Côme April 1st, 2023. I was reading some of the posts about socks and was wondering, which socks are the BEST?
See ya soon…

 

[trecile]

Hi, my name is Amy and I will be making my first pilgrimage Côme April 1st, 2023. I was reading some of the posts about socks and was wondering, which socks are the BEST?
See ya soon…

Get ready for all kinds of opinions and advice!

 

[trecile]

If you want to see who else is starting around the same time as you, and add yourself to our calendar thread for April click here.

 

[dougfitz]

Hi, my name is Amy and I will be making my first pilgrimage Côme April 1st, 2023. I was reading some of the posts about socks and was wondering, which socks are the BEST?
See ya soon…

Really? You give us very little to work with in helping you make a choice. Moreover, very few forum members will have done much more than worn one style of sock, in one season, and many for relatively short distances.
Even if we have worn several different types of socks, our view on why will be formed by considerations that we ourselves might not be able to clearly articulate. These might be similar to your own, but clearly that cannot be guaranteed.
Some things to consider.

• you say you are starting in early Apr. It will still be cold, but there may be hot days as well. I prefer a mid-weight sock at that time of year.
• the wool industry generally has done a wonderful job of promoting wool and wool blend socks, and there are many wool aficionados on this forum. I have tried wool blends, and other than increased drying time, I don't detect any improvement over other materials.
• avoid cotton, or too much cotton, in the fabric blend. My favourite trekking sock has a small amount of cotton, and it does affect the way they retain moisture.

You have the time to try a couple of different socks between now and leaving. There are all sorts of reasons why a particular sock won't work for you, and finding that out before you leave is preferable to finding that out once you are walking your camino.

 

[trecile]

As @dougfitz said, you need to give whatever shoe/sock combination you decide on a real test before you leave.
I always recommend at least 3 consecutive days of walking 16km/10 miles.
Many people don't have a problem walking long distances once or twice a week and are surprised when they develop blisters on the Camino. It's the day after day walking that will show you where you may have problems.

 

[C clearly]

Welcome to the forum! For plenty of commentary on socks, have a browse through the threads tagged "foot wear & care."

 

[K_Lynn]

I'm a fan of Darn Tough and prefer their lighter weight socks. I had tried a pair of Smart Wool socks but ended up with massive blisters from the style I wore. I could feel every thread in them, it was unpleasant. I am currently testing Injinji socks to see if I like them.
As others have said, we all have a preference for certain brands and styles. You'll have to try a few to find what is right for you. Get a few good long walks in with your chosen socks. Walk in really hot weather, in the rain, etc etc to see how you feel about them.
On Camino, I changed my socks every couple of hours, rotating between two pairs over the course of the day. There is nothing better than sitting down for 5 minutes, taking your socks and shoes off and allowing everything to cool down and then putting on a dry, cool pair of socks.

 

[Kanga]

@Duckadang have a look at the ones made here. Great quality at a sensible price, I've bought from them for years. Clunky website, hilarious front page - click on "home". I don't dare repeat what they say about "other woollen mills".

 

[C clearly]

They do sell Darn Tough Brand socks... made in China.

Definitely not the same company! Not even made of wool.

 

[trecile]

Interesting bit (to me, at least): I'd read other posts about Darn Tough Socks, made in the USA. I thought I'd seen Them at a local store, here in Australia. A couple of days ago, I was in the store and went looking. They do sell Darn Tough Brand socks... made in China.

https://www.bigw.com.au/product/darn-tough-men-s-longer-lasting-work-socks-black/p/BIGW8228244

That's a different Darn Tough company. The company is the US is Darn Tough Vermont.

Here's a Reddit thread on the two companies.

 

[LavanyaLea]

Whatever choice of socks you decide to go for, the important characteristics are: breathability and quick drying. Ie, when it’s hot and your feet sweat, you want it to cool and dry out even as you keep on walking/wearing them. And when you wash and hang it up in the albergue, it will dry by the next morning.

Also on rainy days, bring spare socks so you change them as they get wet.

There is actually a paper published on this and the single most important risk factor for sock type and developing blisters is wet socks.

The influence of sock composition on the appearance of foot blisters in hikers - PubMed

The use of wet socks heightens the risk of foot blisters in hikers, but the composition of the sock is not associated with blistering. We recommend hikers change their socks in long stages to maintain feet dry and so avoiding the appereance of blisters.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Sirage]

Further to @LavanyaLea I typically had 3 pairs of socks, but in recent years now have 4 pairs to allow more rotation during wet days. The additional weight is vastly offset by the benefit.

 

[woody66]

Whatever choice of socks you decide to go for, the important characteristics are: breathability and quick drying. Ie, when it’s hot and your feet sweat, you want it to cool and dry out even as you keep on walking/wearing them. And when you wash and hang it up in the albergue, it will dry by the next morning.

Also on rainy days, bring spare socks so you change them as they get wet.

I took 3 pairs of darn tough socks and a pair of Sealskin waterproof socks.
I wore the Sealskins all day in heavy rain and they stood up pretty well; when rain stopped changed out my socks to dry ones put on my Hoka's and within an hour shoes and feet had dried out temp was around 22C so that might have helped!
With my manic approach to wanting the right sock for my Camino I brought loads

First pair i brought were Darn Tough light hiker micro crew, then Wright socks 2 layer cool max ,1000mile 2 layer approach sock, Smart wool PHD light crew ,Bamboo socks, Mountain Warehouse 2 layer Merino, Darn tough 1/4 hiker sock, Darn Tough 1466 Hiker socks (next best for me)!

What do i wear the first ones I brought; i don't wear any other sock normally


Woody

 

[JimG59]

Visit your local specialist outdoor shop, ask for advice, buy 3 pairs of recommended socks.

 

[OxfordHiker]

Hi, my name is Amy and I will be making my first pilgrimage Côme April 1st, 2023. I was reading some of the posts about socks and was wondering, which socks are the BEST?
See ya soon…

I used Kirkland 70% Marino wool in September, they were excellent

 

[trecile]

Visit your local specialist outdoor shop, ask for advice, buy 3 pairs of recommended socks.

I would try out one pair of socks with my chosen shoes before buying two more pairs of (probably) expensive socks. The salespeople in outdoor shops are not infallible, and they each have their own personal preferences.

 

[JabbaPapa]

My preference is to 100% thick woollen socks, though sadly my feet are now so huge that such things are pretty much unobtainable.

Got three pairs of 80% French military ones at present, though frankly socks choice is downstream from foot necessaries and footwear needs. Get the right socks for combination with your feet and your shoes/boots.

 

[Samos]

Hi! I wore the injinji socks on most recent camino - very rarely changed out to the other socks I brought (Lorpens) but they worked well for me. They did feel a little strange at first, but once I started walking in them, they worked great and I didn't have any discomfort from them having the individual toes. Not sure where you are located, but if in the US places like REI have used sections so a great way to try some different socks if they have your size, without spending a ton of money until you find the right fit. For example, I got 2 pair of like new Injinji socks for $8.00.

 

[Former member 102963]

I didn’t buy any special socks at all. Just used the ones I normally wear with training shoes or walking boots! Slazenger, Nike, type of thing.

 

[CaminoKentucky]

On my recent Camino, I started in smart wool - blisters after just one day.
Switched to the one pair of Injinji socks I had with me - wore them everyday for the next 5 weeks, washing them each evening.
Prior to Camino, tried Fit brand socks. They did not hold up well.

Buen Camino!

 

[JimG59]

I would try out one pair of socks with my chosen shoes before buying two more pairs of (probably) expensive socks. The salespeople in outdoor shops are not infallible, and they each have their own personal preferences.

Agreed, but you need to start somewhere. What I was getting at, do some visits to appropriate retailers rather than ask random people for random answers.

 

[trecile]

Agreed, but you need to start somewhere. What I was getting at, do some visits to appropriate retailers rather than ask random people for random answers.

Ah, but others with experience walking the Camino are not random strangers!

 

[Mananath]

I walked the CF this past summer (July) during a heatwave and only had rain on one day. I was a bit clueless with socks and ended up carrying 9 pairs, which was a ridiculous amount in hindsight. I had 3 pairs of darn tough, 2 pairs of injinji toe socks, 2 pairs of injinji toe sock liners, a pair of thin athletic socks for evenings and a pair of cotton socks for sleeping.

I found the darn tough socks to be a bit too constrictive so I didn't wear them a lot. My go to ended up being the injinji toe socks which I wore daily with my chacos while walking. I am thinking of doing another camino next year and will just use the Inj toe socks -- i love em.

 

[Theatregal]

I've worn Wright socks on all my caminos and will continue to. Light, comfortable, quick drying, no blisters.

WrightSock Double Layer Coolmesh II Quarter Socks - Unisex | MEC

Double Layer Coolmesh II Quarter Socks: These socks consist of two separate layers to reduce foot friction and the chance of blisters. The inner layer pulled moisture away from your skin

www.mec.ca

 

[Mananath]

I walked the CF this past summer (July) during a heatwave and only had rain on one day. I was a bit clueless with socks and ended up carrying 9 pairs, which was a ridiculous amount in hindsight. I had 3 pairs of darn tough, 2 pairs of injinji toe socks, 2 pairs of injinji toe sock liners, a pair of thin athletic socks for evenings and a pair of cotton socks for sleeping.

I found the darn tough socks to be a bit too constrictive so I didn't wear them a lot. My go to ended up being the injinji toe socks which I wore daily with my chacos while walking. I am thinking of doing another camino next year and will just use the Inj toe socks -- i love em.

I tend to get blisters between my toes and I found the toe socks did a pretty good job of preventing and limiting that.

 

[tjz]

As other's have mentioned the double-layer Wrightsocks are great. Especially the ones with the Camino logo on them:

Escape Crew Anti Blister System

The Escape Crew Socks are versatile crew-length performance socks designed to keep you blister-free (guaranteed) while hiking, walking, running, and more!

www.wrightsock.com

Explore Multi Sport Quarter Anti Blister System

The Explore double-layer socks are made using recycled polyester yarn. These anti-blister socks are amazingly comfortable AND sustainable.

www.wrightsock.com

I've used the full-length on 3 camino segments now, and I like the quarter-length for running and casual wear.

Buen Camino!