Before meeting my boyfriend, who has been a major
contributor to my outdoor education, I lived a life completely unaware of the
glorious world of socks. My entire sock wardrobe consisted of your
run-of-the-mill white ankle socks.
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| I look incredibly tan here...good to know that my legs will not always appear blindingly pale |
I also ride horses, so while I had researched good socks to ride in, for some reason my equine product obsession did not seep into other areas of my life. I was perfectly happy (although significantly
less happy than I am now) with my little white socks, which I wore everywhere.
During my first trip to REI, I was informed in no uncertain
terms that cotton socks would NOT be cutting it once I tried to go hiking (real
talk, do not ever try this unless you enjoy self-inflicted pain, in which case
you may need to look into a different kind of blog).
Being the cheapskate (especially when it came to socks) that I am, I headed straight for the REI brand hiking socks. I’d worn the taller version of them to the barn in the winter, so I knew they were cheap and good quality. Don’t let the fact that they are early on in my sock journey lead you to believe that these are not good socks.
Being the cheapskate (especially when it came to socks) that I am, I headed straight for the REI brand hiking socks. I’d worn the taller version of them to the barn in the winter, so I knew they were cheap and good quality. Don’t let the fact that they are early on in my sock journey lead you to believe that these are not good socks.
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| If you have an REI near you, you an also get them in brown, grey, and I think purple as well. |
Then came the day when I had to exchange my first pair of
hiking boots because of a pinching issue. While waiting for the REI employee to
return with my new prospective boots, I inevitably ended up at the clearance
bin, which included an impressive supply of
SmartWool socks. The brand sounded vaguely familiar, but I was initially attracted to their cute stripe pattern (I have a serious addiction to clothing items with
stripes on them). I was then joined by my boyfriend, who insisted I had to buy
them since they were on sale and they would “change my life.”
For the next few weeks months, the SmartWool socks
rarely left my feet. They are thin, but still very warm, and of course good
looking too. They’re also super soft and great to wear around the house, under hooker dressy boots if you’re going out during the winter, and for cooler weather running as
well. Unfortunately, they don't make the stripey pattern anymore. They are, however, on super clearance again at REI in solid colors. It seems like they do this with whatever pattern they are retiring...it has no reflection on the quality of the socks.
Moving to Denver inspired me to not only delve further into outdoor
adventures, but also to start running. I couldn’t leave the house without
passing dozens of happy runners, and I couldn’t help but want to join in. At the beginning of winter, my current sock stockpile was working
well, but I work in Florida for three months every winter and was dreading
going back to the crappy ankle socks I once held so dear (they have since been
relegated to being worn only for household chores and are used only in times of sheer desperation).
To solidify my commitment to running, I asked for more
running gear for Christmas, and after still wanting to run after completing my
first 5k (here's how to pick the perfect first 5k), my family decided it was safe to buy me running clothes. And that’s
how I ended up with these puppies:
Ahh, SmartWool, we meet again old friend. I had no idea they
made running socks, but they are perfect
for hot weather running. Moisture wicking, no rubbing, super comfy, and they look nice too. They come in a few other colors, but are mostly
conservatively colored. On that note, I am also guilty of an addiction to
bright colors, so I was even more excited to see these:
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| Ooh, ahh, neon... |
The super thick pads on the heels and balls of your feet
make these socks incredibly comfy. I’ve had some problems with foot cramps when I run
in them, but that’s also been on very hot days. That could be coincidental, but
I still think the socks are great, especially for walking or aerobics classes
(I usually wear mine to Zumba now).
My next running socks purchase was a bit of impulse buy.
Like a moth, I was drawn to their bright colors while at the Berkshire Hathaway
Shareholders Meeting (Berkshire owns Brooks and had a giant booth). I made the foolish
mistake of “coming back later” for the socks, which were completely sold out by
the time I returned, so I was on the hunt once I got back home. I finally found
my beloved ninja socks at Runner’s Roost in Denver, but I’m sure they’re
available anywhere you can find Brooks socks. They’re light-weight like
SmartWool, come a little higher up around your ankles (so you can wear them
hiking too!), and are reasonably priced.
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| The yellow is much more of a highlighter yellow in real life. These are my new favorite running socks. |
Edit 8/10/2014: After realizing the Amazon link to these socks no longer worked, I started looking for a replacement link and couldn't find these socks anywhere. They aren't even on the Brooks website anymore. I still recommend Brooks socks for running, unfortunately you just won't be able to get this exact pair.
--
Now for a confession. My feet get sweaty very easily, so once the weather started
warming up even a little bit, I was having some moisture issues in my hiking
boots (for help finding your perfect pair, start here). Enter Darn Tough. These
socks are made in the great state of Vermont, and are the best hiking socks I
have ever worn. I wanted something more substantial than a running sock, but
lighter than my original REI socks, and these fit the bill perfectly. Not only
are they comfortable, they’re so durable the company guarantees them for life.
I will say they shrink a bit in the wash, so make sure to get a size up from
what your shoe size is. Not putting them in the dryer will also help with this,
which is something I probably should have realized upon buying something made
out of wool.
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| You can find brighter colors on their website, www.darntough.com |
Now that you’ve looked at multiple pictures of my feet as well as fake mannequin feet,
let’s bring it back to the real reason I wrote this blog. Up your sock game
with the best hiking socks in the world, Darn Tough. For running, especially in
warmer weather, check out Brooks, SmartWool, and Thorlo. And for socks on a
budget, REI brand socks hold their own in cooler months.
