Warm and comforting. The very best thing to pull on in the tent after a cold and wet day hiking or biking to raise your morale and NEVER a wasted Christmas present.
However not all socks are made equal. Depending on what you are looking to use your socks for will have a big impact on the brands you are buying from and the type of socks you are looking at. However some socks leave bigger footprints than others. And it has nothing to do with your shoe size.
So in order to make sure your socks are keeping your feet warm but not burning up the atmosphere we have had a look at the ways you can keep your socks treading lighter.
Materials
As ever if you can, Go sustainable. Organic Cotton, Wool or Bamboo. If you can find recycled cotton then even better as you will be using the scraps of cotton that would have been thrown away.
Keep in mind what you are using your socks for. Obviously wool=warm, cotton=light and bamboo=panda’s. You don’t want to be taking cotton socks with you to The Arctic or thick wool ones to the South of France trail running in the summer.
Most socks are blends to balance flexibility, warmth, wicking and price. Look for those with a higher quantity of sustainable materials to keep it footprint free.
Also keep an eye out for Low-impact dyes. They have been classified by an international certification process as eco-friendly. Generally, they do not contain toxic chemicals or mordants, which fix the dye to the fabric. They require less rinsing and have a high absorption rate in fibers, which wastes less water.
Bamboo
Bamboo fibers are taken from the natural, fast-growing plant. Bamboo is softer and more breathable than cotton and has a natural sheen to the surface, so it almost feels like silk or cashmere. Bamboo is hypoallergenic, naturally microbial and very durable, making it a luxury choice for socks.
Cotton
Cotton is a lightweight, moisture-absorbing fiber. It's breathable, washable and durable, so it is the most common fiber in socks. Because it is so great at absorbing moisture, it is generally blended with nylon, a nonabsorbent material, to help move moisture away from the foot.
Organic cotton is grown with non-genetically modified plants, without pesticides and without fertilizers. This method of growing cotton is thought to allow for more biodiversity, benefitting the environment.
Recycled cotton (recovered cotton) is usually spun from scraps that would have been discarded after the spinning, weaving or cutting processes.
Flax
Flax is one of the oldest fiber crops in the world. Flax fiber is extracted from the skin of the stem of the plant and is very soft, lustrous and flexible. It is stronger than cotton but less elastic.
Silk
Silk is a very smooth, soft and moisture-absorbing fiber. It boasts a high tensile strength and acts as a natural thermal retainer that does not conduct heat. It is woven from the cocoon material of special caterpillars.
Wool
Each wool fiber is made up of millions of coiled springs that stretch in use but bounce back to their original positions. Wool naturally has wrinkle resistance, colorfastness and shape recovery, and it breathes with your body. Wool yarn, when knotted into a thicker sock, tends to be bulky and lofty. Air becomes trapped, making wool an ideal insulator. Wool socks also keep feet drier because wool absorbs as much as 30% of its own weight in moisture before it begins to feel damp.
Durability
Old socks. Full of holes, memories and dead foot skin.
We all all have that pair of socks that we love, that have seen us over 1000’s of miles of trudging, biking or skiing. The old trusty ones you turned to first when backing your bag.
Like all gear the socks that last are the ones that ultimately mean you buy less of them and therefore you use less stuff overall. Pick wool mixes for durability and if you treat them right, washing them on a low heat and not tumble drying them, they will last for decades. Aim to one day be holding up various pairs of battered socks, talking through your life in adventures each woolen/ nylon blend at a time.
Brand
As ever think who you are buying from. Look up the companies ethics on their own website and also use independant organisations such as www.ethicalconsumer.org to check out credentials.
Socks we love, include those from Bridgedale, Icebreaker, Smartwool and Sealskinz. Be it the materials, the ethos or simply how long the stuff lasts. Choose a brand that you believe has really made socks that they care about with materials that will last.
And yes. Good socks aren’t cheap. But buy the good ones, and putting them on when your feet are wet and cold is as close to those of us without foot fetishes will ever come to finding pleasure from our feet.
