Sock Help

June 18, 2009 4:50 PM

The best pair of socks I own have lasted an amazingly long time, but they will eventually wear out, and I need help finding some more.

They are cotton (or possibly a cotton and synthetic blend), very thick construction - although knitted with fairly thin yarn, and looped like terry cloth on the inside. The toe seam is very smooth.

Any idea what brand these might be? I don't remember where I bought them. I wish now I had bought a dozen pairs.

posted by Bruce H. to clothing, beauty, & fashion (8 comments total)

I'm a big fan of smartwool socks, you can get them at REI...Pricey but very very comfortable and durable.
posted by iamabot at 4:54 PM on June 18

Yeah... I have a feeling everybody's going to say the same thing, but Smartwool socks are certainly the best socks I've ever had. I don't use anything else any more. I just have 4 pairs, and they look just like they did when I got them several years ago. They never even seem to get dirty, let alone worn out, and I have yet to make them smell, even after days and days of hiking. I have a running pair, a super heavy winter hiking pair, a mid-weight pair in a dark color, and a thin, patterned pair that looks a little funkier.

Sorry though, I don't know what brand of sock you might already have.
posted by Cygnet at 6:34 PM on June 18

They actually sound like some Smartwool socks I have, either the Trekking Heavy Crew or the Mountaineering Extra Heavy Crew (it's been a while since I bought them, which was from either REI Outlet or Sierra Trading Post, can't remember which). Even if they're not exact replacements, they're fantastic socks, with a construction like you're describing but the benefits of wool (and not just any wool... Smartwool wool).
posted by The Michael The at 6:36 PM on June 18

I also am a huge fan of Smartwool socks, but I walk alot, and I burn through the heal and ball sections in a year. However, I keep pouring the cash into them because they're the best socks that are readily available. I use the same socks for technical wear (hiking, nordic skiing) as well as casual wear, so that may be part of my problem.
posted by jimfl at 7:01 PM on June 18

If you want people to identify the socks in question, it might help to have some photos.
posted by redfoxtail at 7:05 PM on June 18

wigwam? Birkenstock socks? Both of these have lasted years for me.

(and I'd like to dissent on the smartwool. Had three pairs total. Only one pair lasted more than a month, with one shredding on the first outing.)
posted by scruss at 7:10 PM on June 18

Nthing Smartwool. So comfortable.

A tip: to help socks last as long as possible, avoid walking around in stocking feet on carpet. Most carpet is made of nylon, which is tougher and more abrasive than wool and so will wear down the bottoms of your socks if you walk around on it.
posted by Lexica at 7:20 PM on June 18

Here's another tip for sock longevity: do not dry in the dryer. Hang on a line, or drape over a chair. A dryer is to garments what the electric chair is to people.
posted by BostonTerrier at 5:19 AM on June 19