Recommend a well-cushioned, moisture-wicking, white, crew sock

January 26, 2021 8:35 PM

I inquired a few weeks ago about a particular sock that had gone out of production, contacted the manufacturer but they had no replacement. It's the old underarmour allseasongear crew sock. The material composition was 80% cotton, 16% polyester, 3% nylon, 1% spandex. Does anyone have good recommendations for a similar white, good thickness, crew sock? Thank you. [lots more in extended]

I inquired a few weeks ago about a particular sock that had gone out of production, contacted the manufacturer but they had no replacement. It's the old underarmour allseasongear crew sock. The material composition was 80% cotton, 16% polyester, 3% nylon, 1% spandex. A long time ago, I used to wear cheap white socks from the department store. I found these underarmour socks and they were so great because my feet can get reasonably sweaty, but once I take these socks off, my feet dry out in seconds. The cheap socks my feet would remain wet for a while. Does anyone have good recommendations for a similar white, good thickness, crew sock?

This is for everyday use. I don't like the ones with the ribbed arch support. I have Gold Toe mens 656s Cotton Crew coming so I will see how that is.

posted by eliluong to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (11 answers total)

Best answer: Darn Tough sells socks that (I think) meet all your criteria. They're expensive initially but get cheaper over time if you don't lose socks. You can return them when they get holes some day in the far far future and they give you credit for new ones.

I discovered Darn Tough because my partner gets sweaty feet. Their socks work for him. I have not tried the white ones, but in general they are good thickness socks.
posted by aniola at 9:00 PM on January 26, 2021 [2 favorites]

I tried out some bamboo socks last time I had to stock up. They are awesome. Environmentally friendly, excellent moisture wicking / holding capabilities, and very comfortable. The ones I found (which are not the ones linked) ended up being somewhat on the thin side but I have super wide feet and it didn't end up affecting the comfort level. I'm sure there are thicker ones out there.
posted by SquidLips at 9:02 PM on January 26, 2021

I used to swear by Dickies, until I decided to switch to merino wool socks. And contrary to most advice, I went with "dress sock" style, not crew sock style, as my feet sweat a lot, and wearing crew socks while on a delivery job seems like torture. I didn't try those fancy "samurai socks" or "toe-socks" (split toes, or 5 individual toe pockets). For support, I went with insoles instead.

With that said, the most heavily advertised, like Bombas and Cushees, are mostly acrylic. Bombas "all purpose" crew socks are like 80% polyester and 20% spandex, while Cushees are 85% acrylic and 15% spandex.

Bombas does have some with more natural fibers. "Wild Wear" line is 63% cotton, 30% polyester, 6% rubber, 1% spandex. Their running socks line however is 51% polyester, 33% Nylon, 12% Cotton, 4% spandex. And they have other lines like cycling line and street line, presumably with their own composition as well. As I don't buy that brand, and they are quite expensive (3 pairs for 50?) I hesitate to recommend them myself.
posted by kschang at 12:14 AM on January 27, 2021

Bombas are good: I've handled literal tons of them from their "buy one give one" program and they feel nice and get great reviews from recipients. Everyone who works there also seems to be incredibly nice. I personally favor Darn Toughs for the increased durability, both both companies have excellent replacement policies and I do happily wear the pairs of Bombas I have, just gently.
posted by teremala at 4:55 AM on January 27, 2021

Smartwool socks are the best socks of this kind I've personally had the pleasure of wearing. Warm, moisture wicking, lovely plush-feeling interior. They're ideal winter socks, but I never found them uncomfortable for a summer hike either. They're pretty miraculous at regulating temperature/moisture.
posted by signsofrain at 5:26 AM on January 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Seconding Darn Tough. The replacement program is amazing. Don't shy away from wool because folks normally associate "wool" with "warm". My favorite weight is what they call "light cushion" which is great in all seasons (though I go thicker for hikes, especially winter hikes).
posted by supercres at 8:22 AM on January 27, 2021

Best answer: As someone who has been around the sock block, I have opinions:
-Darn Tough are exactly that, but have an artificial feel that stops me from calling them #1
-Smartwool feel great, but the lifetime on them is not great
- FITS socks also have lifetime issues
-Farm to Feet socks are pretty great, but I never found one that was thin enough for everyday wear

The winner, in my humble opinion, having worn them to hell and back, are the Patagonia Lightweight Merino Performance Crew Socks. Perfect thickness that I wear year-round, Lifetime is great, feel is great, cost...not so much. I do believe the cost is justified as long as you don't lose them. Patagonia has a sale coming up in Feb, so maybe snag a few pair then.
posted by Dmenet at 8:29 AM on January 27, 2021 [1 favorite]

FWIW, I wear Danish Endurance dress socks with Merino Wool. Reasonably priced too.

They also have crew socks. Haven't tried them. They are a little more expensive.
posted by kschang at 11:47 AM on January 27, 2021

Best answer: Thorlo -- incredible comfort, wicking, and cushioning.
posted by jgirl at 2:58 PM on January 27, 2021

Response by poster: Thanks, everybody. Thorlo socks look good even though they have too many varieties, but I think I can find one that works. Darn Tough Men's Element Crew has potential. I love Patagonia brand, but those sock designs are not what I'm looking for, plus very expensive.
posted by eliluong at 10:32 AM on January 28, 2021

Response by poster: I found Gold Toe Men's 656s Cotton Crew Athletic Socks to be pretty close to what I am looking for.
posted by eliluong at 8:05 AM on June 14, 2021