Thick wool cushioned boot socks that are not tight in the ankles/calves?
September 5, 2022 7:44 AM Subscribe
I am looking for socks that are like Darn Tough's boot socks except much looser in the ankle/calves. Suggestions? Thanks!
I know that Darn Tough is everyone's #1 favorite boot sock and I would love them too if they didn't hurt me. So I am looking for socks that are as close to these as possible except much looser in the ankles/calves: T4033 Boot Heavyweight Tactical Sock with Full Cushion
I wear a women's size 7.5 US shoe so while I have nothing against wearing socks marketed to men, I've found that most men's socks are too large in the foot for me. While I'm not skinny, I'm not grossly obese either and my legs seem pretty normal-sized. I don't know why too-tight socks are such a problem for me but I suspect it has more to do with the sensitivity of my skin and nerves than the circumference of my calves. I am hypersensitive to tight clothing in general, my skin dents and bruises or gets scratches and rashes from clothing very easily, very light pressure is enough to cause my limbs and fingers to fall asleep, e.g., resting my elbow on something will cause that arm to fall asleep and holding my cellphone to type causes my fingers to tingle, etc.
Please only suggest wool socks. Synthetic fibers make me sweat, itch, and break out in bumpy rashes. Cotton isn't warm enough.
Not wearing socks isn't an option because my feet are miserably cold, walking around barefoot feels disgusting (I notice every speck of dirt or droplet of water), and wearing sandals or shoes without socks gives me blisters.
At this point I am so frustrated in my search for thick warm cushioned boot socks that fit right and don't hurt me that I am willing to learn to knit my own if you can recommend hand-knit patterns that produce the sort of socks I am looking for. Unfortunately, most sock patterns seem to be for thin whimsical decorative socks instead of the thick warm cushioned utilitarian boot socks I am looking for.
Please only suggest socks from a brand other than Darn Tough. I have spent over a year trying to get Darn Tough socks to work for me and I'm giving up. No matter how much I try to stretch them they are still too tight in the leg and leave deep itchy painful grooves in my calves. Turning them down is less painful but now I have semi-permanent dents in my ankles instead. My feet are cold because the socks restrict my circulation too much, and cold feet is the opposite of what I want from my socks. I have tried going up a size but then the sock doesn't fit my heel while still being too tight in the calves/ankles. I have tried different models of Darn Tough socks and those still don't fit plus they're not warm enough. I tried contacting Darn Tough customer service and confirmed that they don't have any thick boot socks with looser ankles/calves. I tried everything their customer service suggested for stretching the socks and they're still too tight. I have tried handwashing and air drying but the socks are too tight even when they are brand new before they have been washed the first time so that didn't help enough. Please trust me that I really have tried everything and Darn Tough socks just don't work for me.
Thanks.
I know that Darn Tough is everyone's #1 favorite boot sock and I would love them too if they didn't hurt me. So I am looking for socks that are as close to these as possible except much looser in the ankles/calves: T4033 Boot Heavyweight Tactical Sock with Full Cushion
I wear a women's size 7.5 US shoe so while I have nothing against wearing socks marketed to men, I've found that most men's socks are too large in the foot for me. While I'm not skinny, I'm not grossly obese either and my legs seem pretty normal-sized. I don't know why too-tight socks are such a problem for me but I suspect it has more to do with the sensitivity of my skin and nerves than the circumference of my calves. I am hypersensitive to tight clothing in general, my skin dents and bruises or gets scratches and rashes from clothing very easily, very light pressure is enough to cause my limbs and fingers to fall asleep, e.g., resting my elbow on something will cause that arm to fall asleep and holding my cellphone to type causes my fingers to tingle, etc.
Please only suggest wool socks. Synthetic fibers make me sweat, itch, and break out in bumpy rashes. Cotton isn't warm enough.
Not wearing socks isn't an option because my feet are miserably cold, walking around barefoot feels disgusting (I notice every speck of dirt or droplet of water), and wearing sandals or shoes without socks gives me blisters.
At this point I am so frustrated in my search for thick warm cushioned boot socks that fit right and don't hurt me that I am willing to learn to knit my own if you can recommend hand-knit patterns that produce the sort of socks I am looking for. Unfortunately, most sock patterns seem to be for thin whimsical decorative socks instead of the thick warm cushioned utilitarian boot socks I am looking for.
Please only suggest socks from a brand other than Darn Tough. I have spent over a year trying to get Darn Tough socks to work for me and I'm giving up. No matter how much I try to stretch them they are still too tight in the leg and leave deep itchy painful grooves in my calves. Turning them down is less painful but now I have semi-permanent dents in my ankles instead. My feet are cold because the socks restrict my circulation too much, and cold feet is the opposite of what I want from my socks. I have tried going up a size but then the sock doesn't fit my heel while still being too tight in the calves/ankles. I have tried different models of Darn Tough socks and those still don't fit plus they're not warm enough. I tried contacting Darn Tough customer service and confirmed that they don't have any thick boot socks with looser ankles/calves. I tried everything their customer service suggested for stretching the socks and they're still too tight. I have tried handwashing and air drying but the socks are too tight even when they are brand new before they have been washed the first time so that didn't help enough. Please trust me that I really have tried everything and Darn Tough socks just don't work for me.
Thanks.
Mr. DrGail had the same problem with his cotton crew socks, and we solved it by switching to quarter socks. Of course, this wouldn't work for you if you need the socks for actual boots.
posted by DrGail at 8:15 AM on September 5, 2022
posted by DrGail at 8:15 AM on September 5, 2022
Response by poster: this wouldn't work for you if you need the socks for actual boots
Yeah I wear boots often enough that I do need at least some actual boot socks
posted by Jacqueline at 8:19 AM on September 5, 2022
Yeah I wear boots often enough that I do need at least some actual boot socks
posted by Jacqueline at 8:19 AM on September 5, 2022
You might check out Wigwam, then. My dad wore their crew socks for years, had pretty heavy calves for a man, and I don't recall them digging in.
posted by DrGail at 8:29 AM on September 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by DrGail at 8:29 AM on September 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Our needs are pretty similar, down to shoe size and sensitivity. This is not a wool sock suggestion, because I haven't found a good one yet that can beat this combo. I wear two pairs of socks - one a 100% silk liner (combats the less than total wool composition of the socks I'm about to suggest and almost entirely reduces the chance of me getting blisters, to which I am entirely too susceptible to) and these specific socks from Burton. They come in different lengths. I wear the size small in men's. Its my perfect sock. The shorter ones are on sale for ~5 on amazon right now.
posted by coldbabyshrimp at 10:12 AM on September 5, 2022
posted by coldbabyshrimp at 10:12 AM on September 5, 2022
Seconding Wigwam. (I think they were making the Kirkland merino-wool-blend hiking socks about five years back, and those were great. Costco seems to have switched suppliers, though.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:39 AM on September 5, 2022
posted by Iris Gambol at 10:39 AM on September 5, 2022
> only suggest socks from a brand other than Darn Tough
My apologies for ignoring this, but don't give up on Darn Tough. I too HATE tight socks, so found a way to make DT's comfy. The trick is to denature the lycra which the DT socks incorporate, to eliminate the tightness lycra gives.
I stuffed my new very tight Darn Tough socks to expand their size well wider than my legs (using quart mason jars) then left them in an oven at 400°F for a while, since when they're wonderfully loose and soft.
Lycra melts at about 450° so it's probably best to stay below 420°, as melted Lycra might not be so nice.
Before I figured out how to make DTs comfy, I used Wigwam 40° Below Heavyweight Boot wool socks. If you want to try a non-DT brand those are warm and not tight, but I prefer the fixed DTs.
posted by anadem at 11:50 AM on September 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
My apologies for ignoring this, but don't give up on Darn Tough. I too HATE tight socks, so found a way to make DT's comfy. The trick is to denature the lycra which the DT socks incorporate, to eliminate the tightness lycra gives.
I stuffed my new very tight Darn Tough socks to expand their size well wider than my legs (using quart mason jars) then left them in an oven at 400°F for a while, since when they're wonderfully loose and soft.
Lycra melts at about 450° so it's probably best to stay below 420°, as melted Lycra might not be so nice.
Before I figured out how to make DTs comfy, I used Wigwam 40° Below Heavyweight Boot wool socks. If you want to try a non-DT brand those are warm and not tight, but I prefer the fixed DTs.
posted by anadem at 11:50 AM on September 5, 2022 [2 favorites]
Have you perused Sock Dreams? You can filter by calf measurement and fiber content. Also historically they have been highly responsive to very specific questions if you contact them.
posted by Mizu at 12:41 PM on September 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Mizu at 12:41 PM on September 5, 2022 [1 favorite]
Smartwool might be worth a try--their crew socks are some of the most comfortable I've worn.
posted by box at 5:38 AM on September 8, 2022
posted by box at 5:38 AM on September 8, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
And then you might have luck looking for wool diabetic socks, as well.
I commiserate! I love darn tough socks but they’re so tight on my legs and they leave indentations that last for a long time.
posted by umwhat at 7:53 AM on September 5, 2022 [1 favorite]