Thin, small-footed women's socks

May 13, 2016 1:19 PM

Where do you find everyday, lightweight women's (or kids') socks that will fit a women's size 5 foot?

It's time again to replace my aging sock drawer. I have some money to throw at this lifelong problem: socks that aren't too large for my very small feet. I wear a women's size 5/Euro 35 and one-size-fits-all socks do not fit me, endstop. I cross my fingers that they'll shrink in the wash, but usually they don't and I just deal with the riding-up heel until the socks wear out.

I've successfully solved this problem for hiking, where wool socks are usually S/M/L sized and the size S fits me well after a wash/dry. I have also found athletic-wear socks in alpha sizes, but they're designed to be worn with sneakers and are too thick to fit in my fashion booties or my ice skates.

So: I'm looking for alpha-sized women's or kids' socks that are thin, lightweight, breathable. Any cut between no-show and crew length; I need both. Durable would be a plus if I'm going to pay $10+/pair. Bonus points if the same style is manufactured across seasons, so I can find one source and keep buying new socks from there forevermore.

posted by serelliya to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

My sister has that size of foot and has similar complaints. I've bought her socks at Eddie Bauer which she likes.
posted by lizbunny at 1:27 PM on May 13, 2016

The styling doesn't stay consistent -- if you find a pair you like, stock up -- but I've been pretty happy with my sock and tight purchases from the Lands' End girls' section. I see they have no-show at the moment, as well as plain crews. I haven't looked at the socks but H&M has been a great place for me to score funky quality cotton tights from the girls' section, possibly worth a look.
posted by kmennie at 1:41 PM on May 13, 2016

Smartwool makes more than just hiking socks. Their PhD line is pretty thin, especially the ultralight socks which are more like a dress sock. You can often save some money buying their children's size socks; I find the children's large fits my size 5 foot a bit better than the adult smalls. Oh, and be sure to shop around. I often find some very good deals on Smartwool at AmazingSocks and occasionally at SierraTradingPost although they don't seem to have any Smartwool socks at present.
posted by DrGail at 2:13 PM on May 13, 2016

Darn Tough socks in size small should fit you. They're very good quality and they have a lot of lightweight varieties. The size small is a little too small for my size 6.5 feet so they should be perfect for you.
posted by chickenmagazine at 2:34 PM on May 13, 2016

I've had good luck with socks from Muji.
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 4:25 PM on May 13, 2016

Muji and Uniqlo. Most Asian brands fit size 5.
posted by aielen at 5:43 PM on May 13, 2016

Feetures socks are amazing. They have smalls; I am a 6.5 or 7 and wear their mediums. They are incredibly durable. I usually end up tossing them only when they are so stinky I can't get them clean, but they are still in great shape.
posted by peep at 9:35 PM on May 13, 2016

Buster Brown ankle socks are made in sizes, including size 9 for women's shoe sizes 5 to 7, and they are 100% cotton, so very breathable. They are very thin.
posted by artistic verisimilitude at 3:14 PM on May 15, 2016

I like gold toe socks for my size 5 feet.
posted by shownomercy at 5:25 PM on May 15, 2016