People Socks

[michianafisherman]

I use white tube socks in good boots.
I tried to wear good socks in bad boots, without the same results.

Buy good boots not the greatest socks ever made.

[Dustr]

Lodi alpacas carries a good selection of outdoor weight alpaca socks. They have the top of the line "alpaca tundra boot sock", and the "heavy alpaca boot sock". I always used merino, and still do in my long johns, until I found alpaca.

[nocod]

Merino is a type of sheep known for the softness of it's wool.
It is 100% wool.

just found these socks and i love them,the wife had cold feet the other day,i told her put on a pair of my socks,well low and behold she now loves them  ,

[RIVERRAT2]

I fully agree with lost boy. Wool is the way to go.

at my age it is the only way plus OVER size boots[heat comes from your feet]
 
RAT

[JBL44]

I bought a new pair of Muck boots, Polar Sport model. I was wondering what type of socks to get, went with the Lorpen cold weather system which consists is a silk feeling inner sock, supposed to wick away moisture, the a heavy outer Merino wool sock, works pretty good so far, but we really haven't had any super cold weather here yet, NM Mt. Hope to try them out soon.

[eriksat1]

Here is a trick I read about a outer sock liner.
 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LQCTL6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=JMNO8GZ8AH0F&coliid=I5NM84TWXA21W
You wear it over your wool socks, you must have over size boots for them to work/fit right. When you take off your boot the liner will be wet but your socks dry. That condensation and sweat has to go someplace in waterproof boots. These liners soak up the moisture but keep your feet dry. I don't care if your boot says its good to minus -70°f if your feet get wet they get cold.

[jethro]

Why does the insulation have to be in the boot and not the socks? Why not both? I checked out those Alpha Burleys and they look like they'd be okay for hunting ducks but they're only rated to -20 which ain't that great for ice fishing.

The Alphas come in all sorts of insulations. I have the 1000gram which are too warm, should have got the 800. I hate when companies list temp ratings because everyone's internal thermostat is different. For example, I used to be very involved in high altitude winter mountaineering and I could sleep comfortably in a bag rated to +20F in 30 below zero weather. Another person would be comfortable only in a 40 below zero bag. I also used to sell ski boots for a living and people would come in and tell me they get really cold feet in their ski boots. I asked them to show me the socks they wear and generally they were these super thick wool socks. I would ask them to do me a favor and try these next time, and hand them a pair of nylon or silk paper thin socks. Every single time they would come back and be amazed at the results. It goes against what people think, but it's simple physics actually. All insulation in our world is based on the same principle- trapping air. When we stuff our boots with 2 or 3 pairs of thick socks, we generally squeeze the insulation too tight and squish any air space out of the boots insulation. You can also reduce blood circulation in your feet which compounds the problem. And you don't want to buy a boot too big or you will never be able to heat up the space with your body heat.

Anyway, the point is, everyone's thermostat is different. If your feet don't sweat a lot, you might be happy with a thick pair of wool socks. I am very active and my feet sweat in any boot which makes for cold feet, so I use paper thin socks and in my Alpha Burleys my feet don't get cold. I fished last year in 20 below ambient air temps and my feet were cozy and warm. But I still say if you have the right boot that fits well, you should be able to use very thin socks.

[Nebraska]

I have bought every pair of socks I own from this site. I recommend Darn Tough, made in Vermont. They come with a lifetime warranty, are super warm/comfy. I have torn a couple pairs and they sent me new ones without question:

http://www.socksaddict.com/Categories/344-Darn-Tough.aspx

[MochaMay]

Love my Smart Wool socks! The key is what % of Merino wool? Smart Wool I believe is in the 70% or higher. I purchased a cheaper pair of Schools brand that had marino wool but only 35%..... they sucked!

Smart Wool all the way for me!

[OldCaveman]

The Alphas come in all sorts of insulations. I have the 1000gram which are too warm, should have got the 800. I hate when companies list temp ratings because everyone's internal thermostat is different. For example, I used to be very involved in high altitude winter mountaineering and I could sleep comfortably in a bag rated to +20F in 30 below zero weather. Another person would be comfortable only in a 40 below zero bag. I also used to sell ski boots for a living and people would come in and tell me they get really cold feet in their ski boots. I asked them to show me the socks they wear and generally they were these super thick wool socks. I would ask them to do me a favor and try these next time, and hand them a pair of nylon or silk paper thin socks. Every single time they would come back and be amazed at the results. It goes against what people think, but it's simple physics actually. All insulation in our world is based on the same principle- trapping air. When we stuff our boots with 2 or 3 pairs of thick socks, we generally squeeze the insulation too tight and squish any air space out of the boots insulation. You can also reduce blood circulation in your feet which compounds the problem. And you don't want to buy a boot too big or you will never be able to heat up the space with your body heat.

Anyway, the point is, everyone's thermostat is different. If your feet don't sweat a lot, you might be happy with a thick pair of wool socks. I am very active and my feet sweat in any boot which makes for cold feet, so I use paper thin socks and in my Alpha Burleys my feet don't get cold. I fished last year in 20 below ambient air temps and my feet were cozy and warm. But I still say if you have the right boot that fits well, you should be able to use very thin socks.

   Doc you have this one correct. I have a pair of 1200g alphas that I wear with paper thin under armor socks and my feet never get cold.

[Fishboy]

Love my Smart Wool socks! The key is what % of Merino wool? Smart Wool I believe is in the 70% or higher. I purchased a cheaper pair of Schools brand that had marino wool but only 35%..... they sucked!

Smart Wool all the way for me!

people socks are 71% merino wool, and 400% cheaper

[Meat Whistle]

DarnTough socks. Lifetime guarantee. Wear them out, send them in for new.

[MochaMay]

people socks are 71% merino wool, and 400% cheaper

Did not realize they were sold 4 pairs at a time. Much cheaper is correct! But I cannot seem to find different weights of the socks for warmer or colder weather

[Fishboy]

I concede that smartwool are probably a better sock, but for the money...we shall see. So far I'm a believer in people socks. Yeah they only come in one weight, one size, but several colors

[jmorain]

Another vote for Darn Tough.
However, my favorites are manufactured by a company called Feetures. They're made with bamboo and are very comfy.