Find the right pair of hiking socks and they can be the difference between excruciating blisters and pain-free walking. They’ll keep you cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather, they’ll manage moisture when you sweat, they’ll provide support to your arches and ankles and prevent rubbing in potential flash points. They can, it’s fair to say, make or break a day out walking on the trails.
But how does one find the perfect pair of walking socks? It can be tricky, that’s for sure, especially given there’s a bewildering amount of choice out there. Have no fear though – we’ve got you sorted. We’ve been testing socks for years and years here at Outdoors Magic with dozens of pairs assessed since our foundation in 1999, and we’ve compiled our research into this list of the 10 different pairs that we rate, covering all different types of options, including socks for light trails and socks for backpacking through to socks for mountaineering and winter use.
Looking for a pair of walking boots too? We’ve compiled a similar test, assessing the best walking boots on the market at the moment.
Our Team’s Hiking Sock Picks
What should you look for when buying your next pair of socks? This group test highlights the best walking socks around for men and women, comparing features, performance and overall value.
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Helly Hansen Hiking Sock Warm Crew – Best Overall Hiking Sock
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Decathlon SH500 – Best Value Hiking Sock
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Arc’teryx Mid Crew Synthetic – Best Summer Hiking Sock
- Helly Hansen Technical Alpine – Best Winter Hiking Sock
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Darn Tough Fastpack – Best for Long-Distance Hiking
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Sealskinz Briston All Weather – Best Waterproof Sock
The Expert
I’ve been reviewing outdoor gear for various outdoor magazines for over 10 years and in that time I’ve served on the juries for the ISPO Awards, Scandinavian Outdoor Awards and the OIA Awards in the UK. I’m primarily a hiker and got my first gig as an outdoor journalist after writing about one of my first big adventures when I walked the 1000-mile perimeter of Wales. I can tell you that I got through a lot of hiking socks on that trip. Since then, I’ve gone on to tread plenty more long distance trails, including the Cambrian Way and West Highland Way, and I dabble in a bit of trail running too.
How We Tested The Products
I personally tested all of the socks you can see here on this page. There were actually a lot of other socks tested but they didn’t make the cut – so what you see here is my curation of the best options I’ve tried. The process of selection goes back three years, though you can rest assured that all of the socks that have been chosen are still available on the market.
In my tests, I put at least 20 days of hiking into each pair of socks, usually with a heavy hiking backpack. The winners, for example, were worn on hikes within the Cairngorms of Scotland. Others were worn on my various adventures in my homeland of Wales and also in the Lake District, Peak District and on dog walks with my Border Terrier on the Wiltshire Downs. I wear hiking socks just day-to-day (because why not?) and therefore all of these socks have just been generally lived in over the past few years.
With each pair I look for comfort, obviously, and I also assess their durability, warmth, wickability, breathability and drying time. Then there’s the smell test too. Fortunately, all of the socks that I selected for this round-up passed there!
1. Helly Hansen Hiking Sock Warm Crew
Best hiking socks overall and best merino socks for hiking: These performed best in our tests, offering everything we’d want from a three-season hiking sock.
Price: £25
Weight: Midweight
Cushioning: 5/5
Warmth: 4/5
Best for: Winter hiking
What we liked: Lots of padding, warmth without bulk
What we didn’t like: Piling occurred quickly
With their good ratio of merino and synthetics and a midweight blend that suits three-season hiking through a range of temperatures, we found these to be a reliable and all-round performer.
Nearly equal parts synthetic and merino (with a touch of elastane), the blend is effective. We found these to be warm enough for UK winter hiking in 0 to -4C conditions with snow on the ground and we also found them to be nicely padded. There’s springy terry looping at the toes on the base of the foot and up the heel and this not only boosts the comfort levels but we also deemed it to be effective at reducing the risk of hot spots occurring. They can get a bit warm in very high temperatures, but they’re otherwise spot on for the mild conditions we tend to normally get in the UK.
Related: Best Walking Shoes for Women
Downsides? We did find that the material had quite a slow drying time and some piling occurred after only a few uses, but we still deemed these to be a good performer overall and they get our recommendation if you’re looking for a three-season sock that can also serve you on chillier hikes.
Fabric blend: 37% Polypropylene, 31% Polyamide, 30% Merino Wool, 2% Elastane.
Buy the Helly Hansen Hiking Sock Warm Crew: £25 at Hellyhansen.co.uk
2. Quechua SH500
Best value hiking socks: On a budget? These hiking socks get our pick.
Price: £13 (x2 pairs)
Weight: Mid to heavyweight
Cushioning: 4/5
Warmth: 4/5
Best for: Three-season hiking
This is a good pair of socks from Decathlon’s own brand, Quechua. They’re warm and very supportive and the technical construction brings zoned ventilation and padding in all of the right places. For instance, you’ve got terry looping on the toes, heel and shin and then air channels up the ankle to allow moisture vapour to escape.
The bulk of the materials are synthetics, with Polyamide and Polyester bringing durability, insulation, a fast drying time and wicking qualities to the table. 28% wool content is quite low and that could be the reason why these come at a fairly modest price. If your feet tend to get quite smelly, you might want to look for socks with a higher wool content as wool has excellent odour-fighting qualities and the same can definitely not be said for synthetics, unless they come treated with a silver-ion treatment such as Polygiene.
Still, these are good value socks for people who want a pair that offer warmth and durability.
Fabric blend: 40% Polyamide, 28% Wool, 23% Polyester, 6% Silk, 3% Elastane.
Buy the Quechua SH500: £15 at Decathlon.co.uk
3. Arc’teryx Mid Crew Synthetic
The best summer hiking sock: We liked the breathability and sweat wicking on offer here.
Price: £22
Weight: Lightweight
Cushioning: 2/5
Warmth: 2/5
Best for: Summer hiking, trail running and cycling
What we liked: Cool, quick drying, good quality, long lasting
What we didn’t like: Light on padding, thin
These were a close second for the best overall socks in our tests and it was the versatility that had us feeling impressed. Our testing period with these has lasted over a year and they’ve been used for everything from day hiking and backpacking through to cycling and trail running. They’ve served as a useful day-to-day sock too – we’ve had them in the black colour which fits in just as well with a pair of suit trousers as it does with a pair of hiking shorts.
And they’ve held up remarkably well after that year of testing. In fact, they feel – and smell – pretty much good as new. They still have that nice stretchy, close fit and never slide down the ankle. There’s been no wear and tear of bobbling either.
These are fully synthetic and therefore they wick moisture well and dry very quickly. Smells do build up fairly quickly, however, and that’s the main downside here. We’d love it if Arc’teryx teamed up with someone like Polygiene to add anti-odour defences to their fibres. That would really improve these.
They’re on the thin side and there’s not really any pronounced padding. As such, these are very breathable and cool to wear in hot conditions but not a great option if you’re looking for cold weather warmth.
Fabric blend: 71% Polyester, 26% Nylon, 3% Elastane
Buy the Arc’teryx Mid Crew Socks: £22 at Arcteryx.com
4. Helly Hansen Technical Alpine Socks
Best winter walking sock: Chosen as the best socks in our tests when it comes to cosy warmth for winter excursions.
Price: £30
Weight: Heavyweight
Cushioning: 5/5
Warmth: 5/5
Best for: Mountaineering, skiing, snowboarding
If you’re looking for super warm socks for outdoor use then you won’t find many socks that are warmer than Helly Hansen’s Technical Alpines.
They feature terry loops throughout the lining. These are raised loops of yarn that provide padding, comfort, and additional insulation, absorbing impact, providing extra cushioning, and enhancing the sock’s overall comfort and durability.
These really are some very chunky socks that feel luxuriously thick and warm. They’re also long, going right up to just below the knee with padding across the front. This adds comfort in ski, snowboard and mountaineering boots and a big extra boost of insulation up the legs when you’re wearing hiking boots.
In mild conditions, these socks will be overkill for most people, but during our tests during a very cold trip to the Cairngorms – when snow had just arrived for the season – we were very glad to have them.
Fabric blend: 36% Merino Wool 36% Acrylic 24% Polyamide 4% Elastane.
Selected for our Outdoor 100. Read our full Helly Hansen Technical Alpine review.
Buy the Helly Hansen Technical Alpine: £30 at Hellyhansen.com
5. Sealskinz Briston All Weather
Best waterproof sock: This came out tops out of the waterproof socks we’ve tested recently
Price: £32
Weight: Midweight
Cushioning: 4/5
Warmth: 4/5
Best for: Three-season hiking, backpacking
Sealkinz are one of only a small handful of brands that have managed to crack the art of waterproof socks. We began testing these for our Outdoor 100 back in 2022 and since then we’ve had good use out of them – and the waterproofing has held up.
Related: Best Trekking Poles
Related: Best Waterproof Trousers
They feature a waterproof hydrophilic membrane that’s sandwiched between a durable and insulating nylon and an internal bamboo lining. There’s also a silicone-like gripper at the cuff that keeps the sock up while also blocking out moisture from entering at the top. In our tests, we found the Briston All Weather socks to be comfortable and warm – though not as warm as some of the other socks here in this round up. The inner liner felt comfy against the skin and seemed to wick away moisture well. On hot days, these socks did get a bit clammy, as any waterproof garment would.
We’ve worn these socks on wet hikes in non-waterproof trail shoes and have found it to be a great combination. The trail shoes keep you feeling light-footed and agile but your feet are kept from feeling cold and soggy.
Fabric blend: 90% Nylon, 10% Elastane outer layer / Aquasealz waterproof membrane / 36% Merino Wool, 36% Acrylic, 18% Polyester, 5% Elastane, 4% Nylon inner layer.
Read our full Sealskinz Briston All Weather Socks review.
Buy the Sealskinz Briston All Weather: £32 at Amazon.co.uk
6. Darn Tough Fastpack Micro Crew
Best for long-distance hiking: We liked the lightweight but durable and cushioned qualities here.
Price: £27
Weight: 110g
Cushioning: 3/5
Warmth: 3/5
Best for: Lightweight hiking and fastpacking in mild to warm weather
We might’ve already included a Darn Tough product in this list but we thought that this product was well worthy of inclusion. It’s very similar to the Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew, which got our best in test, but it’s just a little lighter and a little more breathable and, as such, we’ve found it to be an excellent sock for hikes in warm weather.
Darn Tough have neatly zoned the thickness of the weave. So you get comfortable padding underfoot but a thin, breathable weave up top.
Like most of Darn Tough’s socks, the Fastpack Micro Crew uses a blend of Nylon, Merino Wool and Lycra Spandex. This, we found, results in a sock that wicks moisture really well, that dries reasonably quickly and that just feels very comfortable to wear. It has a decent odour resistance too and there are no niggly seams to reduce any potential flashpoints for blisters.
Full Specifications
Fabric blend: 52% Nylon, 45% Merino Wool, 3% Lycra Spandex.
Buy the Darn Tough Fastpack Micro Crew: £27 at Darntough.uk
7. Horizon Premium Merino Micro Crew
Price: £20
Weight: Mid to heavy
Cushioning: 4/5
Warmth: 4/5
Best for: Hiking and backpacking in cooler weather
Horizon are a British brand that make their socks in Italy using their own knitting machines and this is their premium offering for hikers. It’s referred to by the brand as being a lightweight sock but, compared to most other socks in the three-season category, we’d actually but it in the mid to heavy weight category. As such, we’ve found it’s a sock that’s ideal for cooler days from spring to autumn and milder days in winter too.
“The high Merino content is really evident with this,” said our tester. “It’s a very soft and comfortable sock and it’s noticeably good at wicking away moisture, and for preventing odours from building up too quickly. I haven’t had any issues with hot spots in these and I liked the amount of support they provide under the arch. To me, they’re ideal for big days out – our multiple days out – when the temperature isn’t going to get too hot.
Fabric blend: 64% Merino wool, 33% Nylon, 3% Lycra elastane.
Buy the Horizon Premium Hiker Micro Crew: £20 at Horizonsocks.co.uk
8. Craghoppers Expert Trek Socks
Price: £15
Weight: Midweight
Cushioning: 4/5
Warmth: 4/5
Best for: Three-season hiking
These socks from travel and outdoor brand Craghoppers are proof that good socks don’t need to cost an arm and a leg.
With a high Merino content, recycled synthetic fabrics and a lifetime guarantee, there’s plenty to like here. Expect padding across the sole, heel and toes, a seamless toe box to prevent any irritation and strategically placed air channels for ventilation. There’s a good amount of cushioning and plenty of arch support too.
We’d class these as a good three-season option for anything from country walking and casual use through to hillwalking and long-distance backpacking.
Fabric blend: 38% Merino wool, 38% polypropylene Dryarn, 23% polyamide, 1% elastane.
Buy the Craghoppers Expert Trek: £11 at Decathlon.co.uk
9. Buff DryFlx Crew Socks
Price: £22
Weight: Lightweight
Cushioning: 2/5
Warmth: 2/5
Best for: Summer hiking, fastpacking and backpacking
Long known for their sweat-wicking headwear, Barcelona-based brand Buff have now moved into socks – and they’ve gone in hard with an extensive range. This particular sock is designed with fast and light hiking in warmer temperatures. It’s fully synthetic and on the thin side, with venting strips woven in and a touch of padding in placed prone to hot spots.
“These are very much tuned towards hot temperatures,” said OM editor, Will Renwick. “There’s not too much in the way of insulation and the high elasticity makes them a little on the tight side which isn’t ideal in colder weather when you don’t want any blood flow to your extremities to be restricted. Still, as a summer sock they’re very good. I’ve found that they wick moisture away nicely, they’ve never felt too hot and I haven’t had any issues at all with hot spots and blisters. I’ve actually been using them as both a hiking and a running sock. The main downside? Despite having a ‘natural mint’ tech built into them, they still get smelly quite quickly – as expected from a fully synthetic sock.”
Fabric blend: 53% Polyamide, 25% Polyester (Recycled), 22% Elastane.
Buy the Buff Dryflx Crew Socks: £20 at Alpinetrek.co.uk
