Best socks to keep feet warm?

Advice
#1

Hi all,



I plan on geting some seal skinz water blocker socks to keep my feet dry. But the question is how do I keep them warm? Do I go with wool? What are my options? Any thoughts?

#2

seal skinz
well … good luck. I do not like those socks, I have had poor luck with them and they stink pretty bad after a 10 trip!!! That said, I doubt you will ever go wrong with smart wool socks. If it is really cold water, a silk sock under a wool sock is very hard to beat even if they get wet ( and they will).



Bob.

#3

My seal Skinz leaked; Got Chota Lites.
They never leak. I also wear Smartwool socks under the Chotas.

#4

2 layers of socks
a thin wicking layer then a pair of fleece or wool socks.

I vastly prefer my mucklucks to my sealskinz

#5

yeah
what the others said about seal skins, and the smartwool. Actually Dumb or “Normal” wool works good too…

#6

so which smartwool?
I looked at the site and there are a bizillion kinds of smartwool socks. Is there a particular kind of sock I should be looking for?



I know I sound dumb asking all this, but I figured I want to be WARM on the water the first day (as opposed to figuring it out by the last day).



Thanks again!

#7

another alternative - iwigwam ingenious
socks. A bit cheaper and mine have been very durable.

#8

These socks rock
Army surplus “Cold weather boot socks”.



http://www.militaryclothing.com/IBS/SimpleCat/Product/asp/hierarchy/0Y01/product-id/203843.html



Just don’t put them in the drier.

#9

SealSkinz sock sux
Had a pair but they didn’t last four hours before they leaked. My suggestion is Chotas. If those are too bulky I’d recommend goretex socks over smartwool or fleece socks

#10

you might try a zip loc
over wool socks. Merino is best but any wool will work.



Then slide into neoprene.



The Seal Skinz help a little in warmth warm and wet that is…plus I can wear them out in two weeks of portaging…Pretty expensive holes.



I like Chotas but they are not forever. Mine now leak…sooner or later you catch them on something and get small holes.

#11

I’m With String
Thick SmartWool socks under Chota Mukluk Lites.

#12

If you don’t mind wet feet
Neoprene or Mysterioso. Either should work well for a lining.

#13

Can’t Beat Merino Wool…
…for my money - have umpteen pairs, and find them wonderful. Dry, they’ll keep your feet warm in the coldest weather, even if the socks damp out from perspiration. Wet, they retain an amazing amount of warmth. Ditto for merino underwear and sweaters,m and merino is very soft and comfortable next to the skin - no itching… Merino seems to be Mother Nature’s very own, and vastly superior, technical fabric…

#14

technical fabrics were tying to be
merino wool. Polypropelene, Capilene, etc were all developed to mimic the properties of merino wool.

#15

Wool is still the best
It’s interesting how outdoor clothing manufacturers are constantly changing materials, or what they call materials to keep selling items. It’s also interesting to see them coming back to wool as the best material for warm clothing.

#16

Smartwool socks are Merino wool
and come in several thicknesses. I have some thick ones for cold days and thinner for warmer.They wear like iron.I have some for 3-4 years and they are still good.

#17

Ditto for the “Dumb Wool” socks

– Last Updated: Feb-17-09 11:57 PM EST –

I've only found two kinds of Smart Wool socks in all my outdoor-gear shopping, and those models are pretty light. I like them for what they are, but good, heavy-duty boot socks from a company like Wigwam are great if you want something a lot thicker, even if the wool comes from sheep that didn't graduate at the top of their class.

Smart Wool's claim to fame is it's softness, but that's a totally irrelevant feature when it comes to insulating socks if you wear them over a some type of thin liner sock. For really staying warm, I wear a polypro liner sock for comfort and washability, then a shoe-weight wool sock, then a much thicker wool boot sock (all "dumb wool"). There are lots of wool socks out there that are really good, but made by more "ordinary" companies that don't have the high-class image that Smart Wool does, but are every bit as good, and in many ways are better (ordinary wool is a lot more durable than merino wool).

#18

When not using my dry suit in colder
conditions I like my neo water resistant socks with NRS rodeo boots. If it is subzero I will add a layer of thick polypro sock over the first neo layer. With the dry suit I use polypro under and the rodeo over the dry boot. Bill

#19

So it sounds like a combo works best
So if I am understanding correctly- a combination of a polypro sock liner, followed by a smartwool sock, followed by a waterproof outer layer is the way to go. Am I right?

#20

as others have suggested
… you may be putting too much emphasis on the socks and not enough on the outerwear. I’d go Chota mukluk lites. After that, it probably doesn’t matter all that much what socks you wear, unless you are going out in the bitter cold.