Wearing out Socks

I bet I could wear them out
My big toe nails seem to be some sort of mutation. They’ll wear through anything.



Socks, sneakers, boots, doesn’t matter, I wear through the big toe first.

My
My big toe is also stick’in out but doesn’t go through these socks. They are wearing from the bottom.

Costo “Kirkland” brand merino wool socks


$11 for 4 pair. I wear them all year long. Love 'em. They get them in every fall. My store is sold out now though. When they eventually wear out it’s not hard to throw them away at the price.

Kirkland Socks/Costco Quality
Got some of those for my hubby several years ago, they lasted until last year when they finally started getting thin at the heels. He won’t let me throw them out, even after I got him replacements (Field & Stream Hunters Socks from -dare I admit this- Dick’s).



Costco stuff was always super quality - even though I moved 45 miles away, it took me 5 years to switch over to the BJs in town.



I bought a Kelty backpacking tent from Costco probably 15 years ago, and it’s still going strong, kept me bone-dry during the huge, all-night thunderstorm over Charlemont, MA last July 17-18 (which I understand extended into NY state). Anybody else remember that storm?


serious sox fetishist
I have a serious socks fetish (at least so my friends and family tell me) and have several pairs from probably every maker of wool and other material hiking socks. (OK, actually a little more than “several pairs” – last time I was teased into counting I found I owned 114 pairs of socks of every style, fiber, pattern and color).



I’m a construction manager so i wear hiker weight socks to work as well as play. So far my favorites for comfort and durability are several models made by Bridgedale. I’ve been pleased to find that Bridgedales regularly turn up in TJ Maxx and Marshall’s stores for under $6 a pair. While I love Smartwools and Thorlos, these Bridgedales are better made, deliciously comfortable and wash and wear like crazy.



I used to be in the outdoor gear business and recall a lot of failure returns on gear made with nylon “reinforcing” thread. It caused the pocket edges and hems of Sierra Designs “60/40” coats (made of 60% cotton and 40% nylon back in the 70’s) to fray and was the downfall of many Ragg socks, which would wear to a bald mesh on the heels. Think about what would happen if you sawed across a piece of wool yarn with a length of fishing line and you get the picture of what happens when you mix non-stretchy tough nylon monofilament with wool fibers in a sock. I try to avoid socks that list nylon in the ingredients.



I think it also helps prevent wear-through, especially in the heel and ball areas, if you always wear a cushioned insole with your shoes (of course, you need to fit them with the soles before you buy them to allow room). The friction of your foot against a hard leather innersole breaks down the fibers of the sock faster. You used to be able to find wool felt and even real sheepskin insoles but I have not found them for a few years, except to go in hip waders (kinda pricey). It would not be hard to make them, though. Plan to try that when these last pairs wear out.



Keeping your toenails clipped short and rounding the corners will prevent most toe holes. Look for socks with the terry-cloth like fleecy texture inside, particularly around the toes, to help cushion against toe breakout. Having shoes that fit right and keeping them snugly laced so your feet don’t rub or slide inside is good for your feet and your socks. (Sorry if this sounds preachy – I sold outdoor footwear for years and did a lot of sock sermons.)



Wearing the same pair every day seems like a whole lot of washing (and way too much daily hassle) to me. Did you machine wash and dry or hand wash and air dry them every night? If by hand, I wonder how being damp most of the time affected the wear? And were they always worn with the same pair of shoes? Just curious about that.

At last! A fellow sock fanatic!
I agree with you on Bridgedale - I try to run or ski daily, and have rotated through the same 6 pairs every week for five years, and they show no signs of thinning anywhere.



Thank you for info on nylon - never knew why some socks wore out faster than others, and that’s why! I see more Spandex in the fiber content nowadays - is it replacing nylon?



Re prolonging wear, I tend to double & triple-sock to cushion my super-bony feet, and that seems to make the socks last longer.



I also find that socks last longer with lacing systems & shoe designs that prevent heel-lift and/or otherwise immobilize the foot inside the shoe.

Fox River
Boot & Field Worsted Wool . Best socks I know of. Ten bucks a pair at TSC ,