You might look around for lambswool gym socks. Try looking at the local team athletic supply store. These are cheap, comfortable and reasonably durable.
Edit: Please bear in mind that I have not used lambswool gym socks in over 20 years so can't even assure you that they are still available.
I recommend nylon/acrylic dress socks. Don't worry about the percentages. Just get some with no cotton. Gold-toes are a good brand. And, man do they keep my feet cool with little sweat. Also, they have different thickness' of dress socks. Don't get the supper thin, and also not the supper thick.
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I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.
I like to wear acrylic/polyester dress socks. The polyester seems faster-drying than the nylon, but less durable.
For a little more padding, I like the polyester Adidas brand ankle-length athletic socks. They also sell cotton ones which look very similar, so scrutinize the label. I've seen them at walmart and similar stores.
I saw synthetic socks very much like Thorlo's light hikers at Walmart the other day. This may be a heavier sock than you want, but I've had good luck with Thorlo's in the summer and the Walmart ones should be mich cheaper.
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If I wouldn't eat it at home, why would I want to eat it on the trail?
At first I had some soccer socks that were 100% polyester, but they were tall! As well as the smartwool socks that were heavy and warm, they worked great for a cool morning. But after looking at Wal-mart, Zellers and most other department stores here in Canada. I am convinced that there are no cheap mens socks in Canada that don't have any cotton in them with the exception of HEAVY work socks. So to find a solution, I snuck into the ladies section and found an assortment of nylon/spandex blend socks that are both light and very cheap! But as I have read, there are plenty of cheap, non-cotton, options in the mens section as well! I prefer a nylon blend, just like my t-shirts wick sweat and dry a lot faster than my polyester shirts IMO.
I always use a liner even in the summer time. I usually use a very thin nylon liner under some sort of wool sock, again, whether it is in the winter or the summer, I use the same set-up. This helps keep my feet a little dryer and both the nylon liner and the wool sock will dry out pretty quickly whenever you stop for a rest on the trail. It also lets the nylon liner take a lot of the friction and wear and tear so that I have trouble with blisters much less than I normally would..sabre11004...
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The first step that you take will be one of those that get you there 1!!!!!
“and i think my fancy wool socks are overkill for hiking in”
Yes. For warm, humid hiking, wool burns up your feet. That’s one of the ingredients for blisters.
“but while at walmart the other day, i wasn't sure what choice of sock would be the best.”
I don’t know if your walmart carries them but Dickey’s makes an excellent dark non-cotton sock. They have 2 types. I bought both. And they both work very well at wicking sweat, keeping the feet cool, and are excellent for stream crossings.
Registered: 02/26/07
Posts: 1149
Loc: Washington State, King County
I like Injinji's too, but one of the things that make them a more expensive option is that they don't last as long, at least for me --- tend to wear out on the ball of the foot.
I typically carry a pair, and if I feel like I'm starting to get toe blisters, I'll wear them more.
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