How to Prevent Blisters: Good Socks
The right socks
The right socks, together with the right shoes, are the most important factor when it comes to preventing blisters. By meeting these two requirements, you are well on your way to a blister-free hiking and sports life.
Just like with your shoes, the main thing with socks is to ensure that your socks fit well and snugly around your foot. They also need to provide enough cushioning, have the right height, wick away enough moisture, and above all: be thick enough to support you throughout the entire activity.
The right socks for the right activity
The most important consideration you will have to make when choosing socks is: what do you want to use them for?
A thick hiking sock is not necessary for everyday use, and a thin, airy sock is not suitable for a long hike. So it's always useful to first think about what activity you are going to undertake. Below we have listed some points to consider.
The right thickness
The heavier the load on the feet, the thicker the sock should be to properly absorb it. For a short run, you don't need super thick socks, but for a long hike, it's nice to use a slightly thicker sock. Also, some people are simply more sensitive to blisters than others. So it's always a matter of making the right choice.
The right model
Which sock model is best for you mainly depends on your footwear and personal preference. Many people like to wear a low sock with a low shoe. With sturdy hiking boots, people prefer a long pair so that the shaft of the boots does not rub. There are even special ski socks available that come up over the knee.
The right material
Every material has its advantages and disadvantages. There are also always differences in the quality of the raw material. So it can be difficult to choose: synthetic, wool, bamboo, or cotton? Below we have made an overview of the main materials:
Natural materials
Cotton
Cotton is one of the most commonly used materials when it comes to clothing. Cheap, comfortable, and sturdy. However, it is not ideal for socks. It dries slowly, wears out quickly, and wet cotton rubs, sticks, and slips on the skin.
Wool
Merino wool is often used for socks because of the exceptional softness of this sheep breed. Wool has many properties that make it very suitable for hiking. It can absorb a lot of moisture, is self-regulating in terms of temperature, shape-retaining, durable, sturdy, and antibacterial.
Viscose
Viscose is actually a semi-natural fiber. This fiber is made from wood but is then chemically processed. You will find this, for example, as one of the materials in bamboo clothing.
It is soft, flexible, and made from wood or cotton lint residues. Good at absorbing moisture but loses some strength when wet. It is also prone to wrinkling.
Synthetic materials
Polyester
Polyester is incredibly popular and for good reason. Unlike natural materials, polyester does not absorb moisture but wicks it away to keep your skin dry. It is strong, durable, quick-drying, and wrinkle-resistant. However, the quality of polyester can vary. A good indication of this is the price. If a polyester product is very cheap, it is probably not the best quality polyester. Conversely, with more expensive products, you can generally expect better material quality. For example, at Wrightsock, we use our patented Dri-Wright II polyester.
Nylon
This material is mainly used to reinforce the entire garment. It is very durable, quick-drying, and lightweight.
Lycra
Lycra is the brand name of elastane, which are actually very stretchable yarns made of synthetic rubber. This gives the product elastic properties.
Special socks.
There are also socks available for people with special needs.
Anatomically shaped socks
A common phenomenon nowadays is anatomical socks. These are socks with a left and a right sock. The idea behind this is that your feet are not the same, so to get the best possible fit, the socks are also not the same.
Socks indeed need to fit as well as possible and cause as little friction as possible. But this can also be achieved in other ways. Wrightsock’s anti-blister socks contain more elastic material than usual and always fit fairly snugly around your foot and ankle to prevent shifting.
Seamless socks and socks for highly sensitive people
There are also people who experience a lot of discomfort from toe seams. These can cause irritation, friction, and possibly blisters or worse. Seams can also cause problems for, for example, hypersensitive people or diabetics.
However, seams are unavoidable: the sock has to be stitched together somewhere. There are two commonly used methods to make a barely noticeable seam. The linked stitch is a technique used by brands like Falke and Wrightsock.
There are also special socks suitable for highly sensitive people so that they can walk comfortably and painlessly. These, for example, contain less elastic so they do not constrict people with vascular issues or other conditions.