Any recommendations for alternatives to my much loved Woolie Boolie 6" socks?
At almost £35 a pair they are a bit pricey.
Currently got some Endura merino ones on and despite not being very old the cuffs are going baggy so the elastic must have gone, and they are not as warm as the Woolie Boolies.
I bought two pairs of Darn Tough socks from Sportpursuit last year, best socks I've ever had, warm and comfy but they aren't cheap either. I also got some Danish Endurance socks, Sportpursuit again and they are pretty good but a lot cheaper. They do liner socks too so it might be worth trying those with some thicker socks.
I rode the puffer last weekend in a pair of banana industries "toesters". For £4ish a pair I recon they are a bargain.
I picked up some Rapha winter socks in the summer sale - was very glad I did this morning!
Planet-x do wool socks - might even be merino (but I doubt it)...they did used to do them as on-one as well...about £6 a pair. They seem to do alright, although the back of the heel seems to be the fail point on them for me.
I got some of the Bridgedale MTB socks for Christmas and they have proven to be very good. I doubt I'd pay for them myself as I'm proper tight when it comes to my clothes, but if I see them on sale I'll be buying more pairs.
Apparently 4 pairs for £10 - https://planetx.co.uk/products/on-one-thicky-merino-socks-black-splat
I have Raynaud's so struggle with cold
A pair of these https://loomiactive.com/collections/socks and some NorthWave Celcius boots have just got me through the Puffer, with a low of -12° overnight and a high of around -3° during the day.
£22/pair, which I thought was expensive for some socks but turns out they are really good so I feel they're worth it
Woolie Boolie's can be had for twenty odd quid but the last 2 pairs I've had haven't been anywhere near as good as the older ones. Not as long, definitely have the 6" ones but sit at more like 4 as they slide down, which I find really annoying.
Those On One thicky merino socks used to be indestructible - still got a pair in regular use bought well before Covid. Not full sub zero warm, but pretty good down to 0.
Are the current ones as good?
I have some mountain warehouse Explorers, very warm for their thickness, and they're only about 50% merino so they don'thave the water/sweat holding issues of purer merino (and are stretchier and very durable). Only downside is they're quite long, so if I wear them with my waterproof socks over they're taller than the waterproof and tend to wick water past if I'm not also wearing trousers. £10 a pair and very good.
I've got some of the onone thicky and thinnie socks, both are good.
Not wool, but the warmest socks I have are Prendas winter socks, not sure if they still make them, they're incredible. Rode to work in them when it was -6 the other week in just some shimano mtb shoes (can't remember the number, the old black ones with the lace flap that were a bit Darth Vader-y) and my feet were toasty warm.
I use various outdoor / mountaineering socks - Bridgedale are decent, Smartwool, Darn Tough - on the basis that I own them already and socks aren't massively activity dependent. If anything, walking is more demanding on sock design than biking. Having enough volume in your winter shoes to not crush the insulation makes a big difference ime. Essentially all they're doing is trapping warm air around your feet.
Northwave Husky socks. If you can find them (or have small feet). Wish I'd bought a few more pairs when they were easy to get hold of.
Those On One thicky merino socks used to be indestructible
I wouldn't say they were indestructible, I'm down to my last pair - which I was wearing in 1° yesterday. But at £2.50 a pair I'm not going to complain about their longevity, and they are at least as warm as my more expensive socks.
I use various outdoor / mountaineering socks – Bridgedale are decent, Smartwool, Darn Tough – on the basis that I own them already and socks aren’t massively activity dependent.
Yep, I have Woolie Boolies and some other thick merino cycling specific socks, and TBH hiking socks are usually just as good or warmer - if my shoes are roomy enough for them.
Thanks all. Funnily enough we bought some hiking socks earlier this year after turning up ill equipped to climb a mountain. National Trust ones. Comfy and padded but seem quite loose woven so not that warm!
Looking at this with interest and my eternal quest for warm feet . I'm having some success with disposable heated insoles , now looking at rechargeable ones but it's a minefield! Prices from £25 to ten times that much , don't know where to start!
As for socks I'm giving the toesters a go paired with their ski socks plus a pair of Trespass Merino ski socks though not all at the same time ! Hang on though?
As for Merino content I've got a pair from Madison under the Black Sheep brand , they are 100% Merino yet my feet are still like blocks of ice !
As for socks I’m giving the toesters a go
This should absolutely be the brand name for heated insoles, not socks.
Comfort Socks NZ have become my go to warm socks for work. Might need to size up riding trainers for them as pretty chunky.
Found them at Sugarloaf Clothing
Firstly it has to be Merino wool as it’s the best and will be much more comfortable.
Secondly I would recommend Smart Wool crew hiking socks. I have some light or medium weight ones and they work in all conditions down to about 1C. Below that you’ll want a lightweight merino sock underneath them.
Best thing is they keep your warm even when wet. In the summer just switch to one of their lighter variants (also Merino).
I tried smart wool socks but they didn't last very long. Soft fluffy type merino socks just aren't hard wearing enough.
Comfy and padded but seem quite loose woven so not that warm!
Presumably they're being compressed under pedalling forces/movement/boot closure pressure. The thing with Woolie Boolies - the missus has a couple of pairs - is that they're quite a dense knit, so resistant to compression, which probably helps with that. If you had enough volume in your boot, old-style, Ragg wool socks would probably work well - it may be what Woolie Boolies use, I don't know. Denser, less soft wool. If your boots are too tight, the sock is always going to be limited by compression, I think.
Budget: On-One Thicky merino. They've been brilliant and last for years; I stocked up and they're my go to.
Not budget: Moggans merino hikers. Just lovely, but they're not cheap.
Off- thread: Moggans thin ski socks are very good, in a market where it's sometimes hard to get a thin enough sock for a properly close fit.
oldfart
Full MemberAs for Merino content I’ve got a pair from Madison under the Black Sheep brand , they are 100% Merino yet my feet are still like blocks of ice !
TBH 100% merino isn't all that. Merino's nice and soft and can be knitted/woven pretty warmly in a small space, but its party trick is staying warm when damp, and being better at wicking sweat than most wools or synthetic wools. But the flipside is that if it does soak up moisture it's still colder than a dry wool. I think all my warmest socks are a poly/merino mix, you can get a great mix of traits like that
@Northwind yeah I've reached that conclusion as well! Remains to be seen if my latest combo works!
Oh and the other lie is Merino is itchy free ! A couple base layers I tried in the past with a Merino mix were the itchiest I'd ever worn!
Merino is naturally odour resistant too which I can attest to. My merino base layer is completely stink free while the jacket that I mostly wear over the top has a very feint lingering sweat smell under the arms that I cannot get rid of despite Dettol etc detergents being used. I’m waiting for the sunshine in the hope that I can spread it out somewhere for the UV to do its thing…
Can anyone recommend super warm socks for standing still for hours on end. I had some Heat Holder thick socks a few years ago, but they were very poorly made, and though warm, they lasted about 3 weeks and were full of holes. I'm trying to avoid wearing two pairs but may go down this route. My current socks are Bridgedale long walking socks, which are great when moving, but not so when standing/sitting still for hours. I have some serious winter boots that I used for the 2018 Winter Olympics but they aren't practical for most occasions here so socks it is.
Pretty chuffed my mum found me a pair of Northwave Husky in Large for my birthday, so they are still available... somewhere. I have a pair a few years old, show no signs of wear at all, I could imagine they'd be fine for standing around.
@andy8442 see my recommendation further up.
I spend a reasonable amount of time stood around on tops of hills in wellies or work boots chatting to contractors.
Had them for about a year now, most worn socks but no hint of thin spots and the only hole is the one to get your foot in.
Bought some more so that I have enough for a week at work.
andy8442
Free MemberCan anyone recommend super warm socks for standing still for hours on end. I had some Heat Holder thick socks a few years ago, but they were very poorly made, and though warm, they lasted about 3 weeks and were full of holes.
Heatholders also do a part-merino which they advertise as 2.9 tog, they're more expensive but imo really good. Quite bulky but warm and durable, I've had a few pairs for a couple of years now and basically live in them all winter. They're not brilliant when wet but otherwise very warm.
I bought some Horizon socks from sportpursuit. Never heard of the brand so it was a bit of a punt but they were quite cheap. Very impressed by the quality and warmth, and I'd buy some more except they aren't on the site just now.
Sock Update:
Bought the Heat Holder 2.9 tog socks- thick and warm and I think better made than any previous Heat Holder socks I've owned, but....the front seam is very pronounced and over the top of your toes, and very uncomfortable.
Got a pair of hunting socks from Decathlon. Appear to be as warm as my Bridgedales, and are a tenner a pair cheaper. Whether they last as long as my Bridgedales, remains to be seen.