The Best Hiking Midweight Socks

Comfort
Fitted sock designs are becoming increasingly common these days, and no fitted sock performed better than the Smartwool PhD. With aggressive paneling and cushioning on the toes and heel, it was one of only two socks to produce no blisters. The other was the Lorpen Primaloft, with a similar fitted design. However, the material, a Primaloft, nylon and lycra blend, was not quite as friendly as the pure wool of the PhD. Both socks stayed entirely motionless on the foot, a real advantage when traversing hillsides or hopping on talus.
The REI light Hiker was not quite as well fitted as the PhD or Lorpen Primaloft, but was knitted with fantastically cozy wool. If the Lorpen Primaloft and Smartwool PhD represent the cutting edge of performance, then the REI Light Hikers are the pinnacle of leisure. There is nothing more luxurious after a long, wet day than a dry pair of REI Light Hikers.

Insulation While Wet
In a competition for pure insulating ability, nothing beats a thick, no frills attached, burly wool sock. And thats exactly what the Smartwool Medium Crew sock delivers. It kept feet comfortable through snow, slush and hail, and was unmatched for pure warmth. However, the socks tend to slide around the foot when wet, so using a pair of liners is recommended.
Despite being relatively thin, the PhD did nearly as well as the REI Light Hiker, a sock with significantly more material. Neither of these socks moved very much when wet, which meant they were chillier, but overall more comfortable, on long wet slogs than the Smartwool Medium Crew.

Insulation While Dry
While most socks performed better dry then wet, the sock with the best all-around insulating ability was, again, the Smartwool Medium crew. It kept feet cozy well into the low twenties. The Lorpen Primaloft also did well, but became uncomfortable below thirty degrees. Additionally, the Primaloft socks nearly lost all of their wicking ability at those temperatures, and became rather clammy.

Drying Speed
For sheer speed, no sock tested can match the Lorpen Primaloft. During testing, the socks averaged two hours to damp, and four to dry (on a sunny granite slab), an exceptional number compared to the six to twelve of its wool equivalents. They were also the only socks to dry completely overnight, a luxury on cold mornings. The runner-up is the Smartwool PhD, which dried in a little less than twice that time.

Wicking ability
While neither was sensational, both the PhD and Lorpen socks did an adequate job at keeping the testers feet dry. Neither performed spectacularly during extended periods of high-intensity exercise, and the Lorpen socks almost entirely stopped wicking at low temperatures. That wouldnt be as much of an issue, however, if the socks were large enough to take liners. None of the thicker, less fitted socks wicked well independently, but this problem could easily be avoided by wearing a pair of liners.

Favorite product

The Smartwool PhD was the tester favorite. Smartwool has managed to blend warmth, comfort, and wicking ability into the best midweight trekking sock out there. However, the Lorpen Primaloft was a close second, and the recommended product for anyone traveling in warm and wet conditions.



Best value
We recommend the REI Light Hiker II socks. They performed well across the board, and retail for less then $12.

Another option if you want the absolute most days of use for your dollar is the Wigwam Cool-Lite Hiker Pro Crew. They are not as high performance as the other socks, but they last forever and have a lot of cushion. Some of our testers have been wearing them for 6+ years and they still look newish.