You’re probably thinking to yourself, why would I bother shelling out good money on socks when the cheap pair I bought at the local department store do the trick? Good question.
For anyone that commutes a few days or even 5 days a week, ends up spending quite a bit of time on the bike so why not buy things that keep you both warm and comfortable? Socks are one of those things where once you buy a good pair, you’ll wonder how you went so long wearing that old pair with a couple of holes in them.
We personally recommend the DeFeet Woolie Boolie socks Available at Amazon for Price not available.
What to Look for When Buying Cycling Socks
We’ve created this list of tips which we’d recommend considering when buying a pair of cycling socks for the first time.
Temperature Control
Depending on the socks you buy, some are more geared towards keeping you warm for winter riding whilst others are more for keeping you cool for summer riding.
Winter socks create warmth using three different ways - thickness, length of the sock and material.
While summer socks will generally keep you cool by using a very thin layer and lightweight material.
For socks to be effective, they need to be stretchy and also hold their shape well. No one wants a sock sagging down mid ride right? For this reason, you will find most socks are made using merino wool and synthetic fabric in various ratios. For winter socks you will generally see a thicker design whilst for summer you will see more of a lightweight material.
Breathability
One of the great things about a lot of sock brands using merino wool is the great breathability that is associated with this material.
Merino wool is great at wicking sweat and rain away which is especially important in summer riding and also wet riding where you need to prevent moisture building up and making your feet cold.
Waterproofing
We noticed that some socks on the market now come with water proofing. This isn’t something we have experimented with ourselves as we find waterproofing can negatively impact breathability and would prefer to just wear a shoe cover in wet conditions.
Design
Cycling socks come in many different shapes and sizes from ankle high all the way to knee high. We find wearing knee high socks underneath pants in the cold winter is a great way to add more layers and keep your legs warm.
Best XXX
Sealskinz Thick Mid-Length Socks
Sealskinz Thick mid level sock is exactly as the name suggests - thick! Made using a thick merino wool lining for warmth and comfort, these socks are made for the harshest conditions.
These socks are very much made for the coldest winter conditions and would start to get too hot in temperatures over 3-4 Celsius. Because these socks do such a great job at keeping you warm, they are quite thick and bulky.
Two things we really liked about these socks is the waterproof membrane and anti blister technology to help keep your feet dry and free of blisters.
Best XXX
DeFeet Woolie Boolie
The Defeet Woolie Boolie are made using merino wool with padding in various parts of the feet which helps provide more support to your feet for those long days in the saddle. They come in 4” and 6” cuff lengths.
One thing we love about these socks is due to the high merino wool thread count and not much polyester fibre, this results in a super breathable sock that helps keep your feet feeling fresh and also doesn’t smell after a few days of use.
Best XXX
Endura Baa Baa
Another high thread count merino based sock that works great at keeping your feet feeling fresh by wicking away any build up of sweat or moisture.
The Endurance Baa Baa have been designed with reinforced toe and heel sections which help ensure these socks go the distance.
We really liked that these socks came up with arch support which obviously help provide more support to the arches of your feet while also acting to help keep the socks in place at all times.
I’m Ben! I used to catch a bus to work until one day I decided the time would be better spent commuting by bike to save time and keep fit. Ever since then, I’ve loved commuting to work with this blog sharing some of my favourite tips and equipment for fellow commuters.