The Best Hiking Socks of 2024

Hiking lesson number one: Any time you hit the trail, be sure to grab a solid pair of hiking socks first.

Socks are critical to keeping feet dry and comfortable. Whether you’re camping, hiking, or backpacking, socks perform a critical role in your overall comfort. Luckily, we’ve got you — and your feet — covered.

For this review, we looked for socks that offer a good balance of breathability, cushion, stretch, and durability. Then we checked each brand’s sock performance through online reviews across multiple platforms.

To choose the best of the best, we ranked each sock on quality, feedback from our testing, and the volume of positive reviews from other users.

Scroll through our picks for the best hiking socks of the season, and be sure to check out our comprehensive buyer’s guide, comparison table, and FAQ section.

Remember, socks are tricky. No one sock is going to fit and serve everyone’s needs, but the ones on our list are by far the most popular, most tested, and most trusted.

Editor’s Note: We refreshed our guide on March 21st, 2024, for spring to include the REI Co-op Merino Lightweight Flash Socks and the CEP Run Compression Mid Cut 4.0. We also included additional info about compression socks, moisture wicking, and cushioning in our buyer’s guide.

The Best Hiking Socks of 2024

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Best of the Rest

Best Hiking Socks Comparison Table

How We Tested Hiking Socks

Our testers tried out socks of every material, cut, size, and style on the market. We tested the socks on this list over the course of many months of day hiking, backpacking, winter hiking, walking, and more. We paired socks with camp slippers, hiking shoes, and mid to tall hiking boots to compare feel and fit.

Our two primary hiking sock testers are Mary Murphy and Andrew Potter — two highly experienced hikers with high sock standards. During testing, Mary and Andrew paid careful attention to fit, comfort, durability, wicking, and overall value.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Hiking Socks

The first step in the process is choosing the correct hiking socks for your preferred activities and your budget. Do you do a lot of backpacking and want socks with more support and cushion? Or do you mainly enjoy fast and light endeavors? Do your feet run hot or cold?

Decide how often you’ll be hiking, and what features are most important to you. If you hike a lot, the more durable, the better. If your feet run hot, stay away from wool. 

The two main variables to consider are your physical constitution and the types of activities you’ll be engaged in.

Materials

If your feet run cold, wool socks (like the Smartwool Performance Hike Light) are a great choice. Generally, wool is considered the warmest, yet most breathable option for outdoor gear.

If your feet run hot, or you’ll be hiking in high temperatures, consider something with a mix of materials and excellent moisture-wicking properties. The REI COOLMAX Socks are a great example, made with a combination of polyester, nylon, and spandex.

Activity

Obviously, we’re focused on hiking. But that could mean a two-hour excursion or a two-month trek. Some people take their time, and others hustle. Luckily, certain socks work better for each type of jaunt, and some work well enough for them all.

If you’re thru-hiking, you’ll want to look for durability, long-term comfort, and exceptional technical function. In that regard, there aren’t many better options than the lineup from Darn Tough. The REI Co-op Merino Wool Lightweight Hiking Crew Sock is a perfect example. They last long enough that the company offers a lifetime warranty, and the performance is there to match. They’ve long been considered the best, and we agree.

If you’re into fast-paced endeavors, a lighter, streamlined, running-inspired sock will probably better suit your needs. On this list, the Swiftwick Pursuit Seven and Balega Hidden Comfort are perfect examples. Both have a compression feel, wick moisture extremely well, and dry out quickly..

Moisture Wicking and Breathability

For just about all types of hiking, and especially fast-paced endeavors, moisture wicking and breathability are essential. Moisture wicking pulls moisture away from the feet and promotes evaporation. Breathability helps expel trapped heat. As you can imagine, these factors go hand in hand.

Merino wool is a wonder fabric when it comes to the combination of warmth and breathability, whereas synthetic fibers tend to wick moisture better. The REI Co-op Merino Lightweight Flash offers an optimal blend of nearly half Merino and half synthetic fibers, so it’s a great choice if you’re looking for a compromise.

If your feet sweat profusely and you’re keen on high-output activities, we’d recommend something like the CEP The Run Compression socks. Their moisture-wicking properties are exceptional, and your feet will thank you after a long day.

Compression Socks

As mentioned above, compression socks improve blood flow, can aid in injury prevention, and are useful as a rehabilitative tool post-hike. If you’re an outdoor athlete and haven’t given them a try, we’d recommend giving them a shot both on and off the trail.

Because they have a very tight fit and can leave weathered footwear feeling loose, they aren’t optimal for casual hikes (unless you’re trying to keep plantar fasciitis at bay). If you’re wearing performance footwear, expect to sweat, and are planning on your feet and ankles taking a beating, they’re ideal. That said, we all have unique feet and needs. CEP’s compression lineup comes in a variety of stylish colors, so you may find yourself wearing them as your everyday socks to aid in recovery.

Cushioning

Cushioning is a tricky subject because more cushioning doesn’t necessarily translate to more comfort. Our shoes provide the primary source of padding from the ground, but socks with no cushioning at all can leave us with hot spots and blisters.

The heel and ball of the foot are the primary areas where at least some cushioning is needed, and every sock on this list addresses those to some degree. Thicker socks with higher wool content tend to provide more cushioning underfoot, whereas tighter, performance-oriented socks tend to have less.

While running or moving quickly, we’re more prone to use the muscles in our feet to brace us, which means we actually require less cushioning. Cushioning is more important for long-distance hiking where the impact is less but remains consistent throughout the day.

FAQ