What the words mean at each brand
Darn Tough’s Light Hiker has cushioning underfoot, atop the ankle and up the Achilles. Its Cushion socks have terry loops underfoot with protection over the ankle and Achilles, which Darn Tough calls its most popular cushion style. Its Full Cushion socks have terry loops through the entire sock.
Farm to Feet’s Light Cushion is padding along the base of the foot only; its Full Cushion runs from top to toe. Smartwool steps from light through targeted and full to extra and maximum cushion. Injinji calls its padded footbed Protective Cushion.
Close-fitting shoes: start light
If your trail shoes or boots fit closely with your usual socks, start with light cushion or a lightweight knit. Extra padding takes room, and a sock that squeezes the foot moves the problem rather than solving it.
Room to spare: full cushion fills it
If your boots have room, full cushion adds padding under the whole foot and around it. Try it with the insoles and lacing you use, and check the heel still sits in its pocket and the toes can move.
Brands do not share a scale
One maker’s light cushion is not the same thickness as another’s, and no maker publishes millimetres. Compare two exact socks side by side: weight label, cushion label, where the padding sits, cuff height and layers.
The light, medium and full cushion pages list every sock at each level, with the words each brand prints.
Every brand’s cushion and weight words, decoded
Here is every word the 27 brands in this guide print, with how many of their socks carry it and the padding level the guide files it under: no cushion, light, medium or full. 2 brands print no cushion word at all. The light, full and no-cushion levels each have their own list of socks.
| Brand | Cushion word (socks) and level | Weight word (socks) |
|---|---|---|
| Smartwool 65 socks | light cushion (33) → light targeted cushion (16) → medium full cushion (9) → full max cushion (4) → full extra cushion (2) → full no cushion (1) → no cushion | heavy thickness (1) medium thickness (1) |
| Wigwam 54 socks | zone cushion (29) → medium full cushion (15) → full light cushion (5) → light no cushion (5) → no cushion | lightweight (28) midweight (11) heavyweight (10) ultralight (5) |
| Darn Tough 51 socks | cushion (39) → medium full cushion (9) → full light cushion (2) → light no cushion (1) → no cushion | lightweight (24) midweight (22) heavyweight (5) |
| Falke 45 socks | medium-strong padding (29) → medium extra strong padding (8) → full light padding (8) → light | No weight word printed |
| Farm to Feet 36 socks | light targeted cushion (22) → light light cushion (9) → light full cushion (5) → full | lightweight (31) midweight (4) |
| Fox River 28 socks | No cushion word printed | lightweight (18) medium weight (7) heavyweight (3) |
| Sealskinz 23 socks | targeted cushion (3) → medium | midweight (9) lightweight (4) cold weather label (1) heavyweight (1) |
| Icebreaker 22 socks | light cushion (5) → light targeted cushion (5) → medium extra cushion (2) → full full cushion (2) → full medium cushion (1) → medium variable cushion (1) → medium | light (10) ultralight (4) heavy (2) medium (2) |
| Wrightsock 21 socks | light cushion (7) → light mid cushion (3) → medium double-layer (1) → level not published | lightweight (8) lightweight+ (2) |
| Minus33 20 socks | full insulation (7) → full full cushion (5) → full full terry (4) → full no cushion (4) → no cushion | microweight (9) lightweight (4) midweight (4) heavyweight (3) |
| Sockwell 20 socks | medium cushion (17) → medium full cushion (3) → full | No weight word printed |
| Bridgedale 19 socks | cushioning rating 3 of 5 (11) → medium cushioning rating 2.5 of 5 (2) → light cushioning rating 3.5 of 5 (2) → medium cushioning rating 4 of 5 (2) → full un-cushioned lining (2) → no cushion | lightweight (10) midweight (6) ultralight (3) |
| Thorlo 18 socks | moderate cushion (8) → medium light cushion (5) → light maximum cushion (4) → full ultra light cushion (1) → light | No weight word printed |
| Injinji 14 socks | protective cushion (6) → medium liner (1) → no cushion midweight footbed (1) → medium two-sock system (1) → medium | midweight (9) lightweight (1) |
| Woolx 12 socks | full cushion (10) → full target cushion (2) → medium | midweight (6) heavyweight (4) lightweight (2) |
| Feetures 11 socks | ultra light cushion (6) → light max cushion (3) → full light cushion (2) → light | No weight word printed |
| Point6 10 socks | light cushion (6) → light extra-light cushion (3) → light medium cushion (1) → medium | light (5) extra light (4) medium (1) |
| DexShell 9 socks | heel-to-toe cushion (3) → medium light cushion (1) → light maximum cushion (1) → full | light thermal (1) lightweight (1) low bulk (1) ultra-low bulk (1) |
| Rohner 9 socks | light-medium padding (5) → light medium-high padding (3) → medium extra-thick terry (1) → medium | lightweight (2) midweight (2) |
| Warrior Alpaca 8 socks | cushioned (1) → medium | heavyweight (1) mid-weight (1) |
| Alpacas of Montana 7 socks | extra cushion (1) → full | No weight word printed |
| CEP 6 socks | light cushion (4) → light max cushion (1) → full mid cushion (1) → medium | No weight word printed |
| Showers Pass 5 socks | full terry loop cushioning (3) → full terry loop cushioning (1) → medium | medium-weight (2) superlight (1) |
| Swiftwick 5 socks | medium cushion (5) → medium | No weight word printed |
| PAKA 4 socks | extended heel cushion (2) → medium no cushion (1) → no cushion targeted cushion (1) → medium | No weight word printed |
| Randy Sun 4 socks | No cushion word printed | ultra-thin (1) |
| REI Co-op 1 socks | light cushion (1) → light | lightweight (1) |
What this can’t tell you
Cushion labels describe the knit, not how a sock feels after ten miles. This guide has not tested padding, so the right level is the one that fits your shoes on a test walk.
