The footwear outline is schematic. Check the cuff with your own shoes.
- no-show: 3.13 in on average (2 models with a published height)
- ankle: no height published (dashed)
- quarter: 5.2 in on average (5 models with a published height)
- mini crew: 5 in on average (1 model with a published height)
- micro crew: 7.66 in on average (32 models with a published height)
- crew: 10.5 in on average (11 models with a published height)
- mid-calf: 9.5 in on average (2 models with a published height)
- over-the-calf: 16.63 in on average (2 models with a published height)
Heel-to-cuff measurements are maker averages, not a shared fit guarantee.
Find where the boot touches your leg
Lace the boots as you hike in them and move your ankle. Note where the collar and tongue press. The sock’s cuff should sit above that line; Darn Tough’s 8.5-inch micro crew clears many mid boots, and its 10.5-inch crew and 11-inch boot socks clear taller ones.
Wool and merino boot socks
120 of the 258 boot-height socks here are half or more wool, and 109 of those are merino, the fine wool most hiking socks are knit from. The others are wool blends, socks with no wool, or layered socks whose maker prints a blend for each layer; every sock’s row shows its wool share. For the whole range by merino share, see the merino page.
Breaking in new boots: wear the socks you will hike in
Break boots in with the socks you plan to hike in, so the fit your feet get used to is the fit you will have on the trail. A thick sock is the right one for breaking in only if you will hike in thick socks; break them in with a thin sock and switch to a thick one later, and the boot fits tighter than it did.
If you want a thick boot sock, the heavyweight sock list has every model with a heavy or heavyweight label; check the room in your boots with them on before a long walk.
Height is not warmth
A taller cuff covers more leg; it does not make the foot warmer. Pick the height for the boot, then the padding and knit for the weather.
Check the room before full cushion
Full, extra and heavyweight socks fill a boot. If your toes touch the front or your heel lifts with them on, go lighter. A thick sock squeezed into a tight boot is less comfortable, not more.
Liners and waterproof socks take room too
Try a liner and outer together. A waterproof sock has three layers and fits like a thicker sock than its padding suggests; follow its own care instruction.
Keep the first wear returnable
Try new socks with the boots indoors first. Most shops will not take back socks worn outdoors or washed, and a maker’s guarantee answers a different question from the shop’s return window.
If a spot gets warm or rubs on the trail, the blister guide has the routine.
What this can’t tell you
Boots differ in volume and collar height even at the same size. The list below is chosen by cuff height and padding the makers publish; the boot on your foot decides.
